Corsican Constitution (1755)

The 1755 constitution of Pasquale Paolis Corsican Republic, an early written charter of popular sovereignty.

Overview

Adopted by a national assembly at Corte in November 1755 under the leadership of Pasquale Paoli, the constitution of the independent Corsican Republic declared the people sovereign and organized government through an elected diet, an executive council, and courts, an early practical experiment in Enlightenment principles. Written in Italian, it governed the island during its revolt against Genoese rule. The experiment drew wide attention in Europe: Jean-Jacques Rousseau was invited to draft proposals for Corsica, and James Boswell publicized Paoli in his Account of Corsica of 1768. The republic ended when France conquered the island in 1769, but the constitution is often cited as a forerunner of the American and French charters.