Which document adopted by the National Assembly guaranteed freedom of speech and religion and protection against arbitrary arrest, but did not apply to women?

• A. Napoleonic Code
• B. Magna Carta
• C. Bill of Rights
• D. Declaration of the Rights of Man

Answer: (D)

The central point is the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, adopted by the National Assembly in 1789. This declaration established core civil liberties—freedom of speech and freedom of religion—and it protected individuals from arbitrary arrest by guaranteeing due process and clear legal limits on detention. It represents a radical shift away from the old regime’s arbitrary rule and lays the groundwork for individual rights in a modern state.

But its protections were limited to male citizens. The text addresses the rights of “men” as the citizens of the new France, leaving women outside the legal scope of these early guarantees. That gap reflects the era’s gender norms, even as the revolution sparked later debates and movements for women’s rights, such as the push to extend rights to women through later declarations and reforms.

The other documents listed come from different contexts and time periods, so they don’t fit the scenario described by the National Assembly’s 1789 act.