Alex Johnson

History 1110

DOCUMENT ANALYSIS ESSAY:

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen is one of the most important
documents ever written. While documents such as the Magna Carta and the Declaration of
Independence are comparable to it, the Declaration of the Rights of Man is one of the most
pivotal of the millennia. Not only does it outline rights that predated the U.S. Bill of Rights, but it
helped to topple one of the oldest monarchies in Europe. Constructed and put into application
during one of the most unique times in history, it defined the roles of humans as people and as
citizens. It is one of the defining documents in western society, and was what helped make the
French Revolution one of the most important events in world history.
Unlike the American War for Independence, the French Revolution directly challenged
the purpose of monarchy and the idealism of absolutism. While the Americas war against Britain
was a direct result of the Seven Years War, the French Revolution sought to overturn one of the
oldest feudal houses in Europe. The house of Bourbon had reigned since the decline of the house
of Valois, and had intermarried with the second most powerful house, the Hapsburgs. At the
onset of the French Revolution in 1789, the ideas and end game of the actual revolution itself
were unknown. Many revolutions had preceded the one in France, however none of these had
successfully sought to overturn and abolish the monarchy. The Peasants War of 1525
(encyclopedia.com) and the Glorious Revolution (Britannica) had both been radical, but the prior
was immediately and brutally repressed while the latter had simply replaced one monarchy with
another. At the close of July 1789 however, the Bastille had been stormed and King Louis XVI
and Marie-Antoinette were effectively hostages of the revolution. Adding to this was the brutal

Alex Johnson
History 1110

effects of absolutism, and how it had primed the people of France for revolution. Not only this,
but at the time, there were many figures throughout France who were ready and eager to fuel the
ideas of revolution. Amongst these were Maximilien Robespierre, Georges Danton, and JeanPaul Marat; all of whom sought radical changes to the monarchy and the role of monarchy. On
27 August 1789, the French National Assembly approved the Declaration of the Rights of Man.
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen contained many ideas, that may not
have been new, but were revolutionary in application. While there are several documents that it
can be compared to, the most similar to it are the Declaration of Independence (1776) (Archives,
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration.html), and the US Constitution (1789)
(Archives). Both the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution, however much less
broad in context than the Declaration of the Rights of Man. The Declaration of the Rights of Man
and the Citizen is comprised of 17 articles or points, while the Declaration of Independence and
the Constitution take up several pages. The Declaration of the Rights of Man is focused on the
grievances of the French monarchy and its brutal treatment of the Third Estate. The Third Estate
was the lowest class in the Estates General (encyclopedia.com, The Estates General), and made
up the vast majority of the French population in the 18th century. First among the articles is the
idea that men are born free and equal, that any social orders that derive from that should be
constructed for the common good. This in and of itself is a revolutionary idea, positing that the
monarchy is equal to the common man. Beyond this however is the idea that man, regardless of
social status is equal one to another. Just as the Declaration of Independence lists grievances of
the British crown during the mid-18th century, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the
Citizen lists the grievances of the French monarchy during the past two centuries. Throughout
the document, it details exactly the role of the man in general.

Alex Johnson
History 1110

One of the most important points of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen
is the role that it believes man is to play in relation to its government. This role is what gives
partial name to the document, it helps define the citizen. This is perhaps the most important
aspect of the entire document, the way in which it defines the roles of the people. Not only does
it dictate such ideas as freedom of speech and freedom of the press, but it also holds the citizen
accountable. Accountable not only to their fellow citizen, but to the government itself. It
generates the idea of representation to the government itself, and defines that the government is
to protect its people with the army. However, it also says that, contrary to prior practice, the army
is not to be used for individual use or gain. It broadly goes over and defines many of the rights
that we as Americans value today. This may have been the greatest downfall of the Declaration
of the Rights of Man. It does cover many topics broadly; however, it fails to define them in a
way that is undisputable. This, perhaps, is what led to the anarchy that followed in the decade
after it was approved. Extremists who sought power, such as Robespierre and Marat, twisted the
ideas of the Declaration of the Rights of Man. They and others like them used it as a tool to
corrupt the true purpose of the revolution. Because it was so broad, it was doomed to fail.
Though it was revolutionary for its time, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the
Citizen was doomed to fail. While France has long been the center of radical new ideas and
philosophies, the extreme levels at which it erupted were too much. It outlines many of the same
ideas as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, however without restrictions the
revolution soon ran out of control. Events such as the Great Fear and the Reign of Terror helped
define it, and helped to push France back to a monarchy. Though its ideas would be used in later
revolutions, it could not keep the French Revolution intact.

Alex Johnson
History 1110

References
Archives, US. http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html.
2010. 2016.
. http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration.html. 2010. 2016.
Britannica, Encylopaedia. http://www.britannica.com/event/Glorious-Revolution.
2016. 2016.
encyclopedia.com. The Estates General. 2016. 2016.
. The Peasants War. 2008. 2016.