10 Documents That Shaped France – featuring the Oath of the Tennis Court and Notebooks of Grievances.
From royal decrees to revolutionary manifestos, ten documents made history in France.
While piecing together a 2,000-piece “Histoire de France” jigsaw puzzle by Les Jolies Planches, I realized something truly special. This wasn’t just a visual timeline of famous French figures and battles; it was scattered throughout with replicas of France’s most influential written documents, cleverly placed between the faces of kings, queens, and revolutionaries.
I added a few other important documents to total ten documents, seen across centuries, that show how France was shaped, not just by power, but by principles — and how the act of writing helped forge a republic, a nation, and eventually a union, the European Union.
Le Traité de Verdun (843)
The Treaty of Verdun (843) said: Charlemagne’s empire shall be divided among his grandsons.It was a treaty that helped define the borders of modern Europe, especially France and Germany. It was established among the Carolingians, in early medieval times.
L’Édit de Nantes (1598)
The Edict of Nantes said: Protestants can worship freely in Catholic France. It was a bold move toward religious tolerance after decades of civil war amid the Bourbon kings, signaling peace.
Le Serment du Jeu de Paume (1789)
The Oath of the Tennis Court (1789) said: We will not separate until we have written a constitution. It was a symbolic break from monarchical rule and the birth of democratic self-determination. It occurred just before the revolutionary times boiled over.
La Déclaration des Droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen (1789)
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789) said: All men are born free and equal in rights. The cornerstone of modern democracy, this revolutionary declaration laid the foundation for universal human rights, not just in France, globally too. Placing it in history, it was established in the middle of the French Revolution, between Maximilien de Robespierre, guillotines, and uprising.
Les Cahiers de Doléances (1789)
The Notebooks of Grievances said: The grievances of the people must be heard. These “notebooks of complaints” gathered from across France captured the mood before the Revolution and gave voice to peasants and the middle class. It came about close to the Estates-General and Revolution events when people began to speak about change.
La Constitution de 1791
The Constitution of 1791 said: Sovereignty belongs to the nation, not the monarchy. France’s first written constitution was a major milestone in the birth of modern republicanism. It was established between the fall of the monarchy and the dawn of new governance.
Le Code Civil Napoléonien (1804)
The Napoleonic Civil Code said: There shall be a unified legal code for all citizens, regardless of status. Napoleon’s Civil Code laid the foundation for modern French and global legal systems, emphasizing equality before the law. It was one of Napoleon’s most lasting legacies.
La Loi Jules Ferry (1881–82)
The Jules Ferry Law said: Education is free, secular, and compulsory. The law transformed French society by guaranteeing universal primary education, creating generations of literate, civic-minded citizens. It was established in the 19th century alongside the works of civic reformers and thinkers.
L’Appel du 18 Juin (1940) – Charles de Gaulle
The Appeal of 18 June (1940) – Charles de Gaulle said: France has lost a battle, but not the war. It was a rallying cry from exile. De Gaulle’s broadcast from London became a symbol of French resistance during World War II. It occurred with microphone in hand and hope on his mind.
Le Traité de Maastricht (1992)
The Treaty of Maastricht said: Let’s create the European Union. It was a treaty of cooperation, identity, and shared destiny for France and Europe. It occurred in the modern era and was intended to be forward-looking.
As I place these paper scrolls, fragments, and treaty signatures one by one in a timeline of French history, I realize that the pen really is mightier than the sword. France was shaped not only by conquest and revolution – that everyone talks about – but also by carefully worded promises, visionary declarations, and ideals written down at just the right moment.
This jigsaw puzzle on the History of France became more than a weekend project. It became a reminder that ideas move nations, and that history lives in documents, as much as in deeds.
