Dear Students!

The French Revolution (1789-1799) was a major turning point in European history. For centuries, France had been ruled by an absolute monarchy. In just a few short years, revolutionaries in France:

    •   ended the feudal system;

    •   abolished the monarchy and privileges for nobility;

    •   diminished the power of the Catholic Church; and

    •   established Europe’s first modern democracy.

Participants in the Revolution sought to establish fundamental individual rights, including freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and the right to equal protection under the law. Many of these are considered to be universal human rights today. But were there limits to these rights? In Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité: Citizenship & Exclusion in Revolutionary France, students explore the plight of social groups whose rights were limited or denied during the Revolution. In the process, they will consider who has rights in their own communities, and whether exclusion continues.

Hope of Family