International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest

Extract

The Tennis Court Oath was a pledge taken on June 20, 1789 by members of the Third Estate of France, along with several sympathetic members of the clergy and nobility, not to disband until they had produced a constitution for France. It represents an important turning point in the French Revolution when the monarchy effectively lost influence over the direction of events, and when political power came to be perceived as residing in the people and their representatives rather than the king. Louis XVI's hostile response to the oath further weakened the monarchy and alienated him from much of French society. In 1788 a mounting financial crisis forced Louis XVI reluctantly to summon the Estates General , an advisory body consisting of deputies from the three traditional orders of French society (the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners). When the Estates convened in Versailles in May 1789, one of the first issues of contention was whether it should vote by order (which would have preserved the traditional influence of the clergy and nobility) or by head (which would have given the more numerous Third Estate the advantage). While Louis allowed the Third Estate more seats, he refused to allow a vote by head. The failure to reach a compromise led to a stalemate that lasted into mid-June. On June 17, 1789 the Third Estate created a National Assembly, which most of the clergy's delegates ... log in or subscribe to read full text