The Constitution of 1791 and the Legislative Assembly

In September 1791 Louis XVI accepted France's first written constitution, which created a constitutional monarchy. Power was divided: a single elected chamber, the Legislative Assembly, made laws, while the king headed the executive and could delay legislation with a suspensive veto lasting up to two legislatures. Voting followed the active-citizen system. The constitution was meant to end the Revolution, but its foundations were shaky.

The king had just tried to flee, many clergy and émigrés rejected the settlement, and radicals wanted a republic. In addition, the outgoing deputies had voted to make themselves ineligible for the new assembly, so the Legislative Assembly that met on 1 October 1791 was filled with newcomers lacking experience. The constitution lasted less than a year, a short life that historians attribute to distrust of the king, religious division and the pressure of war.