French Constitution of 1793
Encyclopedia
The Constitution of 24 June 1793 , also known as the Constitution of the Year I, or the The Montagnard Constitution (French: Constitution montagnarde), was the constitution instated by the Montagnards and by popular referendum
under the First Republic
during the French Revolution
. Drafted by the Committee of Public Safety
which was enlarged with the purpose of producing it, the text was presented to the National Convention
on 10 June and subsequently accepted by that body on 24 June 1793. The constitution was then ratified by a popular referendum
employing universal male suffrage, following approval by 1,784,377 out of approximately 1,800,000 voters. The Convention
found in the external and internal state of war
sufficient reason to maintain itself until peace and postponed the Constitution's implementation. Though the Constitution was overwhelmingly popular and its drafting and ratification buoyed popular support for the Montagnards, the convention set it aside indefinitely on 10 October 1793 and declared a "Revolutionary Government" until a future peace.
The Constitution was inspired by the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
of 1789, to which it added several rights: it proclaimed the superiority of popular sovereignty
over national sovereignty
; various economic and social rights (right of association, right to work
and public assistance, right to public education
); the right of rebellion (and duty to rebel when the government violates the right of the people); and the abolition of slavery
written in what is known as the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen of 1793
.
It was eventually supplanted by the French Constitution of 1795
, which established the Directory
. The revolutionaries of 1848 were inspired by this constitution and that it passed into the ideological armory of the Third Republic
(founded 1870). It represents a fundamental historical document, that contributed much to the later democratic institutions and developments.
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
under the First Republic
French First Republic
The French First Republic was founded on 22 September 1792, by the newly established National Convention. The First Republic lasted until the declaration of the First French Empire in 1804 under Napoleon I...
during the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. Drafted by the Committee of Public Safety
Committee of Public Safety
The Committee of Public Safety , created in April 1793 by the National Convention and then restructured in July 1793, formed the de facto executive government in France during the Reign of Terror , a stage of the French Revolution...
which was enlarged with the purpose of producing it, the text was presented to the National Convention
National Convention
During the French Revolution, the National Convention or Convention, in France, comprised the constitutional and legislative assembly which sat from 20 September 1792 to 26 October 1795 . It held executive power in France during the first years of the French First Republic...
on 10 June and subsequently accepted by that body on 24 June 1793. The constitution was then ratified by a popular referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
employing universal male suffrage, following approval by 1,784,377 out of approximately 1,800,000 voters. The Convention
National Convention
During the French Revolution, the National Convention or Convention, in France, comprised the constitutional and legislative assembly which sat from 20 September 1792 to 26 October 1795 . It held executive power in France during the first years of the French First Republic...
found in the external and internal state of war
State of War
State of war may refer to:*a situation where two or more states are at war with each other, with or without a real armed conflict*State of War , a book by James Risen which makes numerous controversial allegations about Central Intelligence Agency activities*State of War , a real-time strategy...
sufficient reason to maintain itself until peace and postponed the Constitution's implementation. Though the Constitution was overwhelmingly popular and its drafting and ratification buoyed popular support for the Montagnards, the convention set it aside indefinitely on 10 October 1793 and declared a "Revolutionary Government" until a future peace.
The Constitution was inspired by the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen is a fundamental document of the French Revolution, defining the individual and collective rights of all the estates of the realm as universal. Influenced by the doctrine of "natural right", the rights of man are held to be universal: valid...
of 1789, to which it added several rights: it proclaimed the superiority of popular sovereignty
Popular sovereignty
Popular sovereignty or the sovereignty of the people is the political principle that the legitimacy of the state is created and sustained by the will or consent of its people, who are the source of all political power. It is closely associated with Republicanism and the social contract...
over national sovereignty
National sovereignty
National sovereignty is the doctrine that sovereignty belongs to and derives from the nation, an abstract entity normally linked to a physical territory and its past, present, and future citizens. It is an ideological concept or doctrine derived from liberal political theory...
; various economic and social rights (right of association, right to work
Right to work
The right to work is the concept that people have a human right to work, or engage in productive employment, and may not be prevented from doing so...
and public assistance, right to public education
Public education
State schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...
); the right of rebellion (and duty to rebel when the government violates the right of the people); and the abolition of slavery
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
written in what is known as the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen of 1793
Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen of 1793
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen of 1793 is a French political document. It was written by the commission that included Louis Antoine Léon de Saint-Just and Marie-Jean Hérault de Séchelles during the period of the French Revolution...
.
It was eventually supplanted by the French Constitution of 1795
French Constitution of 1795
The Constitution of 22 August 1795 was a national constitution of France ratified by the National Convention on 22 August 1795 during the French Revolution...
, which established the Directory
French Directory
The Directory was a body of five Directors that held executive power in France following the Convention and preceding the Consulate...
. The revolutionaries of 1848 were inspired by this constitution and that it passed into the ideological armory of the Third Republic
French Third Republic
The French Third Republic was the republican government of France from 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed due to the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, to 1940, when France was overrun by Nazi Germany during World War II, resulting in the German and Italian occupations of France...
(founded 1870). It represents a fundamental historical document, that contributed much to the later democratic institutions and developments.