4.10 The French Revolution: Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

Origins and Purpose

Adopted in 1789 by France's National Assembly, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen proclaimed universal principles of liberty, equality, and property rights. Inspired by Enlightenment thinkers like Rousseau and Locke, and by the American Declaration of Independence, it rejected absolutism and feudal privilege in favor of natural, inalienable rights for all men.

Key Principles

The document declared men 'born free and equal in rights', established popular sovereignty, freedom of speech/religion, and due process under law. It emphasized that authority comes from the nation, not divine right, and that laws must express the general will. It became a foundational document of modern human rights and constitutional government.

Limitations and Legacy

Despite its universal language, the Declaration excluded women and did not clearly abolish slavery, prompting Olympe de Gouges to write the *Declaration of the Rights of Woman*. It also sparked debate about balancing individual liberty with social order, influencing later revolutions and constitutions worldwide, including Haiti's independence movement.

Key terms

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

1789 document by France's National Assembly proclaiming liberty, equality, and natural rights for men.

Popular sovereignty

The principle that political authority comes from the people/nation, not a monarch or divine right.

Olympe de Gouges

French writer who authored the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen, criticizing women's exclusion.

General will

Rousseau's concept that laws should reflect the collective will of the people, foundational to the Declaration's principles.

Limitations of the Declaration

Excluded women's rights and did not clearly abolish slavery, despite proclaiming universal equality.

Try an AP-style question

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789) proclaimed…

1. liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty
2. the privileges of the nobility
3. the divine right of the French king
4. the supremacy of the Catholic Church