Citizenship & Exclusion in Revolutionary France
The French Revolution (1789-1799) was a major turning point in European history. For centuries, France had been ruled by an absolute monarchy. In just a few short years, revolutionaries in France:
ended the feudal system;
abolished the monarchy and privileges for nobility;
diminished the power of the Catholic Church; and
established Europe’s first modern democracy.
Participants in the Revolution sought to establish fundamental individual rights, including freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and the right to equal protection under the law. Many of these are considered to be universal human rights today
But were there limits to these rights? In Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité: Citizenship & Exclusion in Revolutionary France, students explore the plight of social groups whose rights were limited or denied. In the process, they will consider who has rights in their own communities, and whether exclusion continues.
GUIDING QUESTIONS:
What are civil and political rights?
What are the rights of a citizen as described by French revolutionaries?
Which groups of people living in France were denied their basic human rights? How did this impact them and the rest of the country?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
Understand the rights included in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and who was afforded those rights
Understand the rights and responsibilities of a citizen
Consider the ways in which “human rights” have not always included everyone, and how groups today are still excluded