The condition of France was very poor before the revolution took place as the number of people were divided on the state of estates.  Throughout the 18th century, France faced an economic crisis. A fast growing population had outran the food supply. A very bad winter in 1789 resulted in famine and widespread starving people in the countryside. Rising prices in Paris brought bread riots.

Introduction

The Meeting of the Estates General

The Estates-General of 1789 was a general assembly that showed the French estates of the realm confronted by Louis XVI to give out solutions to France's money problems. It ended when the Third Estate formed into a National Assembly, signaling the outbreak of the French Revolution.

 The king was forced to call a meeting of all representatives of French society. They promised to not stop meeting until France had a new Constitution. This oath would eventually be considered a pivotal event of the French Revolution.

I propose a financial solution!

"not to separate and to come together wherever necessary, until the Constitution of the kingdom is established".

The Tennis Court Oath

Thinking that the king was forcing them (Estate-General) to separate, they moved to a nearby indoor tennis court. There they took an oath to never separate until a written constitution had been enforced for France.

A clear move came when Louis XVI tried to disband the Estates-General and the response came in the form of the Tennis Court Oath, which would set France on a path toward the seeds of democracy. The majority of the clergy already agreed with the third estate's position on greater representation.