Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the

Citizen
Primary Source SetBy Albert Robertson, Meadow Glen Middle School, Lexington,
South Carolina

Teaching guide
Teaching Guide: Exploring the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, written in August 1789, is a central
document of the French Revolution and fundamental to the history of both civil and human
rights. It was strongly influenced by Americas Declaration of Independence, written by
Thomas Jefferson; The Marquis de Lafayette, a veteran of the American Revolution and
friend of Jefferson, wrote the French Declaration. He persuaded the National Assembly to
adopt the document in 1789, shortly after the fall of Bastille prison, a symbol of the ancien
rgime, the old regime, and the feudal system in France. The Declaration relies heavily on
the Enlightenment philosophy of natural rights, or rights that are universal and inalienable
for all individuals, and embodies the French Revolution ideals of liberty, equality, and
fraternity. At the time of its creation, the Declaration united people of various social classes
(the first, second, and third estate) as they began an often-violent revolution; after, its words
echoed in future French constitutions and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(1948) created by the United Nations. Belief in human rights, particularly the right of a
people to break the social contract between themselves and their government when that
government is oppressive, permeates our world today.

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