The Tennis Court Oath, June 20, 1789
The members of the French Third Estate swore the Tennis Court Oath on June 20, 1789, in the tennis court that had been built for the purpose of the Versailles palace in 1686. "Not to part and reunite wherever necessary until the kingdom's Constitution is created," the vote said. In the French Revolution, it was a watershed moment.
The Estates-General had been summoned to handle the country's fiscal and agricultural crises, but soon after gathering in May 1789, they were mired in debates over representation, notably whether they would vote by order or by the head. The Third Estate, commanded by Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, Comte de Mirabeau, began calling themselves the National Assembly on June 17th. The deputies were surprised to find the chamber door shut and guarded by troops on the morning of June 20. They instantly feared the worst and expected a royal attack from King Louis XVI, so they gathered in a nearby indoor jeu de paume court in the Saint-Louis area of Versailles, near the Palace of Versailles, at the suggestion of one of their members, Joseph-Ignace Guillotin.
Dates: June 20, 1789
