On 20 June 1789, the king had the National Assembly locked out of its usual meeting hall. Nevertheless, on the same day, the Assembly met at a nearby tennis court and took the Tennis Court Oath, promising to remain united until they could provide France with a democratic constitution.
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King Louis XVI finally yielded, and ordered the First and Second Estates to join the National Assembly. The National Assembly then became the National Constituent Assembly, which was to frame a constitution for France.
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The king, however, began to gather troops to reassert his authority, and the people’s resentment against him grew. Ultimately, with ‘liberty’, ‘equality’ and ‘fraternity’ as their slogans, the people rose in rebellion.
On 14 July 1789, the people of Paris stormed the Bastille and set the prisoners free. The king lost control over Paris. A new municipal body was set up and a citizens’ force, or national guard, was organised to restore law and order and to keep the nobles under control.