The Rights of Man DeclarationWith this declaration, the French National Assembly addressed many of the French people's grievances with the monarchy and established the ideals of the FrenchRevolution.

« The Rights of Man Declaration With this declaration, the French National Assembly addressed many of the French people's grievances with the monarchy and established the ideals of the FrenchRevolution.

It remains one of the most important documents in Western political history. Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen 1789 The representatives of the French people, organized as a National Assembly, believing that the ignorance, neglect, or contempt of the rights of man are the sole causeof public calamities and of the corruption of governments, have determined to set forth in a solemn declaration the natural, inalienable, and sacred rights of man, inorder that this declaration, being constantly before all the members of the social body, shall remind them continually of their rights and duties; in order that the acts ofthe legislative power, as well as those of the executive power, may be compared at any moment with the objects and purposes of all political institutions and may thusbe more respected; and, lastly, in order that the grievances of the citizens, based hereafter upon simple and incontestable principles, shall tend to the maintenance ofthe constitution and redound to the happiness of all.

Therefore the National Assembly recognizes and proclaims, in the presence and under the auspices of theSupreme Being, the following rights of man and of the citizen: Article 1.

Men are born and remain free and equal in rights.

Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good. 2.

The aim of all political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man.

These rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance tooppression. 3.

The principle of all sovereignty resides essentially in the nation.

No body nor individual may exercise any authority which does not proceed directly from thenation. 4.

Liberty consists in the freedom to do everything which injures no one else; hence the exercise of the natural rights of each man has no limits except those whichassure to the other members of the society the enjoyment of the same rights.

These limits can only be determined by law. 5.

Law can only prohibit such actions as are hurtful to society.

Nothing may be prevented which is not forbidden by law, and no one may be forced to do anything notprovided for by law. 6.

Law is the expression of the general will.

Every citizen has a right to participate personally, or through his representative, in its formation.

It must be the same forall, whether it protects or punishes.

All citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, are equally eligible to all dignities and to all public positions and occupations,according to their abilities, and without distinction except that of their virtues and talents. 7.

No person shall be accused, arrested, or imprisoned except in the cases and according to the forms prescribed by law.

Any one soliciting, transmitting, executing,or causing to be executed, any arbitrary order, shall be punished.

But any citizen summoned or arrested in virtue of the law shall submit without delay, as resistanceconstitutes an offense. 8.

The law shall provide for such punishments only as are strictly and obviously necessary, and no one shall suffer punishment except it be legally inflicted in virtueof a law passed and promulgated before the commission of the offense. 9.

As all persons are held innocent until they shall have been declared guilty, if arrest shall be deemed indispensable, all harshness not essential to the securing of theprisoner's person shall be severely repressed by law. 10.

No one shall be disquieted on account of his opinions, including his religious views, provided their manifestation does not disturb the public order established bylaw. 11.

The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man.

Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print withfreedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law. 12.

The security of the rights of man and of the citizen requires public military forces.

These forces are, therefore, established for the good of all and not for thepersonal advantage of those to whom they shall be intrusted. 13.

A common contribution is essential for the maintenance of the public forces and for the cost of administration.

This should be equitably distributed among all thecitizens in proportion to their means. 14.

All the citizens have a right to decide, either personally or by their representatives, as to the necessity of the public contribution; to grant this freely; to know towhat uses it is put; and to fix the proportion, the mode of assessment and of collection and the duration of the taxes. 15.

Society has the right to require of every public agent an account of his administration. 16.

A society in which the observance of the law is not assured, nor the separation of powers defined, has no constitution at all. 17.

Since property is an inviolable and sacred right, no one shall be deprived thereof except where public necessity, legally determined, shall clearly demand it, andthen only on condition that the owner shall have been previously and equitably indemnified. Source: Robinson, James, ed., Readings in European History. Boston & New York: Ginn & Co., 1904. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation.

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