Explore the pivotal events surrounding Louis XVI, the Estates General, and the causes of the French Revolution including the Tennis Court Oath and the Storming of Bastille.

The Estates General

• • In France of the Old Regime, the monarch lacked the unilateral power to impose taxes.
  • A meeting of the Estates General was required to pass proposals for new taxes.
  • The Estates General included representatives from the three estates:
    • First Estate: Clergy (300 representatives).
    • Second Estate: Nobility (300 representatives).
    • Third Estate: Common people (600 representatives).

  

• The Third Estate and its Demands
  • The Third Estate represented the more prosperous and educated members of society but excluded peasants, artisans, and women.
  • They brought 40,000 letters outlining grievances and demands.
  • The Third Estate demanded voting by individual members rather than by estates, reflecting democratic ideals inspired by philosophers like Rousseau.
• The Tennis Court Oath

  

  • On 20 June 1789, members of the Third Estate assembled in an indoor tennis court and declared themselves the National Assembly.
  • They vowed not to disperse until they drafted a constitution to limit the monarch’s powers.
  • Leaders:
    • Mirabeau: A noble advocating for the end of feudal privileges.
    • Abbé Sieyès: A priest who authored the influential pamphlet *What is the Third Estate?*

  

• The Storming of the Bastille
  • On 14 July 1789, an agitated crowd stormed the Bastille, symbolizing resistance against royal oppression.
  • The countryside also erupted in revolts as peasants attacked chateaux, looted grain, and destroyed feudal records.
  • This widespread unrest forced Louis XVI to recognize the National Assembly.
• Abolition of Feudal Privileges
  • On 4 August 1789, the National Assembly abolished feudal obligations, taxes, and privileges of the clergy.
  • Church lands were confiscated, providing assets worth 2 billion livres to the government.
• The Constitution of 1791
  • The Constitution limited the monarch's powers by dividing them among:
    • Legislature: The National Assembly (745 members, indirectly elected).
    • Executive: The king and his ministers.
    • Judiciary: Independent judges.

  

  • Voting rights were limited to active citizens (men above 25 years who paid taxes equal to 3 days' wages).
  • Passive citizens, including women and children, had no voting rights.
• Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
  • The Constitution began with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen.
  • Key rights included:
    • Right to life.
    • Freedom of speech and opinion.
    • Equality before the law.
  • These rights were deemed natural, inalienable, and the state’s responsibility to protect.