Simone Lawson
The French Constitution of 1791 was the first written constitution in France, created after the collapse of the absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime. It redefined the organisation of the French government, citizenship, and the limits of the government's powers. The constitution retained the monarchy, but sovereignty effectively resided in the Legislative Assembly, which was elected by a system of indirect voting. The franchise was restricted to active citizens who paid a minimal sum in taxes, amounting to about two-thirds of adult men. The constitution amended Louis XVI's title from 'King of France' to 'King of the French', implying that the king's power emanated from the people and the law, not from divine right or national sovereignty.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of document | First written constitution of France |
| Date adopted | 3 September 1791 |
| Main objective | Redefining the organisation of the French government, citizenship and the limits to the powers of government |
| Type of government | Constitutional monarchy |
| Legislative power | Legislative Assembly |
| Voting rights | Restricted to "active citizens" who paid taxes; about two-thirds of adult men |
| Franchise | "Active citizens" (over 25 years old, paid taxes equivalent to at least three days' wages) and "passive citizens" (only civil rights) |
| King's title | Amended from "King of France" to "King of the French" |
| King's power | Retained the right to form a cabinet and select and appoint ministers; granted a suspensive veto |
| King's spending | Reduced to 25 million livres, a decrease of around 20 million livres |
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What You'll Learn
- The French Constitution of 1791 was the first written constitution in France
- The constitution redefined the organisation of the French government
- It established the monarch's right to veto legislative decrees
- The constitution amended Louis XVI's title from 'King of France' to 'King of the French'
- The constitution was outdated by the time it was adopted
The French Constitution of 1791 was the first written constitution in France
The constitution amended Louis XVI's title from 'King of France' to 'King of the French', implying that the king's power emanated from the people and the law, rather than from divine right or national sovereignty. The king retained the right to form a cabinet and appoint ministers, and he was granted a suspensive veto to balance out the interests of the people. This weakened his executive authority, as it allowed the legislature to override his veto with three consecutive votes.
The constitution also addressed the issue of citizenship, distinguishing between 'active citizens' and 'passive citizens'. 'Active citizens', who were entitled to political rights, were defined as males over the age of 25 who paid annual taxes equivalent to at least three days' wages. 'Passive citizens', on the other hand, had only civil rights. This distinction was criticised by radical deputies such as Maximilien Robespierre, who believed that all subjects of the French Crown should be granted equal rights.
The National Assembly, as the constitution-framers, sought to represent the interests of the general will. They abolished institutions that were considered injurious to liberty and equality of rights and established a system for recurring elections. The Assembly's belief in a sovereign nation and equal representation was reflected in the constitutional separation of powers.
By the time the constitution was adopted in the autumn of 1791, it was already outdated, overtaken by the events of the revolution and growing political radicalism. King Louis XVI reluctantly accepted the constitution, but by the spring of 1792, his exercise of the veto was seen as frustrating the will of the nation, leading to a siege of the monarch and the Constitution itself.
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The constitution redefined the organisation of the French government
The Constitution of 1791 was the first of several attempts to create a written constitution for France. It was drafted by a committee of the National Assembly, a group of moderates who aimed to create a better form of royal government. The constitution redefined the organisation of the French government, citizenship, and the limits of the government's powers. The Assembly, as the framer of the constitution, aimed to represent the interests of the general will.
The constitution amended Louis XVI's title from 'King of France' to 'King of the French'. This implied that the king's power emanated from the people and the law, instead of divine right or national sovereignty. The king retained the right to form a cabinet and select and appoint ministers. However, the constitution also granted the king a suspensive veto, which could be overridden by three consecutive legislatures, to balance out the interests of the people. This weakened the king's executive authority.
The constitution also abolished several institutions that were considered injurious to liberty and equality of rights. It established the National Assembly's legal presence in the French government by asserting its permanence in the Constitution and forming a system for recurring elections. The franchise was restricted to "active citizens" who paid a minimal sum in taxes, with about two-thirds of adult men having the right to vote for electors and choose certain local officials directly. "Active citizens" were defined as males over the age of 25 who paid annual taxes equivalent to at least three days' wages, while passive citizens had only civil rights and no political rights.
The constitution was reluctantly accepted by King Louis XVI in September 1791. However, by the time it was adopted, it was already outdated, overtaken by the events of the revolution and growing political radicalism. The constitution's attempt to balance the interests of the monarchy and the people ultimately led to an impasse. As historian Keith M. Baker noted, the constitution could only function under a "revolutionary king". When it appeared that Louis XVI's exercise of the veto was frustrating rather than upholding the will of the nation, the monarch and the Constitution itself were under siege.
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It established the monarch's right to veto legislative decrees
The Constitution of 1791 was the first written constitution of France, created after the collapse of the absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime. It was the first of several attempts to create a written constitution for the country. The constitution was drafted by a committee of the National Assembly, a group of moderates who wanted to create a better form of royal government. The Assembly aimed to safeguard national sovereignty from the dangers of representation, and so the constitution permitted the monarch to veto legislative decrees.
