Abolition of Feudalism by the Constituent Assembly

Background. The fall of the Bastille on 14 July 1789 was followed by an uproar spreading from Paris into the countryside. By late July, reports of peasant revolt poured into Paris from every part of the country, prompting the National Constituent Assembly to reform the country's social pattern in order to pacify the outraged peasants and encourage peace and harmony.

The Night of 4 August. On 4 August the Duke of Aiguillon proposed in the Club Breton the abolition of feudal rights and suppression of personal servitude, and that evening the Viscount de Noailles proposed abolishing the privileges of the nobility to restore calm in the provinces. Discussion continued through the night, and on the morning of 5 August the Assembly abolished the feudal system and eliminated many clerical and noble rights and privileges.

Content of the Decrees. The Assembly announced, "The National Assembly abolishes the feudal system entirely," abolishing the seigneurial rights of the nobility and the tithes gathered by the Catholic clergy. Eighteen decrees or articles addressed the abolition of feudalism, noble privileges, and seigneurial rights. Dues originating in real or personal serfdom were abolished without indemnification, provincial and communal privileges were ended in the name of equality, and equality of taxation was adopted without debate.

Aftermath and Limitations. The enthusiasm of the night concealed a redemption clause for feudal rights and tithes introduced by two nobles and two bishops, which postponed effective abolition until August 1793. The real product was not formalised until the Feudal Committee reported on 5 March 1790. The August Decrees paved the way for the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, and François Furet stresses that the decisions of August 1789 became part of the founding texts of modern France.