The Fraternal Society of Patriots of Both Sexes, Defenders of the Constitution (french: link=no, La Société Fraternelle des Patriotes de l'un et l'autre sexe, Défenseurs de la Constitution) was a

French revolutionary The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are consider ...

organization notable in the history of

feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

as an early example of active participation of women in politics.

History

The Fraternal Society was founded in October 1790 by Claude Dansard, ''un maître de pension,'' or school master.Aulard and Miall 1910, p. 234 This organization's goal was to provide a civic education that would lead to revolutionary acts becoming a daily occurrence. An original characteristic of this group was the fact that they were widely inclusive to women.Godineau 1998
p. 105
/ref>Janet K. Boles, Diane Long Hoeveler, ''Historical Dictionary of Feminism'', 2004, , pp.301–302 Originally, the organization's meeting place was an old library room of the disused Dominican (called "Jacobins" in France) convent on Rue Saint-Honoré, the one which hosted the revolutionary

Jacobin Club , logo = JacobinVignette03.jpg , logo_size = 180px , logo_caption = Seal of the Jacobin Club (1792–1794) , motto = "Live free or die"(french: Vivre libre ou mourir) , successor = Pa ...

.John Goldworth Alger, ''Glimpses of the French Revolution: Myths, Ideals, and Realities'', Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1894 (Googe e-book)
p. 144
/ref> It has been suggested that the Fraternal Society grew out of the regular occupants of a special gallery allocated to women at the Jacobin Club. Within this organization there were two secretary posts that were guaranteed to women at all times. The other positions would be divided up among the men and women members, making it much more egalitarian than previous revolutionary organizations. However the role of President was always held by a man. The women and men sat among each other and each member referred to one another as "brother" and "sister".Aulard and Miall 1910, p. 236 The women possessed the same membership cards as men and were permitted to vote on matters. The members of this organization, of which Pépin Degrouhette,

Tallien Jean-Lambert Tallien (, 23 January 1767 – 16 November 1820) was a French politician of the revolutionary period. Though initially an active agent of the Reign of Terror, he eventually clashed with its leader, Maximilien Robespierre, and is be ...

and

Merlin de Thionville Antoine Christophe Merlin (13 September 1762 in Thionville, Moselle (department), Moselle – September 1833 in Paris) was a member of several legislative bodies during the era of the French Revolution. He is usually called Merlin de Thionville ...

were at one point presidents, debated the subject of liberty, France, and the

Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When ...

with a zeal that was seen as surpassing that of the

Jacobins , logo = JacobinVignette03.jpg , logo_size = 180px , logo_caption = Seal of the Jacobin Club (1792–1794) , motto = "Live free or die"(french: Vivre libre ou mourir) , successor = Pa ...

. The Fraternal Society lent the energy of their female members to long dull speeches of the Jacobins, which were enthusiastically cheered by vivacious female participants. who frequently rallied and energized their fellow revolutionaries. There was also a strong bond between this revolutionary club and the others who shared the same democratic views, such as the Cordeliers, with whom they would sometimes organize rallies.Godineau 1998, p. 106

Famous members

Etta Palm d'Aelders Etta Lubina Johanna Palm d'Aelders (April 1743 – 28 March 1799), also known as the Baroness of Aelders, was a Dutch spy and feminist, outspoken during the French Revolution. She gave the address ''Discourse on the Injustice of the Laws in Fa ...

McMillan 2000, p. 20 *

Louise-Félicité de Kéralio Louise-Félicité Guynement de Kéralio (25 Août 1758 in Valence, Drôme – 31 December 1821 in Brussels) was a French writer and translator, originating from the minor Breton nobility. Her father was Louis-Félix Guynement de Kéralio, wh ...

Hazan 2012, p. 90 (footnote) *

Pauline Léon Pauline Léon (28 September 1768 – 5 October 1838) was an influential woman during the French Revolution. She played an important role in the Revolution, driven by her strong feminist and anti-royalist beliefs. Along with her friend Claire Lacomb ...

* Jacques-René Hébert *

Marie Marguerite Françoise Hébert Marie Marguerite Françoise Hébert, née Marie Goupil (1756, Paris – 13 April 1794, Paris), was a figure in the French Revolution who died by guillotine during the Reign of Terror. Biography Marie Goupil was born in Paris to Jacques Goupil ...

* Anne-Josèphe Théroigne de Méricourt * François Robert *

Jean-Lambert Tallien Jean-Lambert Tallien (, 23 January 1767 – 16 November 1820) was a French politician of the revolutionary period. Though initially an active agent of the Reign of Terror, he eventually clashed with its leader, Maximilien Robespierre, and is best ...

Antoine Merlin de Thionville Antoine Christophe Merlin (13 September 1762 in Thionville, Moselle – September 1833 in Paris) was a member of several legislative bodies during the era of the French Revolution. He is usually called Merlin de Thionville (Merlin of Thionville ...

Madame Boudray Madame Boudray ('' fl.'' 1796), was a French militant Jacobin active during the French Revolution. Dominique Godineau''The Women of Paris and Their French Revolution''/ref> She was appointed secretary of the Société fraternelle des patriotes ...

Notes

{{Reflist

References

* Andress, David. ''"The Saint-Cloud Affair." Massacre at the Champ De Mars: Popular Dissent and Political Culture in the French Revolution''. Suffolk, UK: Royal Historical Society, 2000. 118-19. Print. * Aulard, F. -A., tr.

Bernard Miall (Arthur) Bernard Miall (1876-1953) was a British translator and publisher's reader. Life Arthur Bernard Miall was born in Croydon in 1876. He published a poem in the '' Yellow Book'' in 1897, and published a couple of volumes of poetry in the 189 ...

. "Formation of the Democratic Party." ''The French Revolution; a Political History, 1789–1804'',. Vol. 