Active Citizens vs. Passive Citizens during the French Revolution
Active Citizens:
- Active citizens were individuals who actively participated in the political and social life of France during the French Revolution.
- They were typically members of the bourgeoisie or the working class who were politically aware and engaged in revolutionary activities.
- Active citizens supported the revolutionary ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity, and often took part in protests, demonstrations, and political meetings.
- They played a crucial role in the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of a republic in France.
- Active citizens were involved in the drafting of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and the creation of the new political institutions of the revolutionary government.
- They were granted political rights such as the right to vote and hold public office, and they actively participated in the revolutionary government as deputies, officials, and members of revolutionary clubs and societies.
Passive Citizens:
- Passive citizens, on the other hand, were individuals who did not actively participate in the political and social life of France during the French Revolution.
- They were often members of the nobility, clergy, or peasantry who were either indifferent to or opposed to the revolutionary changes taking place in the country.
- Passive citizens did not take part in revolutionary activities and did not support the revolutionary ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity.
- They were excluded from political rights and were subject to the laws and policies of the revolutionary government without having a say in their formation.
- Passive citizens were marginalized and often faced discrimination and persecution during the revolutionary period.
- The distinction between active and passive citizens was an important aspect of the social and political dynamics of the French Revolution, as it reflected the division between those who supported and participated in the revolutionary changes and those who resisted or were excluded from them.