Radical Press
Radical newspapers help spread arguments also heard in the Jacobin and Cordelier political circles
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1790 in France — Page 3
Explore 197 historical events and records for France in 1790.
Historical records for France in 1790
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 197 unique records.
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July
Radical Press
Radical newspapers help spread arguments also heard in the Jacobin and Cordelier political circles.
August
Mayor of Grenoble
Barnave was elected mayor of Grenoble while remaining an influential deputy in the National Assembly.
Civil Constitution of Clergy Sanction
Louis XVI allowed publication of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy despite serious religious and political reservations.
Armed Citizens Debate Eligibility for Service
Service in the National Guard became connected with arguments about property qualifications and political citizenship. The force's membership rules exposed tensions between revolutionary equality and social exclusion.
Local courts reorganized after manorial justice
Judicial reorganization established new courts separate from old seigneurial jurisdictions. Reformers including Le Chapelier sought a more uniform system of justice under national law.
September
Municipal Police Relies on Citizen Companies
Bailly's administration used National Guard companies to respond to disturbances that ordinary policing could not contain. This arrangement increased the political responsibility carried by armed local volunteers.
October
Bailly confronted by rising political clubs
The growing prominence of Jacobin and Cordeliers activists created new channels of criticism outside municipal institutions. Bailly's moderate conception of lawful government increasingly conflicted with radical street politics.
Reform of Revolutionary Currency
Assignats become legal tender
Reform of Revolutionary Currency
Assignats become legal tender.
President of National Assembly
The Assembly chose Barnave to chair its proceedings for a term beginning in late October 1790.
Guard Officers Enforce Civic Discipline
Lafayette sought drill, regular attendance and obedience from a force composed partly of civilian volunteers. Maintaining discipline was necessary if the militia was to act independently of volatile crowds.
November
Clergy Oath Decree
Louis XVI confronted the Assembly's decree requiring clergy to swear loyalty to the constitutional church settlement.
Oath imposed on clergy: Constitutional episcopacy promoted
Talleyrand's alignment with reforms placed him on the side of a reorganized national Church. The oath controversy increasingly made clerical office a question of political as well as religious loyalty.
Oath imposed on clergy: Nonjuror resistance expands
Maury argued against revolutionary intrusions into the Catholic hierarchy as the clerical oath drove divisions. The new categories of constitutional and refractory priests polarized local communities.
Oath imposed on clergy: Priestly conscience divided
Grégoire confronted the oath requirement obliging clergy to accept the civil reorganization of the Church. Supporters considered compliance civic duty, while opponents believed it violated religious obedience.
Political Debate
Brissot uses club debate and journalism to promote revolutionary reform and a more assertive foreign policy
Political Debate
Brissot uses club debate and journalism to promote revolutionary reform and a more assertive foreign policy.
December
Bailly manages Paris during religious controversy
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy divided public opinion and challenged traditional religious loyalties. Bailly's municipality faced the consequences of political and confessional tensions within the capital.
President of National Assembly
Deputies selected Petion to chair the Assembly for a term beginning in December 1790.
Clergy Oath Sanction
Louis XVI sanctioned legislation requiring constitutional oaths from clergy, deepening the religious division created by revolutionary reforms.
Civil Constitution Oath
Talleyrand took the oath required by the Civil Constitution of the Clergy.
Letter to Autun Clergy
Talleyrand urged clergy in his diocese to take the constitutional oath after he had sworn it himself.
Other events (month unknown)
Ancien Regime guild privilege faces challenge
The attack on seigneurial privilege encouraged reconsideration of occupational monopolies and corporate exemptions. Le Chapelier became associated with a legislative approach favoring individual citizens over privileged bodies.
Assembly asserts state responsibility for clergy salaries
Reorganization of the Church replaced many older sources of ecclesiastical income with state-supported payments. Talleyrand took part in the political transformation of clerical finance.
Assembly Divides Over Clerical Independence
Maury argued that the new law endangered the Church's autonomy, revealing an increasingly sharp division among deputies over the scope of civil power.
Assembly Presidency During Constitutional Work
Sieyes presided over the National Assembly for a period while deputies continued the complex work of allocating powers under the proposed constitution.
Assignat discussions link property and currency
The new paper securities depended on lands made available by Church nationalization. Talleyrand's earlier financial proposals formed part of the background to this monetary experiment.
Bishop celebrates Mass at Federation festival
On 14 July, Talleyrand celebrated Mass at the Festival of the Federation. The ceremony attempted to unite Catholic ritual with the new national political identity.
Bishop of Autun Confronts National Church Plan
Talleyrand favoured a settlement in which bishops and clergy would operate within a framework established by elected national representatives.
Bishop urges Autun clergy to accept reforms
Talleyrand communicated his support for the new oath to clergy in his former diocese. His appeal sought to encourage compliance amid resistance by many ecclesiastics.
Bishops Protest Proposed Diocese Suppression
Maury stood among critics concerned that suppressing existing bishoprics would displace established pastors and disrupt canonical authority.
Bishops Publish an Exposition of Principles
Boisgelin was closely associated with the episcopal statement opposing the Assembly's unilateral restructuring of the Church and defending Catholic doctrine.
Campaign against slave trade continues
The Society of the Friends of the Blacks pressed for action against the Atlantic slave trade. Brissot argued that commercial interests should not displace the claims of human liberty.
Chaumette develops popular political contacts
Chaumette belonged to the network of activists attracted by the Cordeliers' wider public base. The controversy surrounding accessible club meetings challenge elite politics influenced the changing balance among revolutionary factions.
Citizen enlistment and political rights debated
Debates over who could serve in the National Guard exposed the Revolution's distinction between active and passive citizens. Lafayette commanded an organization whose membership carried both civic prestige and social limits.
City administration supports Federation preparations
Bailly's municipality assisted preparations for the Festival of the Federation. Coordinating supplies and public ceremonies displayed the administrative reach of revolutionary Paris.
Civil Constitution Adopted by Constituent Assembly
Talleyrand sided with reformers when the Assembly adopted the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, radically revising episcopal and parish administration.
Civil Constitution redraws French dioceses
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy reorganized diocesan boundaries and episcopal elections under civil law. Talleyrand supported the constitutional Church despite growing resistance.
Clerical Loyalty Oath Becomes Central Controversy
Gregoire favoured acceptance of the new constitutional settlement as deputies imposed an oath that many priests considered incompatible with religious conscience.
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.