The Tennis Court Oath of June 1789 History Guide

Background and Formation of the National Assembly

  • Date of Incident: June 17891789.
  • Participants: Representatives of the Third Estate.
  • Motivating Factors:
    • A refusal to be outvoted in the traditional assembly structure.
    • A demand for political representation for the masses who perform the labor and pay the taxes of the nation.
  • Historical Action: The representatives regrouped at the Tennis Court of Versailles.
  • Declaration of Intent: Upon gathering, they proclaimed themselves the "National Assembly."
  • The Mandate: They vowed not to disband until the King recognized their sovereign authority.

Purpose and Sovereignty of the Proclamation

  • Core Objectives of the National Assembly:
    • To establish the constitution of the realm.
    • To facilitate the "regeneration of public order."
    • To maintain the "true principles of monarchy."
  • Definition of Sovereign Presence:
    • The Assembly asserted that nothing could prevent it from continuing its deliberations, regardless of the location it might be forced to occupy.
    • A fundamental principle was established: The National Assembly exists wherever its members are gathered.

The Formal Decree and Procedural Resolution

  • Immediate Requirement: The Assembly decreed that all members must immediately take a solemn oath.
  • Obligations of the Oath:
    • Members pledge never to separate themselves from the body.
    • Members agree to reassemble in any location that circumstances may require.
    • The commitment remains active until the constitution of the realm is "drawn up and fixed upon solid foundations."
  • Verification Process: Once the collective oath was sworn, every member was required to individually confirm the "unwavering resolution" with their personal signature.

The Solemn Oath of June 17891789

  • Verbatim Text of the Oath: "We swear never to separate ourselves from the National Assembly, and to reassemble wherever circumstances require, until the constitution of the realm is drawn up and fixed upon solid foundations."
  • Execution of the Oath: The historical text notes that all members swore the same oath "between the hands of the president."

Primary Source Metadata and Provenance

  • Original Publication: Gazette Nationale, ou Le Moniteur universel.
  • Digital Resource: http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/tennis_oath.html.
  • Translation: Translated by Laura Mason.
  • Anthology Details: Laura Mason and Tracey Rizzo, eds., The French Revolution: A Document Collection (New York: Houghton Mifflin, 19991999).
  • Page References: pp. 60−6160-61.