Formation of National Assembly in France in 1789

The National Assembly, also known as the Estates-General, was formed in France in 1789 in response to the political and economic crisis that engulfed the country. The Estates-General was a representative body composed of three estates or classes of people: the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners or the Third Estate.

The Three Estates of France

The clergy and the nobility comprised the first two estates of France. The clergy consisted of high-ranking members of the Catholic Church while the nobility was made up of aristocrats and wealthy landowners. The third estate, on the other hand, included the common people such as peasants, artisans, and merchants.

The Role of the National Assembly

The National Assembly was created to address the financial crisis that France was facing. The country was deeply in debt due to years of war and lavish spending by the monarchy. The common people, who made up the majority of the population, were heavily taxed while the nobility and the clergy were exempt from most taxes.

The National Assembly aimed to create a fairer system of taxation and to reduce the power of the monarchy. The Third Estate, which was vastly underrepresented in the Estates-General, demanded that the three estates meet together as a single body. When the nobility and the clergy refused to do so, the Third Estate declared themselves the National Assembly.

The Tennis Court Oath

On June 20, 1789, the members of the National Assembly found themselves locked out of their usual meeting room. They then moved to a nearby indoor tennis court and took an oath that they would not disband until they had written a new constitution for France. This event is known as the Tennis Court Oath.

The Storming of the Bastille

The formation of the National Assembly led to a wave of popular unrest and protest throughout France. On July 14, 1789, a mob stormed the Bastille, a medieval fortress in Paris that represented royal authority. The fall of the Bastille marked the beginning of the French Revolution and the end of absolute monarchy in France.

In conclusion, the National Assembly was formed in France in 1789 in response to the country's financial crisis and the demands of the common people for fair representation. The National Assembly played a crucial role in the French Revolution and the eventual overthrow of the monarchy.

Representatives of third estate (middle class) formed the national assembly in 1789