French Constitution of 1791

E20387

The French Constitution of 1791 was the first written constitution of France, establishing a constitutional monarchy that limited the powers of the king and restructured the state during the French Revolution.

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Observed surface forms (2)

Surface form Occurrences
Constitution of 1791 6
1791 French Constitution 1

Statements (53)

Predicate Object
instanceOf French constitutional document
constitution
written constitution
abolishedInstitution feudalism (in law)
abolishedOn 1792-09-21
alsoKnownAs French Constitution of 1791
surface form: Constitution of 1791
banned lettres de cachet
cameIntoForce 1791-10-01
confirmedAbolitionOf clergy privileges
nobility privileges
country France
createdJudicialPrinciple independence of the judiciary
createdLegislativeBody Legislative Assembly
dateAdopted 1791-09-03
datePromulgated 1791-09-14
definedCitizenship active citizens and passive citizens
definedTerritorialDivision cantons
communes
departments
districts
draftedBy National Constituent Assembly
establishedFormOfGovernment constitutional monarchy
establishedPrinciple constitutional monarchy
equality before the law
national sovereignty
popular representation
separation of powers
excludedFromPoliticalRights many poorer men
women
followedBy French Constitution of 1793
grantedLegislativePowerTo Legislative Assembly
headOfStateTitle King of the French
historicalContext French Revolution
incorporatedRightsFrom French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
surface form: Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789
influencedBy Enlightenment political thought
Montesquieu’s theory of separation of powers
introducedRoyalVetoType suspensive veto
introducedSuffrageType census suffrage
language French
legalStatusAfter1792 suspended and then abolished with the monarchy
legislativeChamberType unicameral
legislativeTermLength 2 years
limitedMonarchBy constitution
limitedPowerOf King of the French
maintainedInstitution hereditary monarchy
precededBy Ancien Régime
recognizedDocument French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
surface form: Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789
redefinedMonarchTitleFrom Kings of France
surface form: King of France
regulatedReligionBy Civil Constitution of the Clergy
surface form: Civil Constitution of the Clergy (already adopted, integrated in framework)
restrictedVotingTo male citizens paying a certain level of taxes
retainedExecutivePowerFor King of the French
royalVetoDuration two consecutive legislatures
signedByMonarch Louis XVI of France
surface form: Louis XVI

Referenced by (15)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

French Constitution of 1791 alsoKnownAs French Constitution of 1791
this entity surface form: Constitution of 1791
King of the French constitutionalBasis French Constitution of 1791
Legislative Assembly constitutionalBasis French Constitution of 1791
this entity surface form: Constitution of 1791
Legislative Assembly establishedBy French Constitution of 1791
Legislative Assembly (France) establishedBy French Constitution of 1791
Cádiz Constitution of 1812 influencedBy French Constitution of 1791
French Revolution keyDocument French Constitution of 1791
National Constituent Assembly keyDocumentProduced French Constitution of 1791
this entity surface form: Constitution of 1791
Legislative Assembly (France) legalBasis French Constitution of 1791
this entity surface form: Constitution of 1791
French Constitution of 1795 precededBy French Constitution of 1791
Civil Constitution of the Clergy relatedTo French Constitution of 1791
this entity surface form: Constitution of 1791
Flight to Varennes relatedTo French Constitution of 1791
this entity surface form: Constitution of 1791
French Constitution of 1793 replaced French Constitution of 1791
Feuillants supported French Constitution of 1791
this entity surface form: 1791 French Constitution