The political entity dominating France from July 9, 1789 until September 30, 1791.

The National Assembly was formed from the Estates-General in response to a motion made by Abbé Sieyès on June 15, 1789 that the Third Estate (the Commons) should invite the First and Second Estates to join them in forming a national assembly. Sieyès suggested the title "Assembly of the Known and Verified Representative of the French Nation" for the proposed body, but withdrew this suggestion when Jérome Legrand, a deputy from Berry, suggested the name "National Assembly".

On June 17, 1789, the Third Estate, and supporters from the other two estates, declared themselves the "National Assembly"; on June 20, 1789, the members took an oath (the Tennis Court Oath) not to dissolve the body until France had a constitution. Both declarations were declared null and void by the Crown on June 23, 1789, and the assembly was instructed to separate into the original constituent estates - an instruction that they defied.

On July 9, 1789, the assembly proclaimed itself the "National Constituent Assembly", and proceeded to devise the French Constitution of 1789, which they issued on December 22, 1789.

The new constitution, which was opposed by the Crown, and not accepted until September 13, 1791, established the Legislative Assembly. The new assembly had 745 deputies (later expanded with deputies from the French colonies). Deputies were allotted to departments according to population, revenue, and area.

The National Assembly sat until September 30, 1791, when it dissolved itself, to be replaced by the newly-assembled Legislative Assembly, on October 1, 1791.

In the intervening period, the National Assembly had issued interim decrees and declarations, among which were freedom of religion and freedom of the press; the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen; and abolition of monastic vows and feudal rights.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.