How did the Estates-General of 1789 lead to the formation of the National Assembly?

• A. The Estates-General dissolved peacefully and power returned to the king.
• B. The Third Estate demanded voting by head and broke with the Estates-General to form the National Assembly.
• C. The King immediately granted a constitution without any assembly changes.
• D. The First Estate formed a new council to control finances.

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that the shift from the Estates-General to the National Assembly happened because the Third Estate insisted on voting by head and then broke away to form a new representative body. In 1789, the Third Estate, which made up the commoners, argued that each person should have an individual vote rather than one vote per estate. This would give them real influence, since they were the largest group by population. When the other estates and the king refused this reform, the Third Estate proclaimed itself the National Assembly, effectively leaving the Estates-General and declaring that it, not the old body, would shape the nation's future. They even took an oath to remain together until a constitution was written, signaling a move toward a constitutional framework rather than the old feudal order. The other estates’ resistance is why a new assembly formed, rather than the Estates-General simply dissolving or the king immediately granting a constitution.