Declaration of the Rights of Man

The first article is the most revolutionary for its time. It states: “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights.” The most prevalent governmental regime in Europe of the late eighteenth century is monarchy, whether it is constitutional or absolute. This article equates monarchs and peasants in their rights, and if we consider the execution of Louis XVI, civic law applied to everybody. This equation’s existence provoked doubt in the viability of monarchy and led to multiple wars between post-revolutionary France and neighboring monarchic states. Hence, its influence on the whole continent was immeasurable.