National Constituent Assembly

The States-General of 1789 had reached a deadlock in its deliberations by 6 May 1789. The Third Estate therefore attempted to make the whole body more effective: it met separately from 11 May 1789 as the Communes. On 12 June 1789 the Communes invited the other orders to join them: some clergy did so the following day. On 17 June 1789, by a vote of 490 to 90, the Communes declared themselves the National Assembly. The clergy joined the assembly on 19 June 1789. A legislative and political agenda unfolded.

Following attempts by King Louis XVI and the nobles to prevent the delegates from meeting, the new assembly found a new home in a tennis court on 20 June 1789 and swore the Tennis Court Oath. Failing to disperse the delegates, Louis started to recognise their validity (27 June 1789). The Assembly re-named itself the "National Constituent Assembly" on 9 July 1789 and began to function as a governing body and a Constitution-drafter.

After surviving the vicissitudes of a revolutionary two years, the National Constituent Assembly dissolved itself on 30 September 1791. The following day the Legislative Assembly took over the ongoing direction of the continuing French Revolution.