On what date did the Festival of the Federation take place?

The Festival of the Federation took place on 14 July 1790. Held at the Champ de Mars in Paris, it celebrated revolutionary unity and the emerging constitutional order one year after the storming of the Bastille.

The festival brought together the National Assembly, the National Guard, representatives from across France, and King Louis XVI. Lafayette, commander of the Paris National Guard, presided over the ceremony, while the king swore an oath to uphold the constitution. The event was designed to show that the Revolution could unite the nation rather than destroy public authority.

Its date deliberately matched the first anniversary of 14 July 1789, but the two occasions were different. The Bastille had been stormed in 1789; the Federation festival in 1790 emphasized reconciliation, civic unity, and constitutional monarchy. The later national holiday tradition combined these revolutionary memories, which is why the date is often associated with both events.