Why Is It Called the Tennis Court Oath

Like the fall of the Bastille two weeks later, the tennis court oath became a memorable gesture of revolutionary resistance to the old regime. The eminent artist Jacques-Louis David later immortalized the oath in a dramatic portrait. The States met regularly for an assembly in the States-General, convened and presided over by the King of France. The tennis court oath itself was the first time the estates came together with such ferocity against the monarch. Their determination and refusal to give in was a true demonstration of rebellion and authoritarian defiance during this period of French history. To truly understand something, it`s important to know a little more about the events that led to it. So let`s take a look at the background itself before diving into the nature of the oath. Basically, King Louis wanted money. After the North American revolutionaries were financed in their struggle against treacherous Albion, the French monarchy was bankrupt. One minister after another told Louis that the France needed to make radical changes in taxation. This required the convening of the „Estates General“, a former representative body of the French monarchy, although very rusty „it had not been mentioned since 1614. The Bourbon kings liked two things above all: to call their sons „Louis“ and not to consult their subjects on how to govern the France.

But desperate times call for desperate action. The oath was taken by Jean-Sylvain Bailly and signed by 576 members of the Third Estate. There was one abstention: Joseph Martin d`Auch, deputy of Castelnaudary, refused to take the oath on the grounds that he insulted the king. The full text of the oath read as follows: „The National Assembly, considering that it has been convened to establish the constitution of the kingdom, to restore public order and to defend the true principles of the monarchy; whereas nothing can prevent it from continuing its deliberations wherever it is called upon to settle; and finally, that wherever its members are gathered, the National Assembly is. It decrees that all the members of this assembly shall immediately take a solemn oath not to separate and meet wherever circumstances so require, until the constitution of the kingdom is established and consolidated on solid foundations; and that, according to the said oath, all members and individuals will ratify this unshakable decision by signing it. One historian`s point of view: „Jacques-Louis David recognized the gravity of the moment and the enthusiasm it arouses. He made history. Faces and bodies are frozen in a moment of the highest emotional intensity. The delegates have a common mission, which is to preserve their newfound unity. The oath on the tennis court in front of the Royal Palace of Versailles. marks the beginning of the French Revolution. Language is perplexing when trying to capture David`s visualization of a unit that manifests as quantity.

Stefan Jonsson The king left the rooms, but the estates did not leave them. They took this opportunity to reaffirm their oath, which they had taken a few days earlier. They continued to hold their meetings – an act that was in flagrant contradiction to what Louis XVI had ordered. They refused to listen to the guards and did not leave the room. For more informative articles on the sport and the history of tennis, check out this excellent article on the layout of a tennis court. 1. The oath of the tennis court was a commitment given by the members of the Third Estate to the States General. He was sworn in on 20 June 1789 on a tennis court in Versailles.

Considering that he is called upon to establish the constitution of the Reich, restore public order and defend the true principles of the monarchy; There is nothing to prevent it from continuing its deliberations wherever it needs to settle; and finally, the National Assembly exists where its members meet. In an act of defiance, they moved away from the rooms in the building next door, which, by the way, housed a tennis room or „Jeu de Paume,“ which was widely used by Louis XVI himself. Louis XVI, who ascended the French throne in 1774, proved unfit to cope with the serious financial problems he had inherited from his grandfather, King Louis XV. In a desperate attempt to resolve the economic crisis of the France, Louis XVI. In 1789, the Estates General, a national assembly representing the three „states“ of the French people – the nobles, the clergy and the House of Commons. The States-General had not met since 1614, and their deputies drew up long lists of grievances and demanded comprehensive political and social reforms. 3. Fearing a royalist conspiracy, the Third Estate responded by gathering on a nearby tennis court. There, they pledged not to dissolve until the nation had drafted and implemented a constitution. The story of how a tennis court became one of the most important places in radical history.

The result was nothing short of revolutionary, and he owed it to the fateful day when the assembly promised its oath on the tennis court. The Third Estate, which had the most representatives, declared itself the National Assembly and took an oath to impose a new constitution on the king. At first, Louis seemed to give in, legalizing the National Assembly under the Third Estate, but then surrounded Versailles with troops and dismissed Jacques Necker, a popular minister of state who had supported the reforms. In response, Parisians mobilized and stormed the Bastille on July 14 – a state prison where they believed ammunition was stored – and the French Revolution began. The National Assembly interpreted this as a hostile gesture by King Louis XVI and his ministers and went to the nearest available room, one of Versailles` tennis halls. A drawing by Jacques-Louis David of the tennis court oath – yes, it was a tennis room! Every great revolution goes back to a few moments that really defined it or made things happen. For the French Revolution, one of these defining moments came with the historic oath of the tennis court in 1789. So next time you play tennis, remember its roots in the French Revolution and share your fun facts with your opponent. This brings us to the revolutionary act of taking the oath on the tennis court. The 577 deputies gathered on the floor of this court and were hastily drafted by Emmanuel Sieyès and taken by Jean-Sylvain Bailly.

Together, they pledged to remain in the assembly until a new national constitution has been drafted and implemented. When the king learned of this challenge, he replied indifferently, whispering „f**k it, let them stay.“ Over the next three days, dozens of clergy and nobles – including the Duke of Orleans, a member of the royal court and a distant relative of the king – crossed the prosecutor`s office to reach the National Assembly. One might expect revolutions to begin in factories, shipyards or prisons – not on fancy tennis courts. But that`s exactly what happened with the most famous revolution of all. The French Revolution began on June 20, 1789 on the royal tennis court of Versailles, when radical deputies refused to give in to pressure from King Louis XVI to accept his orders.