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Sarandeep Singh
History 102 In 1789, the representatives of the French people organized together as a National Assembly to adopt a way to guarantee and protect the rights of individuals in their new nation. They put together the Declaration of The Rights of Man, which contained the ideas and principles from the French revolution and Enlightenment. The Declaration of the Rights of Man was in many ways similar to the recently adopted Bill of Rights in the United Sates and other documents expressing the rights of individuals. The Declaration of The Rights of Man served as the basis for future constitutions, movements, and governments. However, during the violent phases of the French revolution, the basis of the declaration were ignored and replaced during Napoleons reign.
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The basic and most important principle of the Declaration was that it declared that all men are born free and have equality of rights. These rights include “liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.” This is contradictory to the divide that existed in France before the revolution where people who born into nobility or other groups received different privileges and rights. The declaration also emphasizes the importance of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly as one of the most precious rights of man. It also asserts that the government and law existed to serve and protect the public as opposed to controlling and suppressing it. It’s clear that the declaration was an explicit attack on the absolute monarchial, privileged based regimes that existed during the pre-revolution periods of
The enlightenment ideas affected politics for both the French and the American peoples through the form of government and individual rights. Thinkers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, believed in the individual right of man as a citizen of a sovereign nation. In 1789, Marquis de Lafayette used Rousseau and other free thinker’s ideas to draft his Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen to the National Constituent Assembly in France (http://www.pbs.org/marieantoinette/revolution/america_france.html). This established universal rights for individuals that always existed at all times. The document shows many similarities to American documents such as the declaration of Human Rights in the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights in the Constitution. For instance, they all show a relationship through the declaration of individual rights such as free speech and freedom of religion. However, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen focuses more on individualism while American documents focus more on a community “We the People” (http://www.pbs.org/marieantoin...
The Declaration of the Rights of Man was formed and intended in 1789 by the National Assembly of France to be the very backbone for the constitution. This allowed the nation of France to become liberated and achieve a more secure and structured society by changing from that of an absolute monarchy to a more constitutional democracy. France sought to gain equality and freedom for all individuals; after being fed up with the constant corruption for so long. France managed to successfully obtain an equal nation and government, in which power was given to the people and not to some tyrannical or dictatorial figure.
The citizens of France, inspired by the enlightenment, desired a government run by the people. Marquis de Lafayette wrote, “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights; social distinctions may be based only upon general usefulness” (de Lafayette 783). The French wanted to bring equality to all classes. The French revolution brought much more social change than the American revolution. Inspired by Lafayette’s declaration that, “no group, no individual may exercise authority not emanating expressly therefrom” (de Lafayette 783), the class system was destroyed. The revolutionaries were open to ending slavery, however women remained marginalized within the social structure of France. Similarly to the American revolution, the enlightenment ideas that drove the French revolution were not applied to society as a
In one corner we have a nation, fed up with the corruption and constant bullying of their big brother nation, seeking the approval of the world for a revolution. In the other corner we have a nation, bent on gaining the equality among all individuals in their state, coming together to lay down the law to their king. Both America and France had a thirst for a new equal nation and government in which power was given to the people and not to a tyrannical figure. Individuals from both of these countries sat down and wrote up a letter of declaration in demand of the freedom that they so rightfully deserved. Both of them won that freedom, as the Declaration of Independence and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen flourished with success in the late 18th century. ‘How did these two important documents come about’ is the question we should be asking ourselves. What separated these two monumental letters from each other? What gave each of them their fire, their spark to gain their rights to liberty? America’s Declaration of Independence focused more on America gaining sole ownership of their nation, abolishing their connections with the British and their tyrant King George, and setting up their own government based on Natural law and equality among all men. France’s Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen confronted the king on his neglect to the equal rights of man, laid down the basic principles of how the nation should be run, and proclaimed that the nation should be and is going to be run by the people for the people. With those key differences stated as well as several other small values, such as taxation, oppression, and security, my concern is how both methods worked so efficiently given their varianc...
The Declaration’s proclamations of the “unalienable and sacred rights of man,” point towards religious undertones; however, Revolutionary France discontinued a state religion (National Assembly). Therefore, although the language of the document indicates a religion influence, it shies away from a religious focus. Thus, the Deistic thought which stemmed from the Enlightenment, although somewhat muted, clearly inspired the course of the French documents in a similar manner to that of the United States, in spite of the evolving viewpoints of the time. In addition to a religious disposition, statements regarding the “natural, unalienable, and sacred rights of man,” indicate humanistic and morally inclined focuses from the Enlightenment (National
Today America is country where everything and everyone are unique and united and unique nation make a union. Thomas Paine, an intellectual from the 18th century, wrote a famous piece called the Rights of Man where he listed points in which hold partially true and untrue today. In a passage Paine specifically wrote that are held untrue today is that the poor and the rich are treated fairly and equally, that there are no riots nor tumults, and that taxes are low for everybody. The only two statements that Paine describes the United States correctly is that the government is just and different people make it hard to form a union. Paine is trying to interpret that the country is united and just in his time and that it will continue to be like that; if Paine somehow traveled into the future and saw what America is today he might would 've not have written that passage since today there a things in America that are extremely different compared to the late 18th century.
