What Happened At The Tennis Court Oath?

It was on this day, July 17th, in 1789, when a group of disgruntled French citizens gathered at a tennis court in Paris to take an oath. This act, known as the Tennis Court Oath, would mark the beginning of the French Revolution.

Introduction

On June 17, 1789, delegates from the Third Estate-the commoners of France who represented 96 percent of the country’s population but held no real power-met at a tennis court in the town of Versailles. There, they took an oath swearing “not to separate, and to reassemble wherever circumstances require, until the constitution of the kingdom is established.” The Tennis Court Oath would be a key moment in the French Revolution.

The Tennis Court Oath

On June 20, 1789, the Third Estate, which represented the common people of France, met at the Tennis Court in Versailles to swear an oath not to disperse until they had drawn up a new constitution. The National Assembly, as it was known, was composed of deputies from the Third Estate who boycotted the Estates General session of May 5 to protest their exclusion from decision-making.

While King Louis XVI and his advisers refused to recognize the legitimacy of the National Assembly, the deputies continued to meet and discuss ways to address rising social and economic tensions in France. On June 17, they adopted 17 sweeping reforms known as the Cahiers de doléances (grievances). These reforms included measures such as abolishing feudalism and establishing equality before the law.

The Tennis Court Oath was a critical step in solidifying support for the National Assembly and its reform program. It also helped to set in motion the chain of events that would lead to the French Revolution.

The National Assembly

In 1789, the tennis court at Versailles became the stage for one of the most important events of the French Revolution. On June 20, representatives of the Third Estate, which included peasants and middle-class citizens, met at the tennis court to pledge not to separate until they had drafted a new constitution for France. The National Assembly was born.

The National Assembly moved quickly to pass reformist legislation, such as the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which guaranteed equality before the law and freedom of speech and religion. However, these reforms did little to improve the lives of ordinary people. In 1789, over half of France’s population lived in poverty. Faced with increasing hunger and desperation, ordinary people started to take matters into their own hands.

In 1789, peasants in many parts of France rose up in revolt against their feudal lords. They were joined by urban workers who were protesting against high food prices and unemployment. The uprising spread quickly, and soon Paris was in turmoil. On July 14, 1789, angry Parisians stormed the Bastille prison, freeing several political prisoners but also setting off a chain of events that would plunge France into a bloody revolution.

The National Constituent Assembly

On June 17, 1789, the Third Estate, which represented the common people of France, met at the Tennis Court in Versailles to pledge “not to separate before having constituted a constitution.” This oath became known as the Tennis Court Oath (Serment du Jeu de Paume) and was a key moment in the early stages of the French Revolution.

The National Constituent Assembly was formed as a result of the Tennis Court Oath, with representatives from the Third Estate joined by some from the First and Second Estates. Together, they began work on a new constitution for France. The old order had been overturned and a new era was beginning.

The Legislative Assembly

On June 17, 1789, the representatives of the Third Estate took the Tennis Court Oath (Serment du Jeu de Paume), vowing not to separate before they had reached an agreement on a new constitution for France.

The deputies representing the First and Second Estates had bailed out early in protest of having to vote alongside the Third Estate, thereby inflating its numbers. But even without them, the Third Estate had enough deputies to reach a quorum, so they decided to go ahead and vote on their own.

This act was a direct challenge to King Louis XVI’s authority, and it wouldn’t be long before the king took action against the rebels.

The Convention

The National Assembly was created in 1789 as a unicameral (one house) legislature to replace the feudal system of the Estates General. In May of 1789, the Third Estate, which represented commoners and bourgeois, took the Tennis Court Oath (Serment du Jeu de Paume), vowing not to disband until they had drafted a constitution. After many of the clergy and noble estates joined their ranks, the National Assembly became known as the National Constituent Assembly.

The Directory

It was a turning point in the Revolution. The Third Estate had originally met on 5th May but the King had locked them out of their meeting place, the Salle du Jeu de Paume. On 17th June they met again at a nearby tennis court and took an oath not to leave until they had drawing up a new constitution for France. They became known as the National Assembly.

The Consulate

On June 20, 1789, the Third Estate, which represented the common people of France, met in a tennis court in the city of Versailles to pledge their allegiance to the nation and to sign a document called the Tennis Court Oath. This document stated that they would not leave until they had written a new constitution for France.

However, while they were there, they were joined by members of the other two estates: the noblemen and the clergy. This made the National Assembly more representative of all of France, not just the Third Estate.

The Tennis Court Oath was an important event during the French Revolution because it showed that representatives from all three estates were willing to work together for the good of France. It also set the stage for even more radical changes that would take place in the months and years to come.

The Empire

At the Tennis Court Oath, the Third Estate proclaimed themselves a National Assembly and took an oath not to disband until they had given France a constitution. The Estate-General had been called by King Louis XVI to address the nation’s financial crisis, but the meeting quickly turned to discuss politics when the Estates-General voted by estate instead of by head. The Third Estate, which represented the commoners of France and paid the majority of taxes, wanted voting to be done by head so that they would have an equal say; however, the First and Second Estates – the clergy and nobles, respectively – refused. Tensions came to a head on June 20th when rumors spread that Louis was going to dissolve the Estates-General. In response, delegates from the Third Estate met at a nearby indoor tennis court where they took an oath not to leave until they had given France a new constitution.

Conclusion

The Tennis Court Oath was a key moment during the early days of the French Revolution. It was a pledge made by a group of National Assembly deputies who had been locked out of their meeting hall on June 20, 1789. The deputies vowed to meet illegally until they had drawn up a new constitution for France. The Tennis Court Oath helped to solidify the power of the National Assembly and set in motion the events of the French Revolution.