Question

Write a note on the Constitution of 1791 and the National Assembly.

Answer 1

Instructions:

The answer to this question can be broken into 4 parts:

1. Louis XVI recognised National Assembly (1 mark)
2. Separation of powers and Constitutional Monarchy (1.5 mark)
3. Election of the National Assembly (1.5 mark)
4. Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (1 mark)

Solution:

Louis XVI had accorded recognition to the National Assembly and accepted that his powers would from now on be checked by a Constitution. The National Assembly completed the draft of the constitution in 1791.

Its main objective was to limit the powers of the monarch. The powers were now separated and assigned to different institutions – the legislature, executive and judiciary. This made France a constitutional monarchy.

The Constitution vested the power to make laws in the National Assembly, which was indirectly elected. That is, citizens voted for a group of electors, who then chose the Assembly members. However, not all citizens had the right to vote. Only men above 25 years of age who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of a labourer’s wage were entitled to vote. They were called active citizens, and the remaining men and all women were classed as passive citizens.

The Constitution began with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, which guaranteed certain rights such as the right to life, freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, equality before the law - as ‘natural and inalienable’ rights to its citizens.