<Li> 1800: peaceful transition between parties </Li> <Li> 1780s: development of social movements identifying themselves with the term' democracy': Political clashes between' aristocrats' and' democrats' in Benelux countries changed the semi-negative meaning of the word' democracy' in Europe, which was until then regarded as synonymous with anarchy, into a much more positive opposite of' aristocracy' . </Li> <Li> 1789--1799: the French Revolution <Ul> <Li> Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen adopted on 26 August 1789 which declared that "Men are born and remain free and equal in rights" and proclaimed the universal character of human rights . </Li> <Li> Universal male suffrage established for the election of the National Convention in September 1792, but revoked by the Directory in 1795 . </Li> <Li> Slavery abolished in the French colonies by the National Convention on 4 February 1794, with Black people made equal to White people ("All men, without distinction of color, residing in the colonies are French citizens and will enjoy all the rights assured by the Constitution"). Slavery was re-established by Napoleon in 1802 . </Li> </Ul> </Li> <Ul> <Li> Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen adopted on 26 August 1789 which declared that "Men are born and remain free and equal in rights" and proclaimed the universal character of human rights . </Li> <Li> Universal male suffrage established for the election of the National Convention in September 1792, but revoked by the Directory in 1795 . </Li> <Li> Slavery abolished in the French colonies by the National Convention on 4 February 1794, with Black people made equal to White people ("All men, without distinction of color, residing in the colonies are French citizens and will enjoy all the rights assured by the Constitution"). Slavery was re-established by Napoleon in 1802 . </Li> </Ul>

What kind of democracy was the first democracy