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National Assembly

Definition

The National Assembly was a revolutionary assembly formed by the representatives of the Third Estate (the common people) in France during the French Revolution in 1789. It was created as a response to frustrations over lack of representation and unfair taxation.

Analogy

Think of the National Assembly like student council at school. Just as students elect their peers to represent them and make decisions on their behalf, so did the Third Estate form the National Assembly to voice their concerns and demand changes.

Related terms

Estates-General: This was a legislative body in pre-revolutionary France made up of representatives from each of the three estates. However, it was flawed because each estate had one vote, meaning that even though the Third Estate represented most of the population, they could be outvoted by the other two estates.

Third Estate: This term refers to commoners or ordinary people who were neither nobles nor clergy in pre-revolutionary France. They made up about 98% of France's population but had little political power.

Bourgeoisie: This is a term used to describe middle-class citizens - typically merchants or professionals - who were part of the Third Estate. They played a significant role in leading revolutionary movements.