Revolutionary times called for revolutionary actions! The political clubs of the French Revolution were just what the people of France needed to get their voices heard in the vast world of politics. From impacting the government's decisions, to indirectly causing the execution of King Louis XVI, the political clubs were not short of influence or interest. Let's examine political clubs at this time!
Political Clubs French Revolution
The late 18th century saw a drastic rise in the formation and popularity of political clubs due to the politically unstable atmosphere created by the French Revolution. With the combination of this, an increase in politically ambitious figures and the removal of censorship on club discussions, political clubs became the easiest way to climb to the top and influence French politics. At first, political clubs were known as social gatherings but were said to be different from the salons and literary associations also active in the 1780s.
Fig. 1 - French Revolution illustration
Below is an overview of how political clubs operated.
- Political clubs began as informal gatherings. Only later were they formalised and recognised as an organised event.
- A regular meeting place and time were required for all political clubs.
- Some clubs included membership requirements such as an admittance fee or a social status.
- Political clubs produced their individual goals, policies and values.
Until the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789, the Ancien Régime, also known as the Old Regime, was France's social and political system. This regime stated that France was an absolute monarchy. Under this regime, everyone was subject to the rule of the King of France and the Three Estates of France. The Three Estates of France included the Clergy, the Nobility, and the Commoners.
Clergy
People who ran the Catholic Church. They had many responsibilities to the country as religious leaders.
Nobility
This included members of the royal family, except for the King. This group was exempt from tax charges, instead of this, they collected tax from the Commoners.
Commoners
This estate comprised 96% of the French population and included peasants, farmers, and the bourgeoisie.
Political Clubs Timeline
Until 5 May 1789, the Estates General had not met since 1614. This was a sign that a period of change had begun, and the French Revolution was going to make a drastic change in France's political system of power.
| Date | Event |
| 1700-1789 | A period of increasing French population, unemployment, and famine. |
| 5 May 1789 | The meeting of Estates General at Versailles. |
| June 1789 | The Third Estate (Commoners) became a National Assembly. |
| 14 July 1789 | The storming of Bastille in Paris. |
| 4 August 1789 | The Abolishment of Feudal Rights. |
| 26 August 1789 | The Declaration of the Rights of Man. |
| Late 1789 | End to censorship of political clubs; the rise of political clubs. |
| 19 May 1790 | The National Assembly abolished nobility. |
| 12 July 1790 | Civil Construction of the French clergy. |
| September 1791 | The New Constitution was certified. |
| 21 September 1792 | The end of the Constitutional Monarchy; the French Republic was declared. |
| 29 October 1793 | A group of women protested at the National Convention. |
| 30 October 1793 | Passing of the decree that suppressed women's political clubs. |
The National Assembly
In June 1789, the newly formed National Assembly took their first actions by removing feudalism and the state's ability to control the Catholic Church and expanding the group of people with the right to vote. Among many of their demands, the National Assembly approached the King with the demand that the people of France would now have access to food, as the population was suffering from famine.
The National Assembly acted as the effective government for three years until France became a Constitutional Monarchy in September 1792. Their constitution impacted France through its aims to limit the power of the monarchy. The National Assembly successfully established equal rights for men of all statuses, an end to tax exemptions given to nobility, and the consolidation of public debt.
Feudalism
A social system which stated that the common people worked for those of nobility in return for land and protection.
Feudal Rights
Under feudalism, if a person died without an heir, their land could be claimed by their Lord, which denied people an absolute right to their property.
Jacobins
First known as the Breton club, the Jacobin club is said to be one of the most important political clubs during the French Revolution. What began as an informal gathering of 44 Third Estate deputies at Versailles café eventually became a club with over 1,500 members in just one year.
Fig. 2 - Breton club lecture
Interesting Fact! Most of the original deputies originated from Brittany, and from this came the Breton club's name as a homage to its original members.
Meeting both before and after the Estate-General gathered in 1789, the Breton club would discuss the political issues of the whole of France and would later reflect on the ongoings at the Estates-General. Wishing to grow their club, admittance was shared with deputies from other regions of France and liberal aristocrats. The Breton club was the first significant political club during this time and is said to have pioneered the public voice in politics, so there is no surprise that it produced so many influential figures, including:
- Maximilien Robespierre.
- Antoine Barnave.
- Emmanuel Sieves.
- Honore Mirabeau.
Fig. 3 - Jacobin club
Policies and Values
As left-wing revolutionaries, the Breton club had two main political aims:
- They wanted to end the reign of King Louis XVI.
- They wanted to give the people political authority and establish a Republic in France.
With the abolishment of nobility on 19 May 1790 and the civil construction of the French clergy in July, the Breton club met less often, and members began to dissipate. In particular, members from other regions were no longer seen at the gatherings, as they felt they had achieved their goals.
The ideal Jacobin was a man of independence, courage and heroism, who stood firm against the egoist ‘vampires’ and ‘parasites’ of the aristocracy, and considered only the public good - in short, a man of virtue...1
- Marisa Linton
Jacobin Club
In October 1789, following the Women's March on Versailles, the National Assembly and King Louis XVI were forced to return to Paris, the capital of France. With this came the re-introduction of Breton club meetings and a rebranding of the club, which meant they now had the formal title 'Société des Amis de la Constitution'.
Interesting Fact! The popular press, with negative opinions about the club, referred to them with a local colloquialism for Dominican monks. Giving them the name most commonly used to reference them today: the Jacobins!
Jacobin Timeline
The Jacobin club grew significantly during this period, having 1,500 members in October 1790. Membership in the Jacobin club was restricted to the middle and upper classes. They created an annual fee of 24 livres and confined membership to only active citizens.
| Date | Event |
| February 1790 | Creation of the Jacobin Manifesto. |
| Spring 1790 | People outside the legislature were invited to join the meeting. |
| May 1790 | The Jacobin club had 1,500 members. |
| October 1790 | Jacobins opened their gatherings to the public, but only to listen to those who were allowed to speak. |
| July 1791 | A split in the group was caused by a disagreement over the removal of Louis XVI. Many members left to join the Feuillants. |
| 1792 | Jacobin's club was now known as the Society of the Jacobins. |
| 1793 | Jacobins acted as part of the Reign of Terror. |
| 1794 | Closure of the Jacobin club. |
The club's downfall began in 1791 when many members left to join the royalist group, the Feuillants. The club's involvement with the Reign of Terror led to their disbarment in 1794, and Robespierre and 21 of his associates being executed. This movement against them was done by the National Convention.
Fig. 4 - Jacobin club Vignette
Reign of Terror (1793-4)
A period of the French Revolution that had several massacres and public executions. Hostilities were aimed at those who opposed the Revolution.
Girondins
Another significant political club during the French Revolution was the Girondins. This group was formed in late 1791, growing significantly in the National Convention between the years of 1792-3. Jacques-Pierre Brissot, a republic lawyer and previous member of the Jacobin club, was the founder of the Girondin club, which was built upon his values.
Fig. 5 - Girondin club
Girondins Policy and Values
The Girondins gained a respectable name for the group in 1792, and the club was known to be measured and intelligent. Most importantly, the club was known for its loyalty to the French Revolution. Below is an overview of the Girondin club.
- The Girondin club had around 200 members at the National Convention.
- Their policies were made by 60 popular deputies named the 'inner sixty'.
- The Girondins were Republicans.
- In April 1792, they started a revolutionary conflict to win public support and further the revolution.
- They wanted a free and capitalist society protected by the rules of the law.
- The club wanted a national government that would be decided on by all citizens, not just the people in the capital.
The Girondin's club and their influence on the French government ended in June 1793 when the head of the Paris national guards, François Hanriot, led a movement which forced the National Convention to hand over the deputies to the law. Their arrests were under the accusation from Robespierre that the club had become a threat to the Republic.
Royalists
During the French Revolution, the term royalist was given to those who supported the Old Regime and wished for the royal house of Bourbon and the Catholic Church to revert to its position of power in 1789. The most notable political club created under these pretences was the Feuillants Club, which grew significantly after several members from the Jacobin club transferred under the leadership of Antoine Barnave. Fuelled by their royalist views, these new members joined the Feuillants club after a disagreement on July 1791 about the removal of King Louis XVI.
Fig. 6 - Feuillant's club
Over time the Feuillants diminished due to the active French Revolutions and the Jacobin club's success during this time. This led to the Feuillants club's end, as they had lost hope for their royalist ideals after the dissolution of the monarchy in August 1792.
Women Political Clubs French Revolution
Despite being suppressed during the French Revolution, women still found ways to be influential in politics. Determined by their social status, the women of Paris could indirectly affect politics, often through their husbands' voices or occupations.
Fig. 7 - Women in politics illustration
Eager to have a say in political changes, women were said to have spread their new opinions on the class system, the rights of individuals, and education. But since women were not accepted into official political gatherings, where did the women have these discussions?
Well, women often gathered in the evenings at events hosted by women called Salonnieres. The Paris high society salons were a revolutionary concept where women were free to speak their opinions, breaking the heavily patriarchal stereotypes of the period. The women that attended these meetings were higher members of society, often the partners of aristocrats or daughters of French ministers. Through their connections, women could indirectly influence political decisions in Paris as they had an advantage over women from the lower classes.
Women's Political Clubs
On 29 October 1793, a gathering of politically-driven women joined the National Convention with a complaint and a demand. The women complained that female militants were forcing them to wear the red cap of liberty as a symbol of their loyalty to the French Revolution and demanded the suppression of the women's political clubs that were at fault for this imposition on their appearance.
Although the women's actions successfully made the National Convention pass a decree confirming the liberty of dress on the same day, their appearance in the National Convention opened a conversation about women's political activity as a whole. Much to their dismay, all women's political clubs were to be disbarred on 30 October 1793. This occurred when Jean-Baptiste Amar gave a speech about the government's official policy on how women should be in the home, not involved with politics, resulting in a decree suppressing women's political clubs.
Political Clubs - Key takeaways
- The end of censorship in late 1789 and a growing population of men interested in influencing politics increased the rise of political clubs during the French Revolution.
- Political clubs were formed to allow a gathering of people to speak about political issues and ideas, with the added intention of impacting the government's decisions.
- The practice of political clubs grew popular, and some were effective in their goals. The left-wing Jacobin club wanted to end the reign of King Louis XVI and establish a Republic. This was achieved on 21 September 1792.
- The royalist club, the Feuillants, fought to protect and restore the Royal House of Bourbon and the Catholic Church to power. This movement failed due to the French Revolutionary aims of the time, and the club was disbarred after the monarchy ended in 1792.
- The suppression of women's political clubs occurred on 30 October 1793. Although suppressed by the contexts of society in the 18th century, women still contributed to the world of political clubs in France during the French Revolution through Salonnières meetings, where they discussed political issues and had an indirect influence on political ongoings.
References
- Marisa Linton, (2013). 3 New Men for New Politics: The First Jacobin Leaders. Pp.73-102.
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