Rights of Man, Declaration of the, is a French document that sets forth the principles of human liberty and the rights of individuals. The document’s full name is the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. The first two articles of the declaration state that all people are free and equal in rights, which include “liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.” The other 15 articles of the declaration concern both the limitations of government and the rights and obligations of citizens.
The French National Assembly adopted the declaration on Aug. 26, 1789, during the French Revolution. The refusal of King Louis XVI to approve the declaration helped bring about increased revolutionary activity in October 1789.
The writers of the declaration were influenced partly by the United States Declaration of Independence, but above all by the circumstances of the revolution. The document was intended to be the statement of principle for the new regime.
