The Tennis Court Oath

The famous Tennis Court Oath refers to the pledge that was taken by the delegates of the Estates-General on 20th June 1789 in France. The Tennis Court Oath was a commitment to a national constitution and a representative government in France and took place in the early days of the French revolution. It is considered one of the most iconic events of the French revolution because it was a significant revolutionary act to establish the belief that political authority came from the nation’s people and not from the monarchy. The Tennis Court Oath was a step toward democracy in France by pledging to remain united until a new national constitution had been implemented.

The name ‘Tennis Court Oath’ came from the fact that the historical event took place in an indoor tennis court in Versailles. On the morning of 20th June 1789, the delegates of the newly proclaimed National Assembly decided to enter the meeting hall at Versailles but were opposed by royal guards. Interpreting this as a conspiracy by the King and his ministers, the representatives assembled in the nearest indoor tennis court. There they wrote and signed the Tennis Court Oath to prove their defiance and solidarity against the monarchy.

(Image will be uploaded soon)

Tennis Court Oath Primary Sources

The Tennis Court Oath primary source was the accumulation of grievances by the majority of people against King Louis XVI and his poor decision-making. In a desperate attempt to address France's economic crisis, King Louis in 1789, formed a national assembly comprising the three ‘estates’ of the French people. The First Estate is represented by the members of the Church; the Second Estate was the privileged social class. The rest represented the Third Estate, which ranged from wealthy people to poor rural farmers. The third estate included about 97 percent of the French population but the structure of the Estates-General was such that the third estate had none of the rights and privileges of the other two estates. The representatives of the third estate were upset and dissatisfied by the estate's system and the absolute monarchy of Louis XVI.

Refusing to be outvoted and demanding that the voice of masses be heard, the representatives of the Third Estate assembled at the Tennis Court of Versailles on 20th June 1789 to proclaim themselves as the National Assembly and took the oath which said: "not to separate and to reassemble wherever necessary until the Constitution of the kingdom is established." The oath signified the ultimate act of rebellion against the monarchy of King Louis XVI and became a pivotal event in the French Revolution.

The Tennis Court Oath was a very significant milestone in the way towards the French revolution because it was the first time that French citizens made their formal protest against Louis XVI and his wrong decisions. The third estate demanded major political and social reforms which included equal taxation and proportionate voting. The National Assembly's refusal to bend down forced the King to take some steps towards a representative government. Two days after the Tennis Court Oath, the King promised some political concessions and reforms. He declared that the taxation system would be reformulated and legal procedures would be improved. However, he was not ready for the adoption of a constitution. This was unacceptable to the third estate, and they continued to defy the king’s orders and remain in session. On June 27th, finally, the king compromised and ordered the representatives of the First and Second Estates to join the National Assembly, thus giving it constitutional legitimacy.

French Revolution Tennis Court Oath

The French Revolution tennis court oath was a major historical event and had a deep impact on the world till today. The revolution saw the French people overthrow the absolute monarchy of King Louis XVI and aimed to build a republic that was based on the principles of equality, liberty, and fraternity. The revolution was preceded by a series of major events and the Tennis Court Oath was one of them which had sowed the seeds for a larger revolution. The proclaimed National Assembly took an oath to remain united and forced the king to implement a new constitution. The King initially seemed to compromise and legalized the national assembly formed by representatives of the third estate. But later the King directed his troops to disperse the assembly and dismissed a popular minister who was in favor of the reforms. In response to that, the citizens attacked and demolished the Bastille fortress -a state prison which was considered as the symbol of the King's monarchical power.

The Tennis Court Oath was a remarkable initiative and an act of courage by the French people. It was the first formal expression of the growing unrest against Louis XVI and laid the foundation for later events, including the storming of the Bastille and the beginning of the French revolution.