The constitution amended Louis XVI's title from 'King of France' to 'King of the French'. This implied that the king's power came from the people and the law, not from divine right or national sovereignty. The monarch was granted a civil list (public funding) of 25 million livres, a reduction of around 20 million livres on his spending before the revolution.
The Assembly, as the framers of the constitution, were afraid that if only representatives governed France, it would be ruled by the representatives' self-interest. Therefore, the king was allowed a suspensive veto to balance out the interests of the people. This was not an absolute veto, and it could be overridden by three consecutive legislatures.
The constitution was not egalitarian by today's standards. It distinguished between 'active citizens' and 'passive citizens'. 'Active citizens' were males over the age of 25 who paid annual taxes equivalent to at least three days' wages. They were entitled to vote and stand for office. 'Passive citizens', on the other hand, did not have the right to vote. This distinction was intolerable to radical deputies such as Maximilien Robespierre, and they could never be reconciled to the Constitution of 1791.
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The constitution amended Louis XVI's title from 'King of France' to 'King of the French'
The French Constitution of 1791 was the country's first written constitution, created after the collapse of the absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime. The constitution was drafted by the National Constituent Assembly, a group of moderates who aimed to improve the form of royal government rather than create something entirely new. It was passed in September 1791, establishing a constitutional monarchy in France.
One of the key features of the Constitution of 1791 was the revised role of the king. The constitution amended Louis XVI's title from "King of France" to "King of the French". This change implied a significant shift in the source of the king's power. Instead of deriving authority from divine right or national sovereignty, the king's power was now understood to emanate from the people and the law.
The amended title reflected the Assembly's belief in popular sovereignty and equal representation. The king's executive powers were curtailed, and he was granted a reduced civil list, or public funding, of 25 million livres, representing a significant decrease from his pre-revolution spending. Despite these limitations, Louis XVI retained certain important prerogatives. He retained the right to form a cabinet and select and appoint ministers.
The issue of the king's veto power was a significant point of contention. The Constitutional Committee initially proposed an absolute veto, but this was rejected in favour of a suspensive veto, which could be overridden by three consecutive legislatures. This compromise was intended to balance the interests of the people and prevent the king from blocking laws passed by the legislature. However, the king's ability to veto legislative decrees created a constitutional impasse, leading historian Keith M. Baker to remark that the Constitution of 1791 could only function under a "revolutionary king".
In conclusion, the Constitution of 1791 amended Louis XVI's title to "King of the French", signifying a shift in the source of royal power towards popular sovereignty. This change, along with other provisions in the constitution, represented a significant modification to the absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime. However, the constitution faced challenges due to the king's veto power and his lack of faith in the document, ultimately contributing to the rise of Republican sentiment in France.
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The constitution was outdated by the time it was adopted
The French Constitution of 1791 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 aimed to create a better form of royal government. The constitution redefined the organisation of the French government, citizenship, and the limits of the government's powers. It abolished many institutions that were considered harmful to liberty and equality of rights.
However, by the time the constitution was adopted in the autumn of 1791, it was already outdated. The constitution retained the monarchy, but sovereignty now resided in the Legislative Assembly, which was elected by a system of indirect voting. The franchise was restricted to "active citizens" who paid a minimal sum in taxes, which amounted to about two-thirds of adult men. This distinction between active and passive citizens was intolerable to radical deputies such as Maximilien Robespierre, who could never be reconciled with the constitution.
The constitution also amended Louis XVI's title from "King of France" to "King of the French", implying that the king's power came from the people and the law, rather than divine right or national sovereignty. The king retained the right to form a cabinet and appoint ministers, but his executive authority was weakened by representative democracy. The main controversies surrounding the constitution were the level of power granted to the king and the form of the legislature. The king was granted a suspensive veto to balance out the interests of the people, but this proved unworkable when the king used his veto powers to protect non-juring priests and refused to raise militias in defence of the revolutionary government.
The constitution was a result of the National Assembly threading between two options: they could either modify the existing unwritten constitution centred on the three estates of the Estates General, or they could rewrite it completely. By the time the constitution was finalised, events had already overtaken any hopes for its success. In June 1791, the king and his family fled Paris, and the monarch and the constitution itself were soon under siege.
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Frequently asked questions
The French Constitution of 1791 was the first written constitution in France, created after the collapse of the absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime.
The main controversies early on concerned the level of power to be granted to the king of France and the form the legislature would take.
The king was allowed a veto to balance out the interests of the people. The constitution also distinguished between active citizens with political rights and passive citizens with only civil rights.
The Constitution of 1791 turned France into a constitutional monarchy. It was the first of several attempts to create a written constitution for France. However, by the time it was adopted, it was already outdated, overtaken by the revolution and growing political radicalism.
