The Historic Assembly of the Estates General in 1789
This essay is about the historic convening of the Estates General in 1789 a significant event that marked the onset of the French Revolution. The assembly called by King Louis XVI after a 175-year hiatus aimed to address France’s severe financial crisis and widespread social discontent. Comprised of three estates—the clergy the nobility and the commoners—the Estates General quickly became a battleground for conflicting interests. The Third Estate representing the commoners challenged the existing voting system ultimately declaring themselves the National Assembly. This act set off a chain of events leading to the fall of the ancien régime and the rise of modern democratic principles in France.
The Estates General called together in 1789 was a big deal in French history. It kicked off major changes in politics and society. This assembly had three parts—the clergy the nobles and the regular folks—who hadn't met since way back in 1614. France was in a mess then with money troubles from spending too much and fighting too many costly wars. Plus the tax system was unfair hitting the common people hardest.
King Louis XVI finally called for the Estates General because France was drowning in debt and everyone was fed up.
By the late 1780s things were a disaster. The government tried fixing taxes and the money mess but the rich and powerful fought back leaving everything stuck. Louis XVI hoped the Estates General could help fix things and calm everyone down.
When the Estates General met in May 1789 it was clear there were big problems. The three groups—rich richer and everyone else—always voted separately with each group having one vote. This meant the small clergy and nobles often outvoted the larger Third Estate which was mostly commoners. The Third Estate had enough and demanded fairer voting where each person's vote counted.
The clergy and nobles said no causing a stalemate. So in June 1789 the Third Estate declared itself the National Assembly claiming to speak for everyone. This move challenged the old power setup and set the stage for more drama. The Assembly then made the Tennis Court Oath promising to stay united until they wrote a new set of rules for France.
Calling the Estates General and forming the National Assembly started the French Revolution. Things got wild in 1789 changing France and rocking Europe. The fancy perks of the rich and powerful got scrapped and ideas like freedom fairness and unity took hold. The Assembly also made the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen a big deal that laid out basic rights for all people and how governments should work.
The Estates General wasn't just about fixing money problems—it showed how unfair things were in France and proved that regular people could band together to fight for what's right. Looking back it wasn't just an answer to money troubles; it kicked off a huge revolution. It showed how split France was and started a chain of events that ended the old way of doing things and brought in a new fairer France. The Estates General wasn't just a meeting—it was the spark for big changes in democracy and how people are treated.
The Historic Assembly of the Estates General in 1789. (2024, Jul 06). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/the-historic-assembly-of-the-estates-general-in-1789/