While reading both the articles, Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens, The National Assembly of France, and Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizens by Olympe de Gouges, I found that mean of the laws and permits introduced had many similarities to the Declaration of Independence written in 1776. Only thirteen years later the French began to induct the ideals of Americans for the rights of their men and citizens. Once women began to feel the inequality looming in the air they decided to stand up and form the National Assembly of Women in order to gain equal rights among man and also politically.
The Bill of Rights and Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen are based on the same principles of natural rights; therefore each document is similar in protecting the people's natural rights. However, despite their similarities, their differences are apparent due to the social situations in which they were adopted. The Bill of Rights stood to protect the freedoms of each individual by establishing a democratic government. The French Revolution eliminated the hierarchy of class and established equality among men with the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen. Several influences from past philosophers and documents assisted the frame work of the Bill of Rights and Declaration of Rights and Citizen.
What is the Declaration of Independence? The declaration of independence states that all individuals have inalienable rights, requiring life, liberty, and property, a document by which the thirteen colonies proclaimed their independence from Great Britain. If these rights are not protected, people have the right to abolish the government and institute a new one that is willing to secure those rights and their happiness. The declaration was written by Jefferson when he had the vision that America should be liberal. While liberals wanted to over through the government, conservatives believed that not every person should receive the same privilege, not every person is the same and therefore, not every person should be created equal. America is viewed as a liberal state. Thomas Jefferson once said, “When the people fear the government, there is tyranny, when the government fears the people, there is liberty.” This was the strongest reason for the people to bear arms, so that they can be protected from tyranny in the government. People wanted their independence.
According to Thomas Jefferson, all men are created equal with certain unalienable rights. Unalienable rights are rights given to the people by their Creator rather than by government. These rights are inseparable from us and can’t be altered, denied, nullified or taken away by any government, except in extremely rare circumstances in which the government can take action against a particular right as long as it is in favor of the people’s safety. The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America mentions three examples of unalienable rights: “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. I believe these rights, since they are acquired by every human being from the day they are conceived, should always be respected, but being realistic, most of the time, the government intervenes and either diminishes or
The French Revolution was a period of time in which France underwent many changes, many which could be considered revolutionary. France’s whole system and way of being was completely changed. New ideas were proposed everyday. An idea is revolutionary when it is a new idea, when it is something that has never been thought of before. The Declaration of the Rights of Women written by Olympe de Gouges on September 1791, was one of the ideas proposed to the National Assembly (Hunt, Web 1). The document proposed that since the French Revolution was all about finding equality for all people, women should be equal to men and therefore, should have the same rights as men did. Women at the time live in terrible conditions. They had little access to education, and therefore could not enter professional occupations that required advanced education, were legally deprived of the right to vote, and were not considered citizens (Class Discussion Notes). If equal rights were not given to women, the French Revolution had not reached its full potential, according to Gouges. She expressed this idea in her document, saying, “This revolution will only take effect when all women become fully aware of their deplorable condition, and of the rights they have lost in society” (Gouges, Web). Anyone that questioned the Revolution was immediately put to death (Class Discussion Notes). If Gouges’ document and ideas were important enough to catch the attention of the National Assembly and for her to be put to death, her ideas could be considered important and revolutionary (Britannica, Web 1) But, the document was not revolutionary. The Declaration of the Rights of Women was not a revolutionary document because its ideas were taken from other people and were no...
This Declaration was a groundbreaker in the start of the French Revolution. Many events occurred during the time leading to the formation and issuance of this declaration. During this time of the French Revolution, France was undergoing a recession from the war. There were food shortages and financial crises among the working class along with the nation adding to the revolt of the French people. France was under the rule of the absolute monarchy of the time, King Louis XVI. The National Assembly was formed with the intent to hopefully change the economical system the occurred during the time to stop the occurring crises. The “Declaration of Man and Citizen” and the “United States Declaration of Independence” share many of the basis points including human rights to basic freedoms and liberties as well as the pursuit of a just tax system.
The First part for the declaration is the intent. The intent gives the people’s rationale for why they are writing this document, the right of individuals, and the purpose of government. The second part of the Declaration in the list of grievances . the list of grievance explains all of the unjust things that king George had done such as taxation without representation, his refusal to do things in the common good of the people, and his allowing of soldiers live in citizen's home without consent. The third part is the declaration. the declaration is basically just stating that they were then breaking away from great
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen has tremendous importance to the French History, as well as the Declaration of Independence has significant importance to the history of the United States of America. The Declaration of Independence had a huge significance to the United States, as the document declared our independence from Great Britain. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen limits the power of the crown, and authority of the government, and gives more freedom to citizens from the government and crown. Both documents have great importance, in both the United States, and French history. These two historic documents both stand for the same cause,
On December 10th in 1948, the general assembly adopted a Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This declaration, although not legally binding, created “a common standard of achievement of all people and all nations…to promote respect for those rights and freedoms” (Goodhart, 379). However, many cultures assert that the human rights policies outlined in the declaration undermine cultural beliefs and practices. This assertion makes the search for universal human rights very difficult to achieve. I would like to focus on articles 3, 14 and 25 to address how these articles could be modified to incorporate cultural differences, without completely undermining the search for human rights practices.