The Tennis Court Oath: What Was Its Purpose?

The Tennis Court Oath was a promise made by the members of the Third Estate in France during the early days of the French Revolution. It was a pledge to resist the tyranny of the King and to fight for a new, democratic France. The Tennis Court Oath was a key moment in the Revolution, and its purpose was to ensure that the people would not back down in the face of oppression.

Introduction

On June 20, 1789, the deputies of the National Assembly of France gathers at a tennis court in the town of Versailles. There, they took an oath vowing not to leave until they had drafted a new constitution for France. The Tennis Court Oath was a defining moment in the early days of the French Revolution, but what was its purpose?

The answer lies in the context of the time. In May 1789, the National Assembly had been convened by King Louis XVI in an attempt to resolve France’s financial crisis. However, the deputies quickly began to challenge the king’s authority. When Louis XVI tried to dissolve the assembly and call new elections, the deputies refused to leave and instead took up residence at a nearby tennis court.

The Tennis Court Oath was a way for the deputies to show their resolve to stay and finish their work, despite Louis XVI’s attempts to stop them. It also showed that they were willing to defy the king if necessary. The oath quickly became a symbol of the early Revolution and was seen as a step towards democracy in France.

What Was the Tennis Court Oath?

On June 20, 1789, deputies of the Third Estate of the Estates-General—including many notables such as Mirabeau, Bailly, Lafayette, and Alexandre de Lameth—took an “Oath of the Tennis Court” (Serment du Jeu de Paume) at the Jeu de Paume in Versailles. The Tennis Court Oath was a pledge signed by 576 of the 577 members from the Estates-General’s Third Estate; only one deputy did not sign. The purpose of this act was to signify their determination to continue meeting and to affirm their commitment to creating a new French Constitution and ending absolute monarchy in France.

During the French Revolution, the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) was formed in 1789 as a response to protests over financial inequality. The National Assembly consisted of delegates from each of France’s three estates: the First Estate (the clergy), the Second Estate (the nobility), and the Third Estate (commoners). While all three estates had an equal number of delegates in the National Assembly, under the existing system only the First and Second Estates had a vote. This led to widespread discontent among members of the Third Estate, who demanded voting reform.

On June 17, 1789, amid this mounting tension, several deputies from the Third Estate attempted to enter into session with deputies from the other two estates at salle des Menus Plaisirs in Versailles. When they were denied entry, these deputies—becoming increasingly frustrated with what they saw as feudal privileges being abuses by an out-of-touch aristocracy—moved instead to an indoor tennis court nearby (the Jeu de Paume). Once there, on June 20th, they took an oath that they would not disperse until they had hammered out a new constitution for France that would enshrine equality among all citizens.

The Purpose of the Tennis Court Oath

The Tennis Court Oath was a pledge signed by the representatives of the Third Estate of France on June 20, 1789. The pledge was designed to be a show of unity between the three Estates in the face of rising tensions surrounding the issue of taxation.

The Third Estate, which consisted of commoners, felt they were being unfairly taxed by the First and Second Estates, which were made up of nobility and clergy respectively. The Tennis Court Oath was seen as a way to bind all three Estates together and force the King to listen to their demands.

Interestingly, while the Oath did help bring about change in France, it also ultimately led to the outbreak of the French Revolution. The Revolution began when commoners overthrow the government, leading to years of civil war and instability. In the end, France would become a republic, but not before tens of thousands were killed.

The Impact of the Tennis Court Oath

The Tennis Court Oath was a pivotal event during the early stages of the French Revolution. The Revolution began on May 5, 1789, when representatives from the Third Estate – the common people of France – met at a tennis court in the town of Versailles. These representatives were there to discuss grievances against the King and to demand change. When King Louis XVI tried to prevent them from meeting, they took an oath that they would not leave until they had written a new constitution for France.

The Tennis Court Oath proved to be significant because it showed that the common people were willing to stand up against the King and fight for their rights. This event helped to spark even more revolutionary activity, which eventually led to the fall of the monarchy and the establishment of a republic.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Tennis Court Oath was a way for the National Assembly to affirm their commitment to creating a new French Constitution. It was also a way for them to show the people of France that they were serious about making change. While the Oath didn’t achieve everything that it set out to do, it was an important step in the French Revolution.