What heavily influenced the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and the US Declaration of Independence?

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, written in August 1789, is a central document of the French Revolution and fundamental to the history of both civil and human rights. It was strongly influenced by America’s Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson; The Marquis de Lafayette, a veteran of the American Revolution and friend of Jefferson, wrote the French Declaration. He persuaded the National Assembly to adopt the document in 1789, shortly after the fall of Bastille prison, a symbol of the ancien régime, the old regime, and the feudal system in France. The Declaration relies heavily on the Enlightenment philosophy of natural rights, or rights that are universal and inalienable for all individuals, and embodies the French Revolution ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity. At the time of its creation, the Declaration united people of various social classes (the first, second, and third estate) as they began an often-violent revolution; after, its words echoed in future French constitutions and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) created by the United Nations. Belief in “human rights,” particularly the right of a people to break the social contract between themselves and their government when that government is oppressive, permeates our world today.

Who influenced the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen France?

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was inspired by the writings of such Enlightenment thinkers as Montesquieu, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Voltaire.

Was the Declaration of the rights of Man influenced by the Declaration of Independence?

Inspired by the American Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the spirit of the Enlightenment, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789 marked the beginning of a new political era. Since then, it has never ceased to be a reference text.

What are the French Declaration of the rights of Man and the US Declaration of Independence?

The United States Declaration of Independence and French declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen were both documents standing for freedom and equality. The documents were written at different times, with different priorities; however, both stood for same cause.