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Top 10 Facts about the Declaration of the Rights of the Man and of the Citizen of 1789

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was a law that declared human civil rights from the French revolution in 1789. The declaration was adopted by France’s National Assembly and it contained seventeen articles. It was first drafted by Marquis de Lafayette and most of the final drafts had major input from Abbe Sieyes and Honore Mirabeau. However, its basic principles were based on human liberties and majorly inspired the French Revolution.

The basic principle that formed the first article was that men are born and remain free and equal in rights. It formed the basis of a free nation where individuals were protected equally by the law. However, after some discussions, a second declaration was modified and referred to the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen of 1793 but was not adopted.

Below are the top 10 facts about the Declaration of the Rights of Men and of the Citizens of 1789

1. What is the History of the Declaration of the Rights of the Man and of the Citizen of 1789?

The source of the declaration is said to have extensively emerged from the ideals of the Enlightenment which included Jean-Jacques Rousseau who brought forth the concept of the general will and Montesquieu who wrote on the separation of powers.

The original draft was prepared by Lafayette who worked closely with his friend Thomas Jefferson to come up with the declaration. Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States and Lafayette was a French Military who fought in the American Revolutionary War. However, the final draft of the declaration was conceptualized by Abbe Emmanuel Joseph Sieyes and Honore Mirabeau.

The National Assembly adopted the last article of the declaration on the 26^th of August 1789. The declaration formed the basis of writing the France constitution.

2. The Declaration emerged from the Philosophical and Political Duties of the Enlightenment

The enlightenment. Photo by Theobald von Oer.

The Enlightenment was a movement that existed between the 17^th and 18^th centuries. The movement was largely known for its intellectual and philosophical effects and influences on the globe at large.

The declaration was to a large extent influenced by the Enlightenment and human rights. It was the efforts of the commoners to abolish the older system of the Ancien Regime or Estate System and adopt equal rights and liberties.

3. The Declaration Defines the Individual and Collective Rights of all Men

The Declaration of the Right of Men and the Citizen of 1789, defines the set of rights for individual and collective rights of all men. The rights are influenced by natural rights which are valid everywhere and at every time.

Mostly referred to and acknowledged is the first article which states “men are born and remain free and equal in rights”. It defines that men have certain natural rights to liberty, property, and to life.

The Declaration resulted from revolution and war in the eighteenth century. 

4. The Declaration Served as the Preamble for the France Constitution

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The Declaration of the Rights of men and of the Citizen of 1789 formed the bases of the constitution of the French Republic in 1946. The Declaration was also adopted in 1958, forming the standards of the current constitution of France. Currently, it is also thought to take force as the preamble of the constitution of the Fifth Republic.

5. The Declaration Marked the Beginning of the French Revolution

The Declaration of the Right of Men and of the Citizen of 1789 marked the beginning of the French Revolution and a new era of freedom among its citizens. It first abolished the concept that existed of the rights of the French Monarchy.

It was a way to liberate France from the unfair and archaic traditions and practices of the monarch. It demonstrated a perfect way to be followed by other resistance movements in history.

6. What are the Top Articles of the Declaration?

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The Declaration of the Right of Men and of the Citizen of 1789 was arrived at to build a democratic government that put to an end the era of the arbitrary actions of the French Monarchy.

As the law was passed by the parliament, it was sectioned into articles that ran up to seventeen articles. However, some of the articles gained popularity and were top. The top articles included the right to equity, popular sovereignty, rule of law, secularity and democracy in France, and finally freedom of speech and expression.

7. The Declaration Recognized many Rights as belonging to the Male

The Declaration of the Right of Men and of the Citizens of 1789 was dominated by male rights and abandoning women’s rights. This led to women taking a petition to the National assembly and proposing equal rights as the male.

The French Revolution did not however recognize the right of women and this led to the Declaration of the Rights of Women and of the Female Citizen in 1791. It was based on recognizing the need for gender equality.

8. It Distinguished between the Active and Passive Citizenship

Although the Declaration of the Right of Men and of the Citizen of 1789 championed equal rights and freedom, it distinguished between active and passive citizenship. Active citizenship was deemed to have political rights while the passive did not. The rights to passive citizenship were granted to French men who were at least twenty-five years of age and paid taxes amounting to three days’ work. This meant that only the male property owners had the rights.

9. The Declaration did not overrule the Slavery Institution

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The Declaration of the Right of Men and of the Citizens of 1789 did not revoke the slavery institutions. Although much was not mentioned about slavery in the Declaration, the uprising in Saint-Domingue in Haitian Revolution was so inspired. Later on, many slaves benefitted from the first successful slave revolt in the new world.

10. At the Time of Writing, the Rights in the Declaration Were Awarded to Men

During the drafting, the rights in the Declaration were only awarded to men. However, it was considered a statement of vision but later turned into a reality. At the time of writing, it did not major in French or the West practices. However, it expressed and gravitated towards ideals in which France struggled in the future.

The Declaration of the Right of Men and of the Citizen of 1789 played a major role in the French Revolution and the development of the French Constitution. It also became the foundation for other revolutions to build upon.