The major event in 1789 that marked the formation of the First French Republic was the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, adopted on August 26, 1789. This document was a fundamental step in establishing the principles of individual and collective rights in France, outlining the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity. It came in the wake of the French Revolution, which sought to dismantle the feudal monarchy and promote republicanism. The event signaled the shift from absolute monarchy to the establishment of a republic.