Western Civilization - History Of European Society

The French Revolution and Napoleon, 1789–1815 395

rights. In other places, peasants burned the records of
the feudal dues that they owed, and sometimes the
chateau as well.

The Legislative Revolution of the

National Assembly, 1789–91

The actions of the Parisian crowd and the peasantry
had two important effects on the National Assembly
(also called the Constituent Assembly because it was
writing a constitution). First, they strengthened the
assembly because the king could not suppress it
without fear of violence. Second, the rebellions en-
couraged the deputies to extend the revolution (see
chronology 21.1).
A legislative revolution began on “the night of Au-
gust 4th.” Debates on the great fear led to a remarkable
scene: Some aristocrats proposed ending their own

privileges. Without preparation or committee studies,

the deputies voted a series of decrees that began with:

“The National Assembly completely abolishes the feu-

dal regime.” The night of August 4 marked the end of

feudal servitude and taxes, the feudal rights of the aris-

tocracy (such as hunting on peasant farmland), the

manorial courts of aristocratic justice, “tithes of every

description” owed to the Catholic Church, and the sale

of public offices, which were opened to all citizens.

Three weeks later, the National Assembly adopted

another historic document, a French bill of rights

named the Declaration of the Rights of Man (see

document 21.1). It promised freedom of religion, free-

dom of speech, freedom of the press, due process of

law, and the prohibition of cruel and unusual punish-

ment. It did not grant equal rights to religious minori-

ties (Protestants received this in December 1789; Jews

had to wait until September 1791), freedom for the

black slaves in French colonies (adopted in February

1794, see illustration 21.2), or equal rights for women

Arrests at the Bastille Emigrés

(1789) (1789–99)

Trade category Percentage Class category Percentage

Furniture trades 17.1 Third estate 58.0

Building trades 14.2 (Peasantry 19.4)

Clothing trades 10.1 (Workers 14.3)

Metal workers 10.1 Clergy 25.2

Transport trades 6.8 Nobility 16.8

Food Trades 5.3

Other 36.4

Deputies in the convention Jacobin clubs

(1792–95) (1793–95)

Profession Percentage Profession Percentage

Lawyers 47.7 Shopkeepers 45.0

Businessmen 8.9 Farmers 9.6

Clergy 7.3 Businessmen 8.2

Civil servants 6.8 Lawyers 6.8

Medicine 6.1 Other professions 6.9

Farmers 5.1 Civil servants 6.7

Other 18.1 Other 16.8

Note: Total percentage may exceed 100 because of rounding.

Source: Colin Jones, ed., The Longman Companion to the French Revolution(London: Longman, 1988), pp. 120, 168, 186, 199; and George Rudé, The Crowd in

the French Revolution(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1959), pp. 246–48.

TABLE 21.1

The Social Composition of Revolutionary Groups