At the beginning of the French Revolution, a number of members of the Third Estate and some from the First Estate signed what became known as the Tennis Court Oath. These members met during the Estates-General of June 20, 1789 at a tennis court located near the Palace of Versailles. 576 of the 577 people attending signed the document.

One of the fundamental documents of the French Revolution is the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. It defines the universal practicality of the individual and collective rights of each estate of the realm. It was influenced heavily by the doctrine of natural rights and mandated that the rights of Man are universal and valid at all times and in every place. This was used to establish the fundamental rights of French citizens and all men without exception. It also established the principles of popular sovereignty and dismantled the diving right of kings. However, it does not address concerns of women and slaves.

During the French Revolution, the radical phase known as the Reign of Terror came to and end with the Thermidorian Reaction. The Committee of Public Safety took a vote on executing Maximilien Robespierre, Antoine de Saint-Just and other leaders of the Jacobin Club. This event began on July 27, 1794, also known as 9 Thermidor Year II of the French Revolutionary Calendar. The National Convention was soon dissolved and the Executive Directory came to power.