New Rights and a Constitution The National Assembly changed France in many ways. In August 1789, it adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. This document, like the American Declaration of Independence (1776), was inspired by the Enlightenment ideas of Locke, Voltaire, and Rousseau. Its first article declared that "all men are bom free and equal in rights." The declaration provided the people of France with such basic rights as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. It also guaranteed the right of the people to participate in the government of France.
The National Assembly continued to rule while a new constitution was being developed. For example, the National Assembly reformed the legal system to provide for elected judges, trial by jury, and an end to brutal punishments. Nobles could no longer purchase judicial and high military positions.
The National Assembly took power as a revolutionary but temporary government. In 1791, it approved a new constitution with three key features:
It replaced the National Assembly with a new law-making body called the Legislative Assembly..
It gave the new legislature ways to check the power of the king.
It placed the land of the Catholic Church under the control of the national government.
Under pressure, Louis XVI accepted the new constitution.Look for similarities in historical events. New revolutionary governments generally had comparable goals. How did the Frech Declaration of the Rights of Man share values wiith the American Declaation of Independence written like a 8th grader short sentence