The French Revolution was a major event in the history of Western societies, and had a profound effect on the world today. Beginning in 1789, the revolution saw the French people overthrow their absolute monarchy and bring about a republic that was based on the principles of equality, liberty and fraternity. The revolution unfolded as a series of major events beginning when Louis XVI called the Estates-General in May of 1789. However, the Estates-General failed due to divisions between the representatives of the estates and poor decision-making of the king.
Once the Estates-General had failed, the representatives of the third estate and their newly created National Assembly moved to the nearby tennis court in order to carry out their own discussions. The representatives of the third estate were angered with the inaction of the Estates-General and upset with their position in French society. They resented the estates system and the absolute monarchy of Louis XVI. It was in the tennis court that on the 20th of June 1789 the third estate established the National Assembly, the new revolutionary government, and pledged "not to separate, and to reassemble wherever circumstances require, until the constitution of the kingdom is established."
The Tennis Court Oath was significant because it showed the growing unrest against Louis XVI and laid the foundation for later events, including: the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and the storming of the Bastille.
