August Decrees (1789)
1789년 8월 법령
Nineteen decrees begun at the National Constituent Assembly's session on the night of 4 August 1789 and completed by 11 August. They declared the feudal system entirely abolished and ended seigneurial justice, tithes, venality of office and the privileges of orders and provinces. Rights deriving from personal servitude were abolished without compensation, but other seigneurial dues were left redeemable.
In depth
In the session the Viscount de Noailles proposed abolishing noble privileges and the Duke of Aiguillon proposed ending feudal rights and personal servitude. It met during the Great Fear, a season of rural panic and anxiety. Article 1 abolished without compensation the rights deriving from mainmorte and personal servitude, declared the rest redeemable and kept them payable until redeemed. Article 5 abolished tithes, Article 9 ended pecuniary privileges in taxation, and Article 11 opened all offices to every citizen regardless of birth. Peasants refused to pay the redemption, and the remaining dues were abolished without compensation by the Convention's decree of 17 July 1793. The declared abolition of feudalism must therefore be read apart from the redemption obligation that survived until 1793.
Related historical events
Sources
- Wikipedia (EN)
- /commulingo/docs/france-privileges-property-and-labor-1789-1793