The French Revolution and the Question of Human Rights

Friday, January 7, 2010: The Legacy of theOUTLINEA. WHAT IS HISTORYFrench RevolutionB. THE IMMEDIATE AND STRUCTURAL CAUSES OF THE FRENCHREVOLUTIONC. THE BEGINNING OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLYD. THE GREAT FEARE. THE ENLIGHTENMENT AND THE FRENCH REVOLUTION: THEDECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAN AND THE CITIZENF. FACTORS IN THE BREAKDOWN OF THE CONSENSUSG. THE SLIDE TOWARDS RADICAL REVOLUTIONH. THE FRENCH ENLIGHTENMENT AND THE RADICAL REVOLUTION

A. What is History

THUCYDIDES’ TOWER: POLITICAL HISTORYand then:SOCIAL HISTORY-ideals held by a society aboutsocial structure-experiences of social groups-relations betw. social groupsGENDER HISTORY-ideas about the body-constructs about menand women-law and practiceregarding relations betw.men and womenCULTURAL HISTORY-not just “high culture”-mentalities-language, rituals

Introductory Comments on the FrenchRevolution

the Ormée of Bordeaux

the Cascaveoeux revolt of 1630

THE STORMING OF THE BASTILLE(July 14, 1789)Source: http://www.d.umn.edu/~aroos/bastillescene.JPG

TRADITIONAL (VERTICAL)NOTIONHUMAN RIGHTS(HORIZONTAL)-ONE INDIVIDUAL (KING, BY DIVINERIGHT)-THE IMPORTANCE OF EVERYINDIVIDUAL (SOCIAL EQUALITY)-SOCIAL HIERARCHY OF ORDERS-DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM OFGOVERNMENT-CLOSE CONNECTION BETWEENRELIGION AND POLITICS-SEPARATION BETWEEN CHURCHAND STATE

THE ISSUE OF HUMAN RIGHTSGESTATION:THE ENLIGHTENMENTAPPLICATION ANDCLARIFICATION-Declaration of the Rights of Man andCitizen-active and passive citizen-civil and political rights-Jews, women, and black slavesDEFENSE AND BETRAYAL-the Reign of Terror-the RevolutionaryTribunal--Law of Suspects

Catalysts of the 1780si) Harvest failures 1787-88ii) Hail stormsiii) Beginning of a manufacturingdepressioniv) Virtual royal bankruptcy

B. IMMEDIATE AND STRUCTURALCAUSES

The Estates-General

Source: http://julienas.ipt.univ-paris8.fr/cuve/E-G/images/pamphlet-Sieyes.jpg; http://www.revolution.historicum-archiv.net/galerie/personen/sieyes.html

C. THE BEGINNING OF THENATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Source: http://www.loyno.edu/~seduffy/revolutionsOT.htmlTHE TENNIS COURT OATH(June 20 th , 1789)

THE STORMING OF THE BASTILLE(July 14, 1789)Source: http://www.d.umn.edu/~aroos/bastillescene.JPG

D. THE GREAT FEAR

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pierre.collenot/img/imghisto/revolution/1789grdepeur2.jpg

Source: Lynn Hunt et al., The Making of the West (2nd. Ed.), (Boston and New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, 2005).

http://cache.eb.com/eb/image?id=8334&rendTypeId=4WOMEN MARCHING TO VERSAILLES (October 1789)

E. THE ENLIGHTENMENT AND THEFRENCH REVOLUTION: THEDECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MANAND CITIZEN

THE ENLIGHTENMENT AND THE FRENCH REVOLUTIONREPUBLIC OF LETTERSDECLARATION OF THERIGHTS OF MAN AND CITIZEN-freedom of religion-human rights-freedom of the press--no taxation withoutrepresentation--elimination of torture andexcessive punishmentsFIRST CONSTITUTION (1791)-constitutional monarchy--system of checks and balances--limited manhood suffrage-active and passive citizen

E. FACTORS IN THE BREAKDOWN OFTHE CONSENSUS

the suffrage issue

POSITIVE IMAGE OF ONE OF THE SANS-CULOTTES

A JACOBIN CLUBSource; http://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/hist255/kat_anna/jacobins.html

Civil Constitution of the Clergy

Louis XVI and Marie AntoinetteSource: http://www.abcgallery.com/V/vigeelebrun/vigeelebrun4.htmlsource;: http://austrianantoinette.tripod.com/images/pictures/louisxvi4.jpg

SOURCE: http://revolution.1789.free.fr/page-6.htm

G. THE SLIDE TOWARDS RADICALREVOLUTION

War radicalized the RevolutionDeclaration of PillnitzAugust 27, 1791

ATTACK ON THE TUILERIES PALACE, AUGUST 10, 1792Source: http://revolution.1789.free.fr/page-6.htm

THE SEPTEMBER MASSACRESSOURCE: http://revolution.1789.free.fr/page-6.htm

Source: http://www.livrenpoche.com/images/jaquettes/Editeur-00302/Collection-01115/incgtc_218820.jpg

Source: http://membres.lycos.fr/discours/portraits.htmLOUIS CAPET(formerly Louis XVI, King of the French)

http://www.unipv.it/webdsps/storiadoc/images/Robespierre%20B.jpgMAXIMILIEN ROBESPIERRE

THE VENDÉE

The Death of MaratJacques-Louis David1793Oil on canvas, 162 x 128 cmMusées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels

Women’s involvement in the French RevolutionSource: Lynn Hunt, ed., The French Revolution and Human Rights: A Brief Documentary History (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, 1996), p. 117.

THE REIGN OF TERROR AND THE COMMITTEEOF PUBLIC SAFETY

http://ancre.chez-alice.fr/vendee/noyades.htmLES NOYADES(FORCED DROWNINGS IN THE CITY OF NANTES)

H. THE FRENCH ENLIGHTENMENT AND THERADICAL REVOLUTION

connection with Grub Street: the PèreHébert

http://www.tparents.org/Library/Unification/Publications/Community/social_contract.gif

THE ENLIGHTENMENT AND THE FRENCH REVOLUTIONROUSSEAU/GRUB STREETPROPOSED CONSTITUTION (1793)-broadened manhood suffrage-republic-abolition of monarchyReign of Terror-the General Will, One andIndivisible-censorship-Committee of Public Safetyand the Revolutionary Tribunal

Dechristianization during the radicalphase of the Revolution

Source: http://www.instantdurable.com/ID_Maquettes/religieux/cluny.gifCLUNY ABBEY(reconstruction)

Jopeph Fouché“representative on mission”Source: http://img.search.com/f/fb/300px-Joseph_Fouche.jpg

the Cult of the Supreme Being