Page 43 - Memory of the World filled with Color_revised Edition_online

82 Like history is not composed of a single feature, so does the creation of the Declaration. 83
◆
Historical events of immense philosophical enlightenment, referential foreign incidents ,
and national revolts derived from exhausted, starving citizens were just the beginning.

With these comprehensive catalysts, the renowned French Revolution sparked its birth,
signaling the beginning of the French Republic.

The Tennis Court Oath distinguishes the
◆ Referring to immense philosophical influences of Voltaire, Rousseau, ◆◆
Diderot on the century’s mentalities and the advent of Great Britain’s moment of the National Assembly
Parliamentary monarchy (1689) and America’s Declaration of to create a written constitution, ending
Independence (1776) having significant impact on French politics.
◆◆ Founded on June 20th, 1789, the day of the Tennis Court Oath absolute monarchy. Its preamble was
decided to be written: “A Declaration of
the Natural and Unalienable Rights of Man.” After lengthy debates and lively discussions
over seven days, seventeen ground-breaking articles were agreed upon, which we
recognize as the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen.

The Declaration holds revolutionary context, mentioning neither God nor religion.
Its objectives were to remind every person of their rights, to ensure respect for justice
and happiness for all. The text does not explicitly mention France. It is addressed to
all, regardless of era and given society. Its universality regarding the right to individual

liberty and sovereignty of people is a rebuttal of arbitrary power. This heritage inspired
many texts outside France, the most renowned being the United Nation’s Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (1948).

Starting with Article 1 emphasizing the natural right for every man to be free and equal,
the Declaration sheds light on sustainable values and globally achieving goals. It lays
the foundation for a new political structure based on rights to liberty, safety, property,

and resistance to oppression. Following its original purpose to oppose arbitrary power, it
places law at the center of all political or legal actions, ensuring that citizens benefit from
justice. Further on, it ensures freedom of speech and aims to promote fair institutions
based on the separation of powers held by its accountability towards all citizens.

The Declaration of 1789 was deemed as a historical reference and was passed on to
future generations. However, the Declaration as UNESCO Memory of the World is not
only one text but a series of documents reflecting various moments, none important
than the other. They all form a cohesive ensemble retracing a complex legal process

that became a foundational part of French history. The Declaration is now universally
familiar to all French, also included in France’s current constitution. It lasts as a universal
and timeless text, still having considerable impact on contemporary France.

Original Declaration of the Rights

of Man and of the Citizen