In the summer of 1789 Louis XVI called the États generaux or Estates General, an old, pseudo-parliament, that had not been assembled in over a 150 years. The Third Estate, representing the majority of the population, took the occasion on 17th of June to differentiate themselves as a self standing National Assembly, and then, in the Tennis Court Oath, emphasized their intention to establish a national constitution. Those initial actions set the stage for sharp divisions to emerge across the summer within the Assembly regarding which reforms were needed, and what, if any, role the monarchy should continue to play in French governance.
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