Jonah Patel
The French Constitution of 1791 was the first written constitution in France. It was created after the collapse of the absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime, and turned the country into a constitutional monarchy. The document was drafted by a committee of the National Assembly, a group of moderates who hoped to create a better form of royal government rather than something radically new.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of government | Constitutional monarchy |
| Legislature | Unicameral (one house) |
| Voting rights | Restricted to 'active citizens' (those who paid a minimum amount of taxation)> |
| King's title | "King of the French" |
| King's powers | Reduced civil list, ability to select and appoint ministers, suspensive veto power |
| King's acceptance | Reluctant |
| Negotiations | Very long |
| Citizenship | Redefined |
| Government powers | Limited |
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What You'll Learn
- The Constitution of 1791 turned France into a constitutional monarchy
- It was the first written constitution in France
- It was drafted by a committee of the National Assembly
- It redefined the organisation of the French government, citizenship and the limits to the powers of government
- It was inspired by Enlightenment theories and foreign political systems
The Constitution of 1791 turned France into a constitutional monarchy
The Constitution of 1791 was the first written constitution in France. It was created after the collapse of the absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime, and turned France into a constitutional monarchy.
The constitution was drafted by a committee of the National Assembly, a group of moderates who hoped to create a better form of royal government rather than something radically new. The main controversies surrounded the level of power to be granted to the king of France and the form the legislature would take. The Assembly eventually concluded that France should be a constitutional monarchy with a unicameral (one house) legislature.
The constitution retitled Louis XVI as "King of the French", granted him a reduced civil list, allowed him to select and appoint ministers and gave him a suspensive veto power. Voting rights were restricted to 'active citizens', i.e. those who paid a minimum amount of taxation.
The National Assembly asserted its legal presence in French government by establishing its permanence in the Constitution and forming a system for recurring elections. The Assembly's belief in a sovereign nation and in equal representation can be seen in the constitutional separation of powers.
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It was the first written constitution in France
The French Constitution of 1791 was the first written constitution in France. It was created following the collapse of the absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime. The National Assembly, formed by the Third Estate on 13 June 1789, had the stated goal of writing a constitution. A twelve-member Constitutional Committee was convened on 14 July 1789 to draft most of the articles of the constitution. The Assembly debated the structure the new political system should take. It eventually concluded that France should be a constitutional monarchy with a unicameral (one house) legislature.
Voting rights were restricted to 'active citizens', i.e. those who paid a minimum amount of taxation. The constitution retitled Louis XVI as 'King of the French', granted him a reduced civil list, allowed him to select and appoint ministers and gave him a suspensive veto power. The constitution also abolished many institutions that were deemed to be 'injurious to liberty and equality of rights'.
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, adopted on 26 August 1789, became the preamble of the constitution when it was adopted on 3 September 1791. The Declaration offered sweeping generalisations about rights, liberty, and sovereignty.
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It was drafted by a committee of the National Assembly
The first French Constitution was drafted by a committee of the National Assembly, which was formed by the Third Estate on 13 June 1789. The committee was tasked with writing a constitution, and a twelve-member Constitutional Committee was convened on 14 July 1789 to draft most of the articles of the constitution. The Assembly debated the structure of the new political system, eventually concluding that France should be a constitutional monarchy with a unicameral (one house) legislature.
The National Assembly asserted its legal presence in the French government by establishing its permanence in the Constitution and forming a system for recurring elections. The Assembly's belief in a sovereign nation and in equal representation can be seen in the constitutional separation of powers.
The Constitution was passed in September 1791, turning the country into a constitutional monarchy following the collapse of the absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime. It was France's first attempt at a written national constitution, and it was inspired by Enlightenment theories and foreign political systems.
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It redefined the organisation of the French government, citizenship and the limits to the powers of government
The first French Constitution, adopted in 1791, was the country's first written constitution. It redefined the organisation of the French government, citizenship and the limits to the powers of government.
The Constitution was drafted by the National Constituent Assembly and passed in September 1791. It was France's first attempt at a written national constitution. The Assembly delegated the task of drafting the constitution to a special constitutional committee. The committee began in July 1789 by debating the structure the new political system should have.
The Assembly eventually concluded that France should be a constitutional monarchy with a unicameral (one house) legislature. Voting rights were restricted to 'active citizens', i.e. those who paid a minimum amount of taxation. The constitution retitled Louis XVI as "King of the French", granted him a reduced civil list, allowed him to select and appoint ministers and gave him a suspensive veto power.
The National Assembly asserted its legal presence in French government by establishing its permanence in the Constitution and forming a system for recurring elections. The Assembly's belief in a sovereign nation and in equal representation can be seen in the constitutional separation of powers.
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It was inspired by Enlightenment theories and foreign political systems
The French Constitution of 1791 was inspired by Enlightenment theories and foreign political systems. It was the first written constitution in France, created after the collapse of the absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime. It was drafted by a committee of the National Assembly, a group of moderates who hoped to create a better form of royal government rather than something radically new. The Assembly debated the structure the new political system should have, eventually concluding that France should be a constitutional monarchy with a unicameral (one house) legislature.
The Constitution of 1791 redefined the organisation of the French government, citizenship and the limits to the powers of government. It abolished many "institutions which were injurious to liberty and equality of rights". The National Assembly asserted its legal presence in French government by establishing its permanence in the Constitution and forming a system for recurring elections. The Assembly's belief in a sovereign nation and in equal representation can be seen in the constitutional separation of powers.
The main early controversies surrounded the level of power to be granted to the king of France and the form the legislature would take. The constitution retitled Louis XVI as "King of the French", granted him a reduced civil list, allowed him to select and appoint ministers and gave him a suspensive veto power. Voting rights were restricted to 'active citizens', i.e. those who paid a minimum amount of taxation.
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, adopted on 26 August 1789, eventually became the preamble of the constitution adopted on 3 September 1791. The Declaration offered sweeping generalisations about rights, liberty, and sovereignty.
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Frequently asked questions
The first French constitution was the Constitution of 1791.
The Constitution of 1791 turned France into a constitutional monarchy, with a unicameral (one house) legislature. It also redefined the organisation of the French government, citizenship and the limits to the powers of government.
The Constitution of 1791 was inspired by Enlightenment theories and foreign political systems. It was based on the belief in a sovereign nation and in equal representation, which can be seen in the constitutional separation of powers.
