1791 French legislative election

Legislative elections were held in France September 1791 to elect the Legislative Assembly, the first national election for the legislature. Suffrage was limited to men paying taxes, although less than 25% of those eligible to do so voted.[1]

1791 French legislative election
September 1791
All 745 seats in the Legislative Assembly
Elected President of the Assembly

Claude-Emmanuel de Pastoret

Background

In July 1791 the National Constituent Assembly created a constitution committee of 30 members, which drew up a constitution adopted on 3 September. This provided for a 745-seat Legislative Assembly with members elected for a two-year term. The constitution also turned France into a constitutional monarchy.[2]

Results

Around 4.3 million men voted in the election.[3] There were no formal political parties, although informal groups such as the Feuillants, Jacobins and the Réunion club emerged.[4] Of the 767 members during the Assembly's term, 278 only ever cast 'no' votes to motions, while 242 only ever voted 'yes'.[4]

Aftermath

The newly-elected Assembly convened for the first time on 1 October.[5]

References
  1. Jeremy D. Popkin (2016) A Short History of the French Revolution Routledge, p40
  2. Essai de monarchie constitutionnelle (1789-1791) National Assembly
  3. Jacques Godechot (1965). Les Révolutions (1770-1799). PUF. pp. 306–309.
  4. C. J. Mitchell (1984) Political Divisions within the Legislative Assembly of 1791 French Historical Studies, Vol. 13, No. 3, pp356–389 JSTOR 286298
  5. William Doyle (2018) The Oxford History of the French Revolution Oxford University Press, p174
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