What was tennis court oath

But things got worse when Louis XIV decided to get involved in the American War of Independence , after the personal involvement of famous names such as the Marquis de Lafayette. To weaken the British forces, France fought in various parts of the world — not only in North America, but also in India and elsewhere. The fleets of ships and the troops required for such ambitious operations ruined the royal treasury, once and for all. Yet French intervention did force Britain to recognise American Independence in , which was a source of immense prestige for France.

In fact, the peace negotiations took place in Versailles, specifically in the former Office of Foreign Affairs and the Navy today's town library.

This involvement also fuelled the intense growth of new ideas during the Age of Enlightenment. The American political system, which was based on the principle of democracy, inspired some new thinkers, while the Masonic lodges brought over from Britain and the United States specifically, the Nine Sisters Lodge played an active role in the evolution of ideas. This assembly was traditionally called by the King when taxes were not sufficient to cover ad-hoc financial demands.

Delegates representing the different 'Estates' of the Realm would have the opportunity to present complaints or grievances to the King, so Louis XIV and Louis XV had avoided holding such meetings, in order not to encourage the creation of an opposition force.

Yet although he was not personally a supporter of this institution, Louis XVI decided to call a meeting. That's when the new thinkers launched a campaign to demand a system of proportional representation: previously, each of the orders clergy, nobility, and commoners, or the Third Estate were represented by an equal number of delegates. The King granted this request, and when the Estates General meeting was opened in Versailles on 4 May , the Third Estate delegates represented half of the members present.

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