
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 was the result of the French Revolution's basic precept of adopting constitutionality and establishing popular sovereignty. The First Republic of France was founded on 21 September 1792, and lasted until 18 May 1804 under Napoléon Bonaparte. The period was characterised by the downfall and abolition of the French monarchy, the establishment of the National Convention, and the Reign of Terror.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date founded | 21 September 1792 |
| Date ended | 18 May 1804 |
| Duration | 1792-1804 |
| Established by | The National Convention |
| Abolished | Monarchy |
| Established | National Convention |
| Established | Reign of Terror |
| Established | Thermidorian Reaction |
| Established | Directory |
| Established | Consulate |
| Established | Napoleon's rise to power |
| First act | Stripping the king of all political powers |
| Suffrage | Limited |
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What You'll Learn
- The French Constitution of 1791 was the first written constitution in France
- The First Republic lasted until the declaration of the First Empire on 18 May 1804 under Napoléon Bonaparte
- The National Convention drafted the Constitution of 1793, which was ratified by popular vote
- The First Republic was founded on 21 September 1792 during the French Revolution
- The Constitution of 1791 was drafted by the National Assembly and adopted in September

The French Constitution of 1791 was the first written constitution in France
The First Republic of France was established on 21 or 22 September 1792, during the French Revolution. The First Republic lasted until the declaration of the First Empire on 18 May 1804 under Napoleon Bonaparte, although the form of government changed several times during this period. The First Republic was characterised by the downfall and abolition of the French monarchy, the establishment of the National Convention, the Reign of Terror, the Thermidorian Reaction, the founding of the Directory, the creation of the Consulate and Napoleon's rise to power.
The National Convention was made up of the Girondins, who supported the bourgeoisie, the Montagnards, who favoured a central regime, and the Marais, who were positioned in between the two. The Convention's first act was to strip the king of all political powers, and Louis XVI was put on trial for treason, found guilty, and executed on 21 January 1793.
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The First Republic lasted until the declaration of the First Empire on 18 May 1804 under Napoléon Bonaparte
The First French Republic was founded on 21 or 22 September 1792 during the French Revolution. It lasted until the declaration of the First Empire on 18 May 1804 under Napoléon Bonaparte.
The First Republic was established following the Revolution of 1789 and the abolishment of the monarchy. The National Convention was made up of the Girondins, who supported the bourgeoisie, the Montagnards, who favoured a central regime, and the Marais, who were positioned in between the two. At their first meeting, the Convention decided to try King Louis XVI for treason, found him guilty, and executed him on 21 January 1793.
The First French Republic was officially the French Republic (French: République française). It was founded after the collapse of the absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime. One of the basic precepts of the French Revolution was adopting constitutionality and establishing popular sovereignty. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, adopted on 26 August 1789, 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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The National Convention drafted the Constitution of 1793, which was ratified by popular vote
The First French Republic was founded on 21 or 22 September 1792. The National Convention was made up of Girondins, who supported the bourgeoisie, Montagnards, who favoured a central regime, and Marais, who were positioned in between the two. The Convention's first act was to establish the French First Republic and officially strip the king of all political powers.
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The First Republic was founded on 21 September 1792 during the French Revolution
The First Republic was founded by a party of six members of France's Legislative Assembly, who were assigned the task of overseeing elections. The resulting Convention was founded with the dual purpose of abolishing the monarchy and drafting a new constitution. The convention's first act was to establish the French First Republic and officially strip the king of all political powers. Louis XVI, by then a private citizen bearing his family name of Capet, was subsequently put on trial for crimes of high treason starting in December 1792. On 16 January 1793 he was convicted, and on 21 January, he was executed.
The First Republic was also characterised by the creation of the French Constitution of 1791, which was the first written constitution in France. One of the basic precepts of the French Revolution was adopting constitutionality and establishing popular sovereignty. Following the Tennis Court Oath, the National Assembly began the process of drafting a constitution as its primary objective. 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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The Constitution of 1791 was drafted by the National Assembly and adopted in September
The Constitution of 1791 was drafted by the National Assembly and adopted on 3 September 1791. It was the first written constitution in France, created after the collapse of the absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime. One of the basic precepts of the French Revolution was adopting constitutionality and establishing popular sovereignty. The constitution was drafted following the Tennis Court Oath, with the National Assembly's primary objective being to draft a constitution. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, adopted on 26 August 1789, became the preamble of the constitution. The Declaration offered sweeping generalisations about rights, liberty, and sovereignty. The First Republic was founded on 21 September 1792, during the French Revolution. The First Republic lasted until the declaration of the First Empire on 18 May 1804 under Napoleon Bonaparte, although the form of government changed several times. This period was characterised by the downfall and abolition of the French monarchy, the establishment of the National Convention and the Reign of Terror, the Thermidorian Reaction and the founding of the Directory, and, finally, the creation of the Consulate and Napoleon's rise to power. The Constitution also called for a separation of powers and limited suffrage.
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Frequently asked questions
The First French Republic was founded on 21 September 1792 during the French Revolution. It lasted until the declaration of the First Empire on 18 May 1804 under Napoleon Bonaparte.
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.
The Constitution was created to establish popular sovereignty and adopt constitutionality. It also called for a separation of powers and limited suffrage.
Following the Tennis Court Oath, the National Assembly began the process of drafting the Constitution as its primary objective. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, adopted on 26 August 1789, became the preamble of the Constitution.
The period was characterised by the downfall and abolition of the French monarchy, the establishment of the National Convention and the Reign of Terror, the Thermidorian Reaction and the founding of the Directory, and, finally, the creation of the Consulate and Napoleon's rise to power.

























