The French Revolution was a major step toward modern democracy, but it did not completely eliminate the inequality of rights between men and women and between rich and poor. It deprived the poor and women of full equality. The revolution had begun as an attempt by the Third Estate to gain power in the Estates-General. It soon became evident that this would not be sufficient because the other two estates, the nobility and clergy, were determined to resist any reform that would reduce their privileges.
The French Revolution was a time of upheaval and change. While it began with the goal of equality, this did not last long. The French Revolutionary Assembly quickly decided that only people who owned property could vote or hold office. This meant that most women, who did not own property, were unable to vote or participate in government.
There were also some actions taken by the Revolutionary Assembly that did not ensure equality for everyone. For example, they passed laws that deprived many poor people and women of full equality. These people were not given the same rights as men and were not able to participate in the political process.
The changes did not end there, however. Many of these restrictions were later removed in 1793, but others remained in place until after Napoleon Bonaparte took power in 1799.
