The revolutionaries of 1789 wanted a constitutional monarchy that was organised on sound principles, representative of the entire nation and accountable to the people. They also wanted to reform and simplify the way it was governed and administered.
Under the Ancien Régime, France had become a confused array of administrative divisions and jurisdictions. Maps of late 18th century France reveal just how complicated the nation had become, with its myriad of provinces, généralités, pays d’état, bailliages, parlements, dioceses and parishes. These divisions often had overlapping or conflicting borders, employed different tariffs and duties, had different customs regulations and used different systems of weights and measures.