The French Revolution and Human Rights
A Brief History with DocumentsSecond Edition ©2016
This new edition of The French Revolution and Human Rights, A Brief History with Documents offers a new section covering limits on rights to complement its rich exploration of the issue of rights and citizenship in Revolutionary France. Lynn Hunt, a leading scholar of the French Revolution, p...
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This new edition of The French Revolution and Human Rights, A Brief History with Documents offers a new section covering limits on rights to complement its rich exploration of the issue of rights and citizenship in Revolutionary France. Lynn Hunt, a leading scholar of the French Revolution, presents original translations and commentary on the debates and legislation that helped define modern notions of human rights. Her revised introduction provides an overview of the French development of the concept of human rights and the consequences that resulted from putting those rights into practice. A new section on national security and the limits on rights gives readers a sense of the issues that led French revolutionaries to suppress rights in the name of the nation and its security. Helpful editorial features include document headnotes, a chronology, questions for consideration, a selected bibliography, and an index.
Table of Contents
Foreword
Preface
IllustrationsPART ONE
INTRODUCTION: The Revolutionary Origin of Human Rights
Defining Rights Before 1789
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, 1789
Debates over Citizenship and Rights During the Revolution
National Security and Limits on RightsPART TWO
The Document
1. Defining Rights before 1789 Natural Law as Defined by the Encylopedia
1. Diderot, "Natural Law," 1755
Religious Toleration
2. Voltaire, Treatise on Toleration, 1763
3. Edict of Toleration, November 1787
4. Letter from Rabaut Saint Etienne on the Edict of Toleration, December 6,
1787
5. Zalkind Hourwitz, Vindication of the Jews, 1789
Antislavery Agitation
6. Abbé Raynal, From the Philosophical and Political History of the
Settlements and Trade of the Europeans in the East and West Indies,
1770
7. Condorcet, Reflections on Negro Slavery, 1781
8. Society of the Friends of Blacks, Discourse on the Necessity of
Establishing in Paris a Society for . . . the Abolition of the Slave Trade and
of Negro Slavery, 1788
Women Begin to Agitate for Rights
9. "Petition of Women of the Third Estate to the King," January 1, 1789
Categories of Citizenship
10. Abbé Sieyès, What Is the Third Estate?, January 1789
2. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, 1789
Debates about the Declaration of Rights, July and August 1789 11. Marquis de Lafayette, July 11, 1789
12. Duke Mathieu de Montmorency, August 1, 1789
13. Malouet, August 1, 1789
The Declaration
14. "Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen," August 26, 1789
3. Who Has Rights?
15. Abbé Sieyès, Preliminary to the French Constitution, August 1789
16. Thouret, Report on the Basis of Political Eligibility, September 29, 1789
17. Speech of Robespierre Denouncing the New Conditions of Eligibility,
October 22, 1789
Religious Minorities and Questionable Professions
18. Brunet de Latuque, December 21, 1789
19. Count de Clermont Tonnerre, December 23, 1789
20. Abbé Maury, December 23, 1789
21. Letter from the French Actors, December 24, 1789
22. Petition of the Jews of Paris, Alsace, and Lorraine to the National
Assembly, January 28, 1790
23. La Fare, Bishop of Nancy, Opinion on the Admissibility of Jews to Full
Civil and Political Rights, Spring 1790
24. Admissions of Jews to Rights of Citizenship, September 27, 1791
25. The Abolition of Negro Slavery or Means for Ameliorating Their Lot,
1789
26. Motion Made by Vincent Ogé the Younger to the Assembly of Colonists,
1789
27. Abbé Grégoire, Memoir in Favor of the People of Color or Mixed-Race
of Saint Domingue, 1789
28. Society of the Friends of Blacks, Address to the National Assembly in
Favor of the Abolition of the Slave Trade, February 5, 1790
29. Speech of Barnave, March 8, 1790
30. Kersaint, Discussion of Troubles in the Colonies, March 28, 1792
31. Society of the Friends of Blacks, Address to the National Assembly in
Favor of the Abolition of the Slave Trade, February 5, 1790
Women
32. Society of the Friends of Blacks, Address to the National Assembly in
Favor of the Abolition of the Slave Trade, February 5, 1790
33. Society of the Friends of Blacks, Address to the National Assembly in
Favor of the Abolition of the Slave Trade, February 5, 1790
34. Olympe de Gouges, The Declaration of the Rights of Woman,
September 1791
35. Prudhomme, "On the Influence of the Revolution on Women,"
February 12, 1791
36. Discussion of Citizenship under the Proposed New Constitution, April
29, 1793
37. Discussion of Women’s Political Clubs and Their Suppression, October
29–30, 1793
38. Chaumette, Speech at the General Council of the City Government of
Paris Denouncing Women’s Political Activism, November 17, 1793
4. National Security and Limits on Rights
39. Law Forbidding Workers’ Guilds or Professional Corporations, June 14,
1791
40. Law Suppressing Religious Communities and Prohibiting Religious
Dress in Public, April 6, 1792
41. Law on Suspects, September 17, 1793
42. Law Limiting Rights of Defendants, June 10, 1794
APPENDIXES
A Chronology of the French Revolution and Human Rights (1751-1799)
Questions for Consideration
Selected BibliographyIndex
Preface
IllustrationsPART ONE
INTRODUCTION: The Revolutionary Origin of Human Rights
Defining Rights Before 1789
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, 1789
Debates over Citizenship and Rights During the Revolution
National Security and Limits on RightsPART TWO
The Document
1. Defining Rights before 1789 Natural Law as Defined by the Encylopedia
1. Diderot, "Natural Law," 1755
Religious Toleration
2. Voltaire, Treatise on Toleration, 1763
3. Edict of Toleration, November 1787
4. Letter from Rabaut Saint Etienne on the Edict of Toleration, December 6,
1787
5. Zalkind Hourwitz, Vindication of the Jews, 1789
Antislavery Agitation
6. Abbé Raynal, From the Philosophical and Political History of the
Settlements and Trade of the Europeans in the East and West Indies,
1770
7. Condorcet, Reflections on Negro Slavery, 1781
8. Society of the Friends of Blacks, Discourse on the Necessity of
Establishing in Paris a Society for . . . the Abolition of the Slave Trade and
of Negro Slavery, 1788
Women Begin to Agitate for Rights
9. "Petition of Women of the Third Estate to the King," January 1, 1789
Categories of Citizenship
10. Abbé Sieyès, What Is the Third Estate?, January 1789
2. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, 1789
Debates about the Declaration of Rights, July and August 1789 11. Marquis de Lafayette, July 11, 1789
12. Duke Mathieu de Montmorency, August 1, 1789
13. Malouet, August 1, 1789
The Declaration
14. "Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen," August 26, 1789
3. Who Has Rights?
15. Abbé Sieyès, Preliminary to the French Constitution, August 1789
16. Thouret, Report on the Basis of Political Eligibility, September 29, 1789
17. Speech of Robespierre Denouncing the New Conditions of Eligibility,
October 22, 1789
Religious Minorities and Questionable Professions
18. Brunet de Latuque, December 21, 1789
19. Count de Clermont Tonnerre, December 23, 1789
20. Abbé Maury, December 23, 1789
21. Letter from the French Actors, December 24, 1789
22. Petition of the Jews of Paris, Alsace, and Lorraine to the National
Assembly, January 28, 1790
23. La Fare, Bishop of Nancy, Opinion on the Admissibility of Jews to Full
Civil and Political Rights, Spring 1790
24. Admissions of Jews to Rights of Citizenship, September 27, 1791
25. The Abolition of Negro Slavery or Means for Ameliorating Their Lot,
1789
26. Motion Made by Vincent Ogé the Younger to the Assembly of Colonists,
1789
27. Abbé Grégoire, Memoir in Favor of the People of Color or Mixed-Race
of Saint Domingue, 1789
28. Society of the Friends of Blacks, Address to the National Assembly in
Favor of the Abolition of the Slave Trade, February 5, 1790
29. Speech of Barnave, March 8, 1790
30. Kersaint, Discussion of Troubles in the Colonies, March 28, 1792
31. Society of the Friends of Blacks, Address to the National Assembly in
Favor of the Abolition of the Slave Trade, February 5, 1790
Women
32. Society of the Friends of Blacks, Address to the National Assembly in
Favor of the Abolition of the Slave Trade, February 5, 1790
33. Society of the Friends of Blacks, Address to the National Assembly in
Favor of the Abolition of the Slave Trade, February 5, 1790
34. Olympe de Gouges, The Declaration of the Rights of Woman,
September 1791
35. Prudhomme, "On the Influence of the Revolution on Women,"
February 12, 1791
36. Discussion of Citizenship under the Proposed New Constitution, April
29, 1793
37. Discussion of Women’s Political Clubs and Their Suppression, October
29–30, 1793
38. Chaumette, Speech at the General Council of the City Government of
Paris Denouncing Women’s Political Activism, November 17, 1793
4. National Security and Limits on Rights
39. Law Forbidding Workers’ Guilds or Professional Corporations, June 14,
1791
40. Law Suppressing Religious Communities and Prohibiting Religious
Dress in Public, April 6, 1792
41. Law on Suspects, September 17, 1793
42. Law Limiting Rights of Defendants, June 10, 1794
APPENDIXES
A Chronology of the French Revolution and Human Rights (1751-1799)
Questions for Consideration
Selected BibliographyIndex
Authors
Lynn Hunt
Lynn Hunt (PhD., Stanford University) is Distinguished Research Professor at University of California, Los Angeles. She is the author or editor of several books, including most recently Writing History in the Global Era; The French and Revolution and Napoleon: Crucible of the Modern World and History: Why It Matters.
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