The French Revolution began as a result of discontent among the French population, primarily with the extreme disparity between rich and poor and the increasingly oppressive taxes being put in place by the monarchy. Sound familiar? Hint: those colonies, y'all.

Having had a close relationship with America for years, and being the colonies' ally during the American Revolution, the people leading the French Revolution took inspiration from the American founding documents. This inspiration is perhaps most obvious in "The Declaration of the Rights of Man," which includes ideas also presented in the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.

Of course, the French were also reading the same philosophers as Jefferson, Adams, & Co., but the French also looked to the real-world example set by their friends, the former British colonies. The French document was approved by their National Assembly on August 26, 1789, in the early days of the French Revolution.

Like the Declaration of Independence, the "Declaration of the Rights of Man" begins with a proclamation that the ultimate aim of government is to protect and ensure the welfare of its people, and that the current government is failing to do so (again, sound familiar?).

The French Declaration continues with a list of what the authors see as the "natural, unalienable, and sacred rights of man," which includes the idea that all men are equal, government comes from the people, and punishment should only be in response to someone breaking the law. (Source)

That last one probably seems self-explanatory, but remember that aristocrats had a lot of power back then, and the lower classes didn't have any real means of fighting unfair treatment. How surprising that there was a revolution, eh?

By this point in time, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson had both spent years in Paris as diplomats for the United States, and made lots of friends (especially Franklin, who was super popular). It's no coincidence that some of the ideas and language are almost identical to the American Declaration and the Bill of Rights—except, of course, originally in French.

Examples of the similarities include: "Men are born and remain free and equal in rights,""These rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression," a statement on not abusing the people with the army, and no taxation without approval from the people or their representatives. There is even a stipulation that "all persons are held innocent until they shall have been declared guilty," which is a right established in the U.S. Constitution as well, with pretty much the same wording. (Source)

The "Declaration of the Rights of Man" isn't a declaration of independence, since the French weren't trying to establish a different country, but give their existing one a makeover. This is why in many ways the text is more like the U.S. Bill of Rights, including a list of, you know, rights.

However, the French "Declaration" also served as an official public statement, issued by a representative legislature, about the abuses of the monarchical government. It championed the idea that government should truly represent its people. This fundamental idea was revolutionary in the 18th century, but would be continuously adopted over the 19th century throughout many regions.