The Tennis Court Oath (Le Serment du Jeu de paume) by David (Image from Wikipedia.org)
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The Tennis Court Oath in Paris (actually at Versailles) on June 20, 1789, was a pivotal moment in the French Revolution where deputies of the Third Estate (commoners) vowed not to disband until they’d written a constitution for France, after being locked out of their meeting hall by King Louis XVI. This defiant act established the National Assembly, shifted power from the monarchy to the people’s representatives, and set the stage for the revolution by asserting popular sovereignty and demanding fundamental rights.
Key Details:
- When: June 20, 1789.
- Where: A royal tennis court (Jeu de Paume) near the Palace of Versailles, as their usual hall was closed.
- Who: Deputies of the Third Estate, who represented the majority of the French population, along with some clergy and nobles.
- What they did: They swore an oath to stay together until France had a new, written constitution.
- Significance: It was a bold challenge to absolute monarchy, marking the beginning of the French Revolution by establishing the principle that political authority resided with the people and their representatives, not the king.
Context:
- France faced severe debt, leading King Louis XVI to convene the Estates-General (clergy, nobility, commoners).
- The Third Estate felt underrepresented and, declaring themselves the National Assembly, defied the King’s attempts to control them.
- The King’s hostile reaction (locking them out) only strengthened their resolve, leading to the oath and, eventually, to events like the Storming of the Bastille a few weeks later.
