By the eighteenth century guilds had been a prominent feature of urban life for centuries, providing a structure to labor and some degree of control over journeymen and apprentices – in effect, they served as an extension of the police. Corporations had been abolished in 1776, but after only a few months characterized by unnerving unrest among journeymen, they were reorganized. By May 1789, then, as the Estates-General opened, with memories of 1776 still relatively fresh, the position of guilds seemed secure.

Yet, just two months later, on August 4, the National Assembly unexpectedly launched a comprehensive attack on privilege and abolished guilds, which were perceived as beneficiaries of privilege. Even among the cascade of renunciations made during the meeting, stunning deputies and observers alike, the abolition of guilds stood out.