Includes bibliographical references (pages 141-142) and index.

PART ONE. INTRODUCTION: The Revolutionary Origin of Human Rights. Defining Rights Before 1789 ; The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, 1789 ; Debates over Citizenship and Rights During the Revolution ; National Security and Limits on Rights -- PART TWO. The Documents. Defining Rights before 1789. Natural Law as Defined by the Encylopedia, 1755: 1. Diderot, "Natural Law," 1755 ; Religious Toleration: 2. Voltaire, Treatise on Toleration, 1763 ; 3. Edict of toleration, November 1787 ; 4. Letter from Rabaut Saint Etienne on the Edict of Toleration, December 6, 1787 ; 5. Zalkind Hourwitz, Vindication of the Jews, 1789 ; Antislavery Agitation: 6. Abb Raynal, From the Philosophical and Political History of the Settlements and Trade of the Europeans in the East and West Indies, 1770 ; 7. Condorcet, Reflections on Negro Slavery, 1781 ; 8. Society of the Friends of Blacks, Discourse on the Necessity of Establishing in Paris a Society for ... the Abolition of the Slave Trade and of Negro Slavery, 1788 ; Women Begin to Agitate for Rights: 9. "Petition of Women of the Third Estate to the King," January 1, 1789 ; Categories of Citizenship: 10. Abb Sieys, What Is the Third Estate?, January 1789 ; The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, 1789. Debates about the Declaration of Rights, July and August 1789: 11. Marquis de Lafayette, July 11, 1789 ; 12. Duke Mathieu de Montmorency, August 1, 1789 ; 13. Malouet, August 1, 1789 ; The Declaration: 14. "Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen," August 26, 1789 ; Debates over Citizenship and Rights during the Revolution: 15. Abb Sieys, Preliminary to the French Constitution, August 1789 ; 16. Thouret, Report on the Basis of Political Eligibility, September 29, 1789 ; 17. Speech of Robespierre Denouncing the New Conditions of Eligibility, October 22, 1789 ; Religious Minorities and Questionable Professions: 18. Brunet de Latuque, December 21, 1789 ; 19. Count de Clermont Tonnerre, December 23, 1789 ; 20. Abb Maury, December 23, 1789 ;

21. Letter from the French Actors, December 24, 1789 ; 22. Petition of the Jews of Paris, Alsace, and Lorraine to the National Assembly, January 28, 1790 ; 23. La Fare, Bishop of Nancy, Opinion on the Admissibility of Jews to Full Civil and Political Rights, Spring 1790 ; 24. Admissions of Jews to Rights of Citizenship, September 27, 1791 ; Free Blacks and Slaves: 25. The Abolition of Negro Slavery or Means for Ameliorating Their Lot, 1789 ; 26. Motion Made by Vincent Og the Younger to the Assembly of Colonists, 1789 ; 27. Abb Grgoire, Memoir in Favor of the People of Color or Mixed-Race of Saint Domingue, 1789 ; 28. Society of the Friends of Blacks, Address to the National Assembly in Favor of the Abolition of the Slave Trade, February 5, 1790 ; 29. Speech of Barnave, March 8, 1790 ; 30. Kersaint, Discussion of Troubles in the Colonies, March 28, 1792 ; 31. Decree of the National Convention of February 4, 1794, Abolishing Slavery in All the Colonies ; Women : 32. Condorcet, "On the Admission of Women to the Rights of Citizenship," July 1790 ; 33. Etta Palm D'Adelders, Discourse on the Injustice of the Laws in Favor of Men, at the Expense of Women, December 30, 1790 ; 34. Olympe de Gouges, The Declaration of the Rights of Woman, September 1791 ; 35. Prudhomme, "On the Influence of the Revolution on Women," February 12, 1791 ; 36. Discussion of Citizenship under the Proposed New Constitution, April 29, 1793 ; 37. Discussion of Women's Political Clubs and Their Suppression, October 29-30, 1793 ; 38. Chaumette, Speech at the General Council of the City Government of Paris Denouncing Women's Political Activism, November 17, 1793 ; National Security and Limits on Rights: 39. Law Forbidding Workers' Guilds or Professional Corporations, June 14, 1791 ; 40. Law Suppressing Religious Communities and Prohibiting Religious Dress in Public, April 6, 1792 ; 41. Law on Suspects, September 17, 1793 ; 42. Law Limiting Rights of Defendants, June 10, 1794 -- APPENDIXES. A Chronology of the French Revolution and Human Rights (1751-1799) ; Questions for Consideration ; Selected Bibliography ; Index.

Part One. Introduction : the revolutionary origins of human rights; Part Two. The documents. Defining rights before 1789 -- The Declartation of the Rights of Man and Citizens, 1789 -- Debates over citizenship and rights during the Revolution -- National security and limits on rights.