Tennis Court Oath

Long ago, many people in France felt things were unfair.

Most people were in a group called the Third Estate. This group had to pay many taxes.

One day, the King locked their meeting room. The people went to a big tennis court instead. They made a special promise there. They said they would not leave until they made new laws.

This big moment helped start a time of great change.

Long ago, French society was split into three groups. The first group was the clergy. The second group was the nobility. The third group was everyone else. This third group made up 97 percent of the people.

They had to pay most of the taxes. This felt very unfair to them.

In May 1789, King Louis XVI called a meeting. The groups met to talk about money. The third group wanted more power. They began to call themselves the National Assembly.

On June 20, the king locked their meeting room. The members feared an attack. They went to a nearby indoor tennis court instead.

There, 576 members took a solemn oath. They promised not to leave until they made a new constitution. A constitution is a set of rules for a country. This big moment helped start the French Revolution.

The Tennis Court Oath was a very important moment in history. It happened on June 20, 1789, in France. At that time, French society was split into three groups called estates. The First Estate was the clergy, and the Second Estate was the nobility. The Third Estate was everyone else, including merchants and farmers. This group made up about 97 percent of all people in France.

Even though they were the largest group, they had very little power. They also had to pay most of the taxes to the country. This felt very unfair to them.

In May 1789, King Louis XVI called a meeting called the Estates-General. The leaders met to talk about money problems in France. The Third Estate wanted to change how voting worked. They wanted to vote by head instead of by estate. If they voted by head, the Third Estate would have more power. Because of this, they began to call themselves the National Assembly.

Leaders like Jean Sylvain Bailly and Honoré Gabriel Riqueti helped lead them.

On the morning of June 20, something unexpected happened. The deputies found that their meeting room was locked. There were soldiers guarding the doors. The members were worried that the King might attack them. A man named Joseph-Ignace Guillotin suggested a new plan. The group moved to a nearby indoor tennis court to meet.

This court had been built back in 1686 near the Palace of Versailles.

Inside the tennis court, the members made a serious promise. They swore they would not leave until they wrote a new constitution. A constitution is a set of rules for how a country is run. Out of 577 members, 576 of them took the oath. Jean Sylvain Bailly was the first person to sign the document.

Only one person, Joseph Martin-Dauch, refused to join. He believed people should only follow the King.

This oath was a huge step toward the French Revolution. It showed that the people could stand up to the King. Because of their strength, the King eventually allowed them to vote by head. This event led to other big changes, like the Storming of the Bastille.

The oath even shared ideas with the American Declaration of Independence. Today, we remember it as a time when people fought for their rights.

The Tennis Court Oath was a monumental political event in 1789. It occurred during the early stages of the French Revolution. This moment changed how people thought about power and government. It showed that political authority could come from the people. This was a major shift from the traditional rule of kings.

Before this event, French society was divided into three distinct groups called estates. The First Estate consisted of the clergy, or church leaders. The Second Estate was made up of the nobility. The Third Estate included everyone else in France. This group represented about 97 percent of the total population. It included wealthy merchants and very poor farmers.

Despite their large numbers, the Third Estate lacked political influence. They carried a heavy tax burden to support the other two estates. This system created a deep sense of unfairness. In May 1789, King Louis XVI called the Estates-General to solve a financial crisis. This crisis was caused by wars and an inefficient taxation system. The Third Estate wanted to vote by head rather than by order. Voting by head would give them more power because they outnumbered the others.

On June 17, the Third Estate declared itself the National Assembly. Leaders like Jean Sylvain Bailly and Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, Comte de Mirabeau, took charge. On June 20, the deputies arrived to find their meeting hall locked. Soldiers were guarding the doors of the Salle des Menus-Plaisir. The members feared the King might attack them. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin suggested they move to a nearby indoor tennis court.

Inside the tennis court, the deputies took a solemn oath. They vowed not to separate until they established a constitution for the kingdom. A constitution is a formal set of rules for governing a nation. Out of 577 members, 576 took this oath. Jean Sylvain Bailly was the first to sign the document.

Only one man, Joseph Martin-Dauch, refused to sign. He believed deputies should only follow the monarch's decisions.

The oath had massive consequences for the future of France. It forced King Louis XVI to make several concessions. On June 27, 1789, he requested that voting occur by head count. This victory for the National Assembly led to even bigger changes. These included the Storming of the Bastille and the abolition of feudalism. The movement even influenced the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.

The Tennis Court Oath remains a symbol of political solidarity. It drew ideas from the 1776 United States Declaration of Independence. It proved that a unified group could challenge a monarchy. Today, the site of the oath is preserved in Versailles. The history of this event is displayed in the western gallery of the Salle du Jeu de Paume.