The Tennis Court Oath: Where Did It Take Place?
Contents
The Tennis Court Oath: Where Did It Take Place?
The Tennis Court Oath was a key moment in the early days of the French Revolution. It was sworn by the deputies of the Third Estate on June 20, 1789 in a tennis court in the town of Versailles. The deputies were protesting against the treatment of the Third Estate by King Louis XVI.
The Tennis Court Oath
On June 20, 1789, the deputies of the Third Estate at the Estates-General of France pledged to one another an oath not to separate until a new constitution had been established for the country. They met on a tennis court at the Jeu de Paume, an indoor tennis complex in the Saint-Honoré district of Paris.
What is the Tennis Court Oath?
The Tennis Court Oath (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 only person who did not sign was Joseph Martin-Dauch, a representative of the clergy who had gone to retrieve his glasses so that he could see the text to sign it. The Oath was a revolutionary act, as it laid the groundwork for the National Assembly and is seen as one of the lasting symbols of the French Revolution.
When did it take place?
The Tennis Court Oath (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 deputies had gone to the king’s tennis court at the Palace of Versailles to protest their lack of voting power in the Estates-General. Jacques-Louis David later painted The Tennis Court Oath (shown at right), which commemorated this act.
The Third Estate was angry because they had expected that the Estates-General would somehow help resolve their financial problems, but instead their ancient privileges were being reaffirmed and their property rights threatened. The Revolution would not have happened if it were not for this radicalization of the Third Estate, which culminated in their self-promotion to national representatives and eventual storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789.
The Location of the Tennis Court Oath
On June 20, 1789, the Third Estate had formally become the National Assembly. deputies took the Tennis Court Oath (Serment du Jeu de Paume) in a nearby indoor tennis court, located next to the Saint-Louis convent in the Rue Saint-Honoré. The Tennis Court Oath (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 June 20, 1789.
Paris
On June 20, 1789, several hundred deputies of the French Third Estate met in a tennis court in the town of Versailles. This group, which came to be known as the National Assembly, was formed in an attempt to strips the king’s powers and force him to convene the Estates-General, a legislative body that had not met since 1614. When the king refused to grant their demands, the deputies took an oath not to separate until they had drawn up a new constitution for France.
The Tennis Court Oath is often seen as a key moment in the early days of the French Revolution, but it was not without its critics. Some condemned it as an act of treason, while others questioned its effectiveness given that it was only taken by a small minority of deputies. Nonetheless, it remains one of the most iconic episodes in French history.
The Palace of Versailles
On June 20, 1789, the Third Estate, which represented the common people of France, met at the Tennis Court in Versailles to pledge not to disperse until they had written a new constitution for France. This event came to be known as the Tennis Court Oath (Serment du Jeu de Paume).
The Tennis Court Oath was a turning point in the French Revolution. It showed that the common people were willing to fight for their rights and that they would not back down in the face of opposition from King Louis XVI and the rich and powerful nobles of France.
The Third Estate had been trying to get Louis XVI to agree to reforms that would give them more power for months, but he had refused. When the Estates-General (the French Parliament) met in May 1789, Louis XVI still would not budge, so the Third Estate decided to meet on their own.
When Louis XVI found out about this, he was furious. He had the gates of Versailles locked and sent troops to stop the meeting, but they were too late. The deputies had already sworn their oath and they were not going to leave until they got what they wanted.
In the end, Louis XVI was forced to give in and agree to reforms. The Tennis Court Oath was a key moment in the French Revolution and it showed that even the king could not stop the people when they were determined to get what they wanted.
The Significance of the Tennis Court Oath
On June 20, 1789, representatives of the Third Estate at the Estates-General in Versailles took the Tennis Court Oath (Jurament des tennis), promising to never disband until they had written a new constitution. The oath was a key event during the early days of the French Revolution and helped to transform the Estates-General into the National Assembly.
A turning point in the French Revolution
On June 20, 1789, representatives of the Third Estate took the Tennis Court Oath (Serment du Jeu de Paume), vowing not to separate until they had given France a new constitution. The oath was a turning point in the French Revolution, helping to transform the Estates-General into the National Assembly and marking the beginning of constitutional democracy in France.
A symbol of the Revolution
The Tennis Court Oath (Serment du Jeu de Paume) was a turning point in the early days of the French Revolution. It was a pledge signed by 576 of the 577 members of the Third Estate who were locked out of a meeting of the Estates-General on 20 June 1789. The Oath was a symbolic act which showed that the Third Estate wasDeputies committed to forming a new government.
The Tennis Court Oath became an important symbol of the French Revolution because it represented the unity of the people against King Louis XVI. The people who signed it pledged to create a new Constitution, which would replace the monarchy with a constitutional monarchy or a republic. The Tennis Court Oath showed that ordinary people could come together and make decisions about their own lives, without needing approval from the king or anyone else in authority.