-
The Estates-General
The Third Estate consisted of commoners. They had the most numbers, but they never got a vote in anything. In May of 1789, the Third Estate clashed with the First and Second Estate, and they left the Estates-General. This caused the first of the anger from the Third Estate. The Third Estate directed this anger towards their king which later does lead to the Storming of Bastille. -
The Creation of the National Assembly
King Louis XVI held an meeting about the financial crisis. The Second and First Estate would always agree and vote against the Third Estate. The Third Estate then said each delegate representing one of the three estates should have a vote, so then it would be fair. Their idea was denied. After this, a clergyman named Emmanuel Sieyes convinced the Third Estate to name themselves the "National Assembly" and to stand up to France's government about the real problems that they are dealing with. -
The Reconstitution
The goal of the National Assembly's was to get rid of absolute monarchy, and to take a stand for the people as a fair government. They created their own constitution which they made under a "Tennis Court Oath". They made this for a set of rules they would use when they ruled over the government. They called it the Tennis Court Oath because they had to make it in a tennis court room because they had been kicked out of the Estates-General meeting for not agreeing with the First and Second Estate. -
Tennis Court Oath
The Tennis Court Oath was a result of the growing discontent of the Third Estate. The Tennis Court Oath was made because the Third Estate was very angry with the other estates and the king of France. This anger led to the storming of Bastille. -
The Votes of the Estate-General
When King Louis XVI held the Estate-General meeting about the financial crisis, the First and Second Estate kept voting against the Third Estate. This is what flared up the Third Estate's anger. This is what started the National Assembly, which led to the falling of Bastille. -
The Beginning of the Revolution
The Reconstitution that the Third Estate made was the official declaration of war. Before, King Louis XVI legalized the National Assembly, but later upset them. This caused the Third Estate to organize the attack on Bastille. -
The Dismissal of Jacques Necker
The Third Estate took a separate oath that was to not disband until a new French Constitution had been made and they were not still living under the same one that had been fair to the first two estates but not them. At first, King Louis did agree with the National Assembly, but then he sent troops to surround Versailles and dismiss their prime minister, which they had admired, Jacques Necker. This made the Third Estate very outraged and led to the fall of Bastille days later.