The Formation of the National Assembly

4th May 1789 - the procession of the Estates-General

• Last great ceremony of the Ancien Regime.
• 1200 representitives from all over France dressed according to regulations.

5th May 1789 - The First Session

• All deputies gathered at Versailles.
• Louis declared himself "the first friend of the people" and made expectations of the meeting clear.
• Long speeches from various people were made and France's economic situation and need for new taxes were mentioned.
• The third estate listened patiently and cheered the King.
• However, issues concerning the Third Estate were not mentioned:

- No agenda for a "reform package" was proposed.

- Procedures on voting were not made clear by head or by estate.

• Louis and his government had thrown away the chance to take control.
• Lacking experience and without a recognised leader, the Third Estate would have followed the King but the cahiers had demanded constitutional reform and fairer tax but these things were not mentioned.

The Formation of the National Assembly

• The Estates-General met as three seperate groups but the third-estate insisted that the credentials of those elected should be checked together by all three estates.
• This was seen as getting a precedent for deciding wheter the Estates-General should meet as one body (and vote by head) when discussing the matters.
• The first and second estate rejected this…