Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen

Foundation of the French Republic and Human Rights

Apr 3, 2009

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen is a fundamental document that helped establish basic human rights and provided the framework of the Revolution.

One of the fundamental documents of the French Revolution is the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. It defines the universal practicality of the individual and collective rights of each estate of the realm. It was influenced heavily by the doctrine of natural rights and mandated that the rights of Man are universal and valid at all times and in every place. This was used to establish the fundamental rights of French citizens and all men without exception. It also established the principles of popular sovereignty and dismantled the diving right of kings. However, it does not address concerns of women and slaves.

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was written by the Marquis de Lafayette and adopted by the National Constituent Assembly on August 26, 1789. It became the first step in establishing a constitution for France during the French Revolution.

Importance of the Document

The Declaration was paramount to the transition of France from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. Pre-revolutionary France was based on the concepts of the ancien regime. The document is an example of the Age of Enlightenment that characterized individualism. It is on the same horizons as works by John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau. It features the foundations of the separation of powers and checks and balances systems as espoused by the Baron de Montewquieu. It was also heavily influenced by the U.S. Declaration of Independence, written a decade earlier by Thomas Jefferson and ratified during the early days of the American Revolution. Jefferson was a diplomat at the time and worked closely with members of the French National Constituent Assembly.

Specific Guarantees

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen mandates a number of specific guarantees, most notably the sovereignty of the Nation and the equality of all people in the eyes of the law. All citizens are guaranteed the rights of “liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.”

Like the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, the Declaration calls for freedom of assembly, speech and press. It also mandated freedom of religion provided it does not negatively impact the State.

It also called for a common defense, taxation for all people, a prohibition on ex post facto laws as well as property rights and the fact of eminent domain.

The document also provided for the rule of law, limiting the use of torture and cruel and unusual punishments.

Sources:

Simon Schama, Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution (Vintage Books, 1990)

David Andress, French Society in Revolution 1789-1799 (Manchester University Press, 1999)

The copyright of the article Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen in France is owned by Jason Chavis. Permission to republish Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.