Estates General/National Assembly
The Estates-General (or States-General) of 1789 (French: Les États-Généraux de 1789)
was the first meeting since 1614 of the French Estates-General, a general assembly
representing the French estates of the realm: the nobility, the Church, and the common
people. Summoned by King Louis XVI to propose solutions to his government's financial
problems, the Estates-General sat for several weeks in May and June 1789, but came to
an impasse as the three Estates clashed over their respective powers. It was brought to an
end when many members of the Third Estate formed themselves into a National
Assembly, signaling the outbreak of the French Revolution.
The Estates-General
On 5 May 1789, amidst general festivities, the Estates-General convened in an elaborate
but temporary lle des États set up in one of the courtyards of the official Hôtel des Menus
Plaisirs in the town of Versailles near the royal château. Many in the Third Estate viewed
the double representation as a revolution already peacefully accomplished. However,
with the étiquette of 1614 strictly enforced, the clergy and nobility ranged in tiered
seating in their full regalia, and the physical locations of the deputies from third estate at
the far end, as dictated by the protocol, When Louis XVI and Charles Louis François de
Paule de Barentin, the Keeper of the Seals of France, addressed the deputies on 6 May,
the Third Estate discovered that royal decree granting double representation also upheld
the traditional voting "by orders", i.e. that the collective vote of each Estate would be
weighed equally.
The apparent intent of the King and of Barentin was for everyone to get directly to the
matter of taxes. The larger representation of the Third Estate would remain merely a
symbol, while giving them no extra power. Director-General of Finance Jacques Necker
had more sympathy for the Third Estate, but on this occasion he spoke only about the
fiscal situation, leaving it to Barentin to speak on how the Estates-General was to operate.
Trying to avoid the issue of representation and focus solely on taxes, the king and his
ministers had gravely misjudged the situation. The Third Estate wanted the Estates to
meet as one body and vote per deputy ("voting by heads" rather than "by orders"). The
other two estates, while having their own grievances against royal absolutism, believed –
correctly, as history was to prove – that they stood to lose more power to the Third Estate
than they stood to gain from the King. Necker sympathized with the Third Estate in this
matter, but the astute financier lacked equal astuteness as a politician. He decided to let
the impasse play out to the point of stalemate before he would enter the fray. As a result,
by the time the King yielded to the demand of the Third Estate, it seemed to all as a
concession wrung from the monarchy, rather than a magnanimous gift that would have
convinced the populace of the king's good will.[1]
Proceedings and dissolution
The Estates-General reached an impasse. The first item on the agenda involved the
verification of powers. Honoré Mirabeau, noble himself but elected to represent the Third
Estate, tried but failed to keep all three orders in a single room for this discussion. Instead
of discussing taxes of the King, the three Estates began to discuss separately the
organization of the legislature. Shuttle diplomacy continued without success until 27
May, when the nobles voted to stand firm for separate verification. The following day,
Abbé Sieyès (a member of the clergy, but, like Mirabeau, elected to represent the Third
Estate) moved that the representatives of the Third Estate, who now called themselves the
Communes ("Commons"), proceed with verification and invite the other two Estates to
take part, but not to wait for them.
On 13 June 1789, the Third Estate had arrived at a resolution to examine and settle in
common the powers of the three orders, and invited to this common work those of the
clergy and nobles. On 17 June, with the failure of efforts to reconcile the three Estates,
the Communes completed their own process of verification and almost immediately voted
a measure far more radical: they declared themselves redefined as the National
Assembly, an assembly not of the Estates but of the People. They invited the other orders
to join them, but made it clear that they intended to conduct the nation's affairs with or
without them. As their numbers exceeded the combined numbers of the other Estates,
they could dominate any combined assembly.
The King tried to resist. Under the influence of the courtiers of his privy council, he
resolved to go in state to the Assembly, annul its decrees, command the separation of the
orders, and dictate the reforms to be effected by the restored Estates-General. On 20 June,
he ordered the Salle des États, the hall where the National Assembly met, closed. The
Assembly moved their deliberations to the King's tennis court ("Jeu de paume"), where
they proceeded to swear the Tennis Court Oath (Serment du jeu de paume), under which
they agreed not to separate until they had settled the constitution of France. Two days
later, deprived of use of the tennis court as well, the Assembly met in the church of Saint
Louis,[2] where the majority of the representatives of the clergy joined them: efforts to
restore the old order had served only to accelerate events.[3] The king gave the people
more fuel to keep going and make change happen.
In the séance royale of 23 June, the King granted a Charte octroyée, a constitution
granted from the royal favour, which affirmed, subject to the traditional limitations, the
right of separate deliberation for the three orders, which constitutionally formed three
chambers. This move failed; soon, that part of the deputies of the nobles who still stood
apart joined the National Assembly at the request of the king. The Estates-General had
ceased to exist, having become the National Assembly (and after 9 July 1789, the
National Constituent Assembly)
Estates General meeting of 1789 was a crucial event of the French
Revolution.
Meeting of The Estates General.
What is the Estates General meeting ?
The Estates General stemmed from a meeting that reunited an equal number of
representatives from each Estate to solve this serious political crisis.
Everyone met at the Palace of Versailles to debate some major problems.
The Third Estate's request
The Third Estate knew that this couldn't serve them as the First and the Second Estate,
which represented only 3% of the population, would be able to vote every time against
them. They decided to ask for double representation. Necker supported this initiative,
which increased his popularity significantly. On December 1788, the double
representation of the Third Estate was granted by royal decree.
The Estates General meeting opening
On May 5th, 1789 the Estates General were opened by the King. The Third Estate was
represented by Maximilien de Robespierre, a young and promising lawyer from the North
of France. Robespierre was dedicated to the defense of the rights of the poor and
vulnerable.
The Estates General meeting was a huge opportunity for the poorest people of the Third
estate to finally be heard by the King. The double representation was seen as a huge
victory and a hope for a change was growing.
On the first days of the meeting, the King and his delegates announced the principles of
the meeting and the Third Estate discovered that the double representation was in fact a
sham. It was decided that the votes will be hold by orders, 1 vote for each estate and not
by head. The double representation was a fallacy.
Louis XVI and his advisors focused on a complete overhaul of the French tax system.
They exposed their view while the only preoccupation of the Third Estate was to talk
about their representation.
According the Necker, the only solution to the financial crisis was to make all the people
of France pay the taxes, no matter what estate they were from. At the time, only the third
estate was subject to the taxes. The Nobility was taking care of the lands and the Clergy
was responsible of the people's education. Their argument was that their action was a
huge benefit to society and should therefore be exempt from paying taxes. But obviously,
the King's decision was heavily rejected by the Nobility. Louis XVI faced a huge
resistance from his own group who wouldn't accept any loss of wealth or power. He was
heavily criticized by the Nobility who pictured him as a stupid, nerdy man with a way of
governing the country that was full of nonsense.
The revolt of the Third Estate
Meanwhile, the Third Estate, fed up with the King's decisions decided to constitute
themselves as the National Assembly. It was aimed at representing the three Estates but
without the supervision of the King. They called for the two other orders to join them.
The end of the Estates General meeting and the Tennis Court Oath
The Tennis Court Oath or "le Serment du Jeu de Paume" in French. Source:Painted by
Jacques Louis David in 1791.
Afraid of losing it all and to be completely disgraced by his own supporters, Louis XVI
canceled the Estates General meeting. This was a very important decision that changed
the course of French political system forever.
The newly created assembly led by Robespierre, Mirabeau and Sieyes decided to meet in
another part of the castle. During the Tennis Court Oath (June 20th, 1789), they decided
to write France a constitution. This was the second stage of the revolution.
The King initially opposed this development, but had no choice but to acknowledge the
authority of the assembly, which renamed itself the National Constituent Assembly on
July 9th, 178
The Oath of the Tennis Court (June 20, 1789)
BAILLY: I do not need to tell
you in what a grievous situation
the Assembly finds itself; I
propose that we deliberate on
what action to take under such
tumultuous circumstances.
M. Mounier offers an opinion,
seconded by Messieurs Target,
Chapelier, and Barnave; he
points out how strange it is that
the hall of the Estates General
should be occupied by armed
men; that no other locale has been offered to the National Assembly; that its
president was not forewarned by other means than letters from the Marquis de Brez?
and the national representatives by public posters alone; that, finally, they were
obliged to meet in the Tennis Court of Old Versailles street, so as not to interrupt
their work; that wounded in their rights and heir dignity, warned of the intensity of
intrigue and determination with which the king is pushed to disastrous measures, the
representatives of the nation bind themselves to the public good and the interests of
the fatherland with a solemn oath.
This proposal is approved by unanimous applause.
The Assembly quickly decrees the following:
The National Assembly, considering that it has been called to establish the
constitution of the realm, to bring about the regeneration of public order, and to
maintain the true principles of monarchy; nothing may prevent it from continuing its
deliberations in any place it is forced to establish itself; and, finally, the National
Assembly exists wherever its members are gathered.
Decrees that all members of this assembly immediately take a solemn oath never to
separate, and to reassemble wherever circumstances require, until the constitution of
the realm is established and fixed upon solid foundations; and that said oath having
been sworn, all members and each one individually confirm this unwavering
resolution with his signature.
Bailly: I demand that the secretaries and I swear the oath first; which they do
immediately according to the following formula:
We swear never to separate ourselves from the National Assembly, and to
reassemble wherever circumstances require, until the constitution of the realm is
drawn up and fixed upon solid foundations.
All the members swear the same oath between the hands of the president.