The meetings of the Estates-General were not successful; the nobility wanted the three estates to meet separately and to vote as individual bodies. The Third Estate was not willing to accept this proposal because this would give the other two an unfair advantage to vote against them.
In response, the Third Estate declared itself a National Assembly which had the sole right to control taxation. They began to mobilise support for equal representation. They wanted voting by head and not by status. Some nobles and clergymen joined them as well, but the majority was outraged.
The king’s reaction to the Assembly was not favourable either. He ordered the closure of the hall in which the self-styled National Assembly met. As a result, the Assembly was moved to a nearby tennis court; they also took an oath not to dissolve until it had given France a new constitution. This is known as the Tennis Court Oath.
There was not much the king could do than give in. The king also urged the nobles and the remaining clergy to join the assembly, which took the official title of National Constituent Assembly on July 9.
Picture Credit : Google
