In the wake of the Age of
Enlightenment, and on the heels of the United States Declaration of
Independence, The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen jump
started a revolution in France that effectively brought the country from
darkness to light in a matter of 10 years. (Thesis)At the forefront of the
proposed declaration was Marquis de La Fayette (Lafayette). Already a war hero
from actions in the American Revolutionary War, Lafayette became the vice
president of the assembly that drafted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and
of the Citizen.
Your thesis
does not support your document. There is
something missing to make it standout. …no hook.
Potential Thesis Statements: Wealth and birthrights could not stop the influences from the
Enlightenment. One such individual that
played a major role in the American Revolution War and the creation of “The
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen” was Marie Joseph Paul Yves
Roche Gilbert du Motier, or Marquis de Lafayette.
OR
Influences from a 20
year old rich boy from France that changed America and France. Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roche Gilbert du
Motier, or Marquis de Lafayette was one that did.
Born named Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roche Gilbert du Motier, Marquis
de Lafayette was born in Chavaniac France, which was later named after
Lafayette himself to become Chavaniac-Lafayette. He was born 6 September 1757
to a strong military heritage with a wealth of money. His parents died while
Lafayette was still young, leaving him with 25,000 livres (equal to a pound of
sliver), which in today’s economy would be roughly $100,000. After the death of
his uncle, Lafayette inherited 120,000 livres yearly, roughly $480,000. With
thoughts of the romantic American cause, glory and excitement, Lafayette made
plans to travel to America. After being
forbidden to leave France by the King and his family, and support the American
Revolution, Lafayette jumped through hoops to get to America, ultimately
disguising himself as a woman as well as buying the cargo on the ship he was
riding so the captain wouldn’t stop in the West Indies, fearful of arrest.
Commissioned by Congress as a Major General, Lafayette was a major
commander in the American Revolution from 1777 to 1781. He fought and commanded
at the Battles of Brandywine, Gloucester, Barren Hill, Monmouth, Rhode Island,
Green Spring, and the Siege of Yorktown. Wounded at the Battle of Brandywine,
he healed and rejoined George Washington at Valley Forge. He returned to France in December of 1781 as
a war hero after the defeat of Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. He was later
appointed to the Assembly of Notables to address, among other things, the
growing sentiment of non-nobility having to pay taxes in support of an overly
wealthy monarchy. The Assembly of Notables eventually evolved into the National
Assembly, which led to the Tennis Court Oath. The draft of the “Declaration of
the Rights of Man and of the Citizen” was submitted, which King Louis XVI
didn’t approve of because it stripped him of perks given by the divine rights
of kings. Due to the king’s lack of support, the Bastille, the representation
of royal authority in Paris, was stormed, marking the start of the French
Revolution and the French Revolutionary Wars.
The “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen” was an
extremely important document. Recognition of the natural, inalienable, and
sacred rights of man were contained in 17 numbered sentences. They echoed the
sentiment of common people in France while subtly telling the story of the past
and the position of kings; it gave insight into a fruitful future using ideals
that were a direct reflection of Enlightenment ideas. There are some prime
examples of this throughout the declaration.
The first sentence, “Men are born and remain free and equal in
rights; social distinction may be based only upon general usefulness.” sets the
stage for the rest of the declaration. It establishes that, because all men are
born with equal rights, your status is performance based. There is a sort of
tearing away of the idea that nobility is more important than the lower class.
Lafayette did not see himself better than the average soldier. He was on the front lines commanding. He was
their equal.
The second sentence establishes the rights of man as well as the
government’s basic responsibilities. “The aim of every political association is
the preservation of the natural and inalienable rights of man; these rights are
liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.” It states that
protection of each person’s natural rights should be of most importance to
political institutions. It brings to light some Enlightenment ideas
incorporated into the rights that man will have under the declaration. Natural
and inalienable rights are pretty much the same thing. It means the rights that
you’re born with aren’t dependent upon laws or a particular government.
Lafayette used his own funds to support the American cause. He lived this second sentence.
One sentence proclaims, “Since every man is presumed innocent until
declared guilty, if arrest be deemed indispensable, all unnecessary severity
for securing the person of the accused must be severely repressed by law.” This
states that, it should be assumed that every man is innocent until proven
guilty, and that if arrest is necessary, the enforcer of the law must not harm
the “assumed” innocent. This mixes natural rights with legal rights. It gives a
person the freedom to do what they want as well as the right to be treated
fairly. He protected the Royal Family
from a Paris mob on 8 October 1789. He believed in this principle.
Another states that, “Free communication of ideas and opinions is
one of the most precious of the rights of man. Consequently, every citizen may
speak, write, and print freely, subject to the abuse of such liberty in the
cases determined by law.” Before this declaration, common people were severely
repressed. The only people that represented themselves through writing, speech,
and print were in nobility or someone appointed by nobility. Even then, those
appointed expressed the view of nobility and not really their own. The idea
that you could have the freedom to think for yourself and do for yourself is a
popular enlightenment idea.
The 12th declaration reads, “The guarantee of the rights
of man and citizen necessitates a public force; therefore, is instituted for
the advantage of all and not for the particular benefit of those to whom it is
entrusted.” This essentially stated that nobility couldn’t have their own
“army” because everyone is entitled to be protected as their legal right. This
challenged the divine right of kings. Although subtly, it stated that the
nobility had abused their power, by using their own armies for their personal
protection, not for the protection of their people. Lafayette endured being imprisoned
by the Austrians and Prussians for about 5 years as a political prisoner as he
fled to Belgium from the Jacobin influence.
With the exposure of Enlightenment ideals, and the growing
displeasure with King Louis XVI, the French Revolution was born. The
Declaration of the Rights of Man was proposed within the first year, seeking to
change the old ways in France. The enlightenment ideas that found their way
into the declaration made it clear that a shift in France was necessary for
growth. Lafayette established himself as a credible authority figure and key
player during the ensuing revolution. He paid for his decisions with the loss
of all his property and wealth he had possessed in France. In the midst of the
French Revolutionary Wars, King Louis XVI was executed. He was found guilty of
high treason and executed by guillotine, effectively ending 1000 years of
French monarchy. The French Declaration of the Right of Man and Citizen marked
an important turning point in France, fueling a revolution that would spark
some extremely volatile events, but proving a key enlightenment ideal,
Progress.
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