 | Fête de la Fédération: Encyclopedia II - Fête de la Fédération - The Fête de la Fédération
Fête de la Fédération - The Fête de la Fédération
Fête de la Fédération - Preparation of the feast: the Journée des brouettes
The event took place on the Champ de Mars, which was at the time far outside Paris. The place had been transformed on a voluntary basis by the population of Paris itself, in what was recalled as the Journée des brouettes ("Wheelbarrow Day").
Two 400 000 spectator earth steps were build on each side of the field (they remained there until the Second Empire. The Seine was crossed by a ship bridge leading to an altar where oaths were to be sworn. The new military school was used to harbour members of the National Assembly and their families. At one end of the field, a huge tent was the king's step, and at the other end, a Triumphal Arch was built. At the centre of the field was a altar for the mass.
Fête de la Fédération - Official Celebration
The feast began as soon as 4 in the morning, under a strong rain which would last the whole day (the Journal de Paris had predicted "frequent downpours".
14 000 Federated (Fédérés) came from the province, every single National Guard unit having sent 2 men out of 100. They were ordered according to their départment under 83 banners. They were brought to the place were the Bastille once stood, and went through Saint-Antoine, Saint-Denis and Saint-Honoré streets before crossing the ship bridge and arriving at the Champ de Mars. Deputies from other nations, "Swedes, Spaniards, Polacks, Turks, Chaldeans, Greeks, and dwellers in Mesopotamia," representatives of the human race, "with three hundred drummers, twelve hundred wind-musicians, and artillery planted on height after height to boom the tidings all over France, the highest recorded triumph of the Thespian art."
A mass was celebrated by Talleyrand, bishop of Autun. The very popular General La Fayette, as both captain of the National Guard of Paris and confident of the king, took his oath to the Constitution:
"We swear to forever be faithful to the Nation, to the Law and to the King, to uphold with all our might the Constitution as decided by the National Assembly and accepted by the King, and to protect according to the laws the safety of people and properties, transit of grains and food within the kingdom, the public contributions under whatever forms they might exist, and to stay united with all the French with the undestroyable bounds of brotherhood"
«Nous jurons de rester à jamais fidèles à la nation, à la loi et au roi, de maintenir de tout notre pouvoir la Constitution décrétée par l'Assemblée nationale et acceptée par le roi et de protéger conformément aux lois la sûreté des personnes et des propriétés, la circulation des grains et des subsistances dans l'intérieur du royaume, la prescription des contributions publiques sous quelque forme qu'elle existe, et de demeurer unis à tous les Français par les liens indissolubles de la fraternité»
It is noticeable that at this time, the Constitution was not yet written; it would only take effect in September 1791. He was followed by the President of the National Assembly. Eventually, Louis XVI took his oath
I, King of the French, I swear to use the power given to me by the constitutional law of the State, to maintain the Constitution as decided by the National Assembly and accepted by myself, and to enforce the laws.
«Moi, roi des Français, je jure d'employer le pouvoir qui m'est délégué par la loi constitutionnelle de l'État, à maintenir la Constitution décrétée par l'Assemblée nationale et acceptée par moi et à faire exécuter les lois».
The wording "King of the French" rather than "King of the France" is most notable, since it is indicative of a constitutional monarchy rather than an absolute monarchy (the same wording would be used by Louis-Phillipe).
The Queen rose and shown the Dauphin, future Louis XVII, saying :
"This is my son, who joins, as myself, this very will".
«Voilà mon fils, il s'unit, ainsi que moi, aux mêmes sentiments».
With the permission of the National Assembly, a delegation of the United States of America, led by John Paul Jones, founder of the US Navy, joined the feast. It also included Thomas Paine, James Swan, Georges Howell, Benjamin Jarvis, Samuel Blackden, Joël Barlow and William Henry Vernon. The delegation arrived at the Champ de Mars with its flag, the first instance ever of a US flag waving outside of the USA, and was cheered by the people.
Fête de la Fédération - Popular feast
After the end of the official celebration, the day ended in a huge popular feast. It was also a symbol of the reunification of the Three Estates, after the heated Estates-General of 1789, with the Bishop (First Estate) and the King (Second Estate) blessing the people (Third Estate).
In the Gardens of La Muette, a 22 000 people meal was offered, before balls took place. People drank, danced, sang and toasted. The organisation went up to deciding of the price of the filles du Palais Royal (prostitutes). The feast ended on the 18 July.
Other related archives14 July, 1790, 18 July, 5 June, Austria, Bailly, Bastille Day, Champ de Mars, Charles Fox, Constitution, D'Alembert, Dauphin, Estates-General of 1789, First Estate, France, François Gossec, French Revolution, John Paul Jones, Joseph II, La Fayette, Louis XVI, Louis XVII, Louis-Phillipe, Marie-Joseph Chénier, Montesquieu, National Assembly, National Guard, Queen, Rousseau, Second Empire, Second Estate, Seine, Talleyrand, Third Estate, Thomas Paine, Triumphal Arch, Voltaire, William Pitt the Younger, constitutional monarchy, enlightened despot
 Adapted from the Wikipedia article "The Fête de la Fédération", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki |
