The National Assembly (French Revolution: Part 3)

http://www.tomrichey.net/euro

Part Three of my French Revolution series picks up after the demise of the Estates General with the formation of the National Assembly. After Louis XVI locked them out of their meeting room, the members of the National Assembly swore in the Tennis Court Oath that they would not adjourn until they had written a constitution for France. Louis allowed the National Assembly to keep meeting, but brought troops to Versailles just in case he felt the need to disperse the meeting by force at a later date.

The presence of troops at Versailles resulted in unrest in Paris, which led to the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. There was also unrest in the countryside, where a grain shortage led to peasant revolts known as the Great Fear. In response to the Great Fear, the National Assembly passed the Decrees of August 4th, which eliminated "feudalism," or the privileges given to the nobility under the Old Regime.

This lecture was designed primarily for students preparing for exams in AP European History and Western Civilization, but is appropriate for high school and college World History students and for lifelong learners, as well.