BP 2 Flashcards
(10 cards)
Intro (1)
DORMAC’s proclamation of egalitarian principles, particularly article 15, ‘QUOTEl’ and article 21, ‘QUOTE’ - provided women the ideological foundation to justify their assertion of legal and political equality.
Expansion (2)
This belief inspired the creation of the Société des Citoyennes Républicaines Révolutionaires in May 1793, a political club made up of working-class women whose goals were to initially discuss, ‘fêtes, education, and philanthropy’ later transforming to ‘matters of political interest’ once their desire for political power grew.
(3) Historical perspective
Feminist Historian Dominique Godineau describes the club as part of ‘A radical working-class movement’, claiming that French women consciously politicised themselves to protect but also reform revolutionary ideals to include themselves more.
(4) Flag example
Recognition of their influence came on July 1793, when members of the Citoyennes were being presented with a tricolour flag bearing excerpts of DORMAC, the National Convention ‘QUOTE’ and, ‘QUOTE’ notably breaking, ‘QUOTE’
(5) example of Girondin event
The other men who helped in stopping the proscribed Girondins at that event were assisted by some Citoyennes who they described as ‘troop of furies, avid with carnage’, reportedly keeping the deputies captive
(6) intro to rebuttal
This moment, a male led government praising women for their role in the downfall of the Girondins - seems to corroborate with Godineau’s interpretation of their influence in the revolution. However, the swift suppression of their autonomy that followed complicates this historical perspective of feminist progress.
(7) rebuttal continues
Just three months later, on the 30th of October 1793, the National convention banned all women’s clubs and societies (Whale, 1922, p 17). This was a deep betrayal to the Citoyennes after their role in bringing the Montagnards to full power in the National Convention just to negate the DORMAC principles that came from Article 15 and 21. This revealed a continuity in patriarchal exclusion despite DORMAC’s claim of equality, exposing the conditional nature of equality, as women could only engage in the revolution as long as it didn’t pose a powerful threat to male political authority.
(8) McPhee’s historical interpretation
This contradiction is reinforced by neo-marxist historian McPhee, who argues that, ‘there had been a gulf of class and politics between the individual advocates of women’s rights..and the sans-jupon’s support for subsistence and military goals.’ (Mcphee, 2002, p 141).
(9) comparing interpretations
By comparing the respective historian perspectives, it reveals the nature of women’s participation as being both empowering and flawed - between political idealism and lived necessity.
(10) conclusion
Conclusively, DORMAC may have influenced women of the revolution to assert legal equality, but the state’s reaction proved that such rights were inherently male by default.
