CJ Ashmore 2C HOA OPVL: Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen Origin: The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen is a primary government document. It was a necessary document to change the French government from a monarch to a republic. It was written by the National Assembly of France, the representatives of the French people, on August 26, 1789 in Paris, France at the beginning of the French Revolution. The document drew ideas from the American Revolution and was written six weeks after the storming of the Bastille. Interestingly, Thomas Jefferson also helped to draft the document; it was then later translated by Colombian Antonio Nariño in 1793. Purpose: The purpose of The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen is to persuade in order to reform the French government into a republic. It states that men were equal and had natural rights that could not be taken away. That, because of these rights, a monarchy type government is not acceptable. This perspective shows great value to the people desiring change at the beginning of the French Revolution and, despite its limitations, the document was widely viewed as the overall opinion of the population; therefore, the purpose of the document shines through in two words: …show more content…
Historians can gain insight into the demands of the Third Estate, which was 98% of French society, through understanding this document. It reveals the opinion that men are “born and remain free and equal in rights” and explains the extent to which law, society, and government must conform in order to respect, protect, and provide boundaries for such rights. As it was a document presented to monarchy, it represented the views of the majority of the French, which provides another perspective from which to view history from in the future