What Events Led To The Tennis Court Oath?

In this blog post, we’ll explore the events that led to the Tennis Court Oath being taken by the National Assembly of France. We’ll also touch on the significance of this oath and its impact on the French Revolution.

The Estates-General

In May of 1789, the Estates-General was called to order for the first time since 1614. The purpose of the Estates-General was to advise the King on how to deal with the country’s financial crisis. The Estates-General was composed of three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners.

France’s financial crisis

France was in the midst of a financial crisis in the early 1780s. The country’s public debt had reached staggering heights, and King Louis XVI was desperately searching for a way to reduce it. He called on Jacques Necker, a Swiss banker, to serve as his finance minister.

Necker proposed a series of financial reforms, but they were met with resistance from the aristocracy and clergy, who were unwilling to give up their lucrative privileges. In May 1789, Necker was dismissed from his post.

This move sparked outrage among the people of France, who saw it as an attempt by the king to consolidate power and crush the growing calls for reform. In July 1789, the Estates-General – a legislative body made up of representatives from the nobility, clergy, and commoners – was convened for the first time in centuries in an effort to address the crisis.

However, disagreements quickly emerged between the different estates over how voting should take place. After weeks of deadlock, the Third Estate – which represented the commoners – declared itself a National Assembly and vowed to stay until a new constitution was written.

On June 20th, 1789 – in an act of defiance against the king – members of the National Assembly took an oath at a tennis court in Paris pledging not to disperse until they had drafted a new constitution for France. This event came to be known as the Tennis Court Oath.

The summoning of the Estates-General

In 1789, the French king Louis XVI called for a meeting of the Estates-General, a legislative body that had not met since 1614. The Estates-General was made up of representatives from the First Estate (the clergy), the Second Estate (the nobility), and the Third Estate (the commoners). The Third Estate, which made up 97% of the population, had only 50% of the votes.

The National Assembly

The National Assembly was created in 1789 after the Tennis Court Oath. The Tennis Court Oath was a pledge signed by 576 of the 577 members of the Estates-General of France. It was a pledge to not leave the room they were meeting in until they had written a new Constitution.

The Tennis Court Oath

The Tennis Court Oath (French: Serment du Jeu de paume) was a pledge signed by 576 of the 577 members from the Third Estate who were locked out of a meeting of the Estates-General on 20 June 1789. The oath was a pivotal event in the early days of the French Revolution.

The Tennis Court Oath was designed to assert their determination and commitment to continue their meeting, and henceforth act as representatives of the entire French people, not just two thirds. Majority had voted in favour of continuing to meet, but Louis XVI’s three-stalwart envoys, JeanJoseph Mounier, Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès, and Barnave had insisted on more formal verification. Upon returning inside, where they had been locked out, they found a large handkerchief placed over the door-latch. This symbolically tied them together until their grievances were heard and rectified; it was also a sign that they would not leave until they had accomplished what they came there to do: vote into existence a new constitution for France .

It is uncertain how long this impasse would have continued if events outside had not saved them: news arrived from Paris on 23 June that insurgents had forced the troops loyal to Louis XVI to retreat from Versailles back into Paris. This begun what became known as the Great Fear (la Grande Peur), or sometimes “the Days of Terror”. The deputies at Versailles quickly dispersed; those from the Third Estate reassembled in an upstairs room at a nearby inn called “Jacques'”, while those from the first and second estates reconvened at their own respective quarters.

During their discussions at Jacques’, one member proposed taking an oath binding them all together until France received a new constitution; it was an act both against Louis XVI himself and his stalling tactics. The suggestion appealed to all who were present , but ran contrary to orders from their constituencies back home; consequently only fifty signed it immediately . However during the night more deputies arrived , including Jean Sylvain Bailly , mayor of Paris (the capital had been without such an official since 1648). By morning nineteen hundred electors had put their names down on this famous document

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

On August 26, 1789, the National Assembly completed the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which established fundamental freedoms for all citizens. This document was a result of several months of debate and negotiations between various political factions.

The Declaration guaranteed freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and equality before the law. It also established a number of socio-economic rights, such as the right to work and to property. The Declaration was a key achievement of the early French Revolution and remains an important part of the French legal tradition.

On June 20, 1789, nearly three months after convening, the National Assembly took its first step towards codifying these rights into law. The deputies approved a motion put forward by one of its members, Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès, which called for the creation of a special commission to draft a “declaration of the natural, inalienable, and sacred rights of man.”

The Storming of the Bastille

On July 14, 1789, a group of French rebels stormed the Bastille, a symbol of the King’s power. The rebels were fed up with the King’s tyranny and wanted to start a revolution. This event was the spark that led to the Tennis Court Oath.

The people’s grievances

The people of France had many grievances against their government. They were tired of being taxed heavily to pay for the wars that the king and queen were constantly fighting. They were also upset about the way that they were being treated by the nobles and the Catholic Church. The people wanted more freedom and equality.

The fall of the Bastille

The fall of the Bastille on 14th July 1789 was an important symbol of the French Revolution. It also marked the beginning of a new style of warfare, where poorly armed civilians could defeat professional soldiers.

The Bastille was a medieval fortress and prison in Paris which had been used to hold political prisoners since the early 14th century. By the time of the Revolution, there were only seven prisoners held there, but it was seen as a symbol of royal power and repression.

On 14th July 1789, a crowd of around 800 Parisians marched to the Bastille to demand the release of gunpowder which was stored there. The governor of the Bastille, Marquis de Launay, refused to hand over the powder and opened fire on the crowd, killing several people. The crowd then stormed the Bastille, and de Launay was killed.

The fall of the Bastille was a turning point in the Revolution, as it showed that professional soldiers could be defeated by civilians. This led to more uprisings across France, as people began to believe that they could overthrow the government.