Estates-General of 1789
The Estates-General of 1789 was the first time that the Estates-General was gathered by the French King since 1614.
King Louis XVI enacted the meeting to discuss the economic crisis of France, whose people were starving due to the Little Ice Age's destruction of crops. From May to June, the Estates-General convened numerous times, but failed to reach a consensus during each gathering.[1]
Thus, in 17 June 1789, a revolutionary National Assembly was formed by the Third Estate to counteract the problem. The king attempted to limit their actions and closed the Salle des États meeting room, which proved ineffective as the National Assembly took their oath on an indoor tennis court by 20 June. Their actions received support from French cities and by 27 June, the military arrived in Paris and Versailles by the order of the king.[2]
Gallery
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A painting of the opening of the Estates-General -
Arno Dorian during one of the gatherings
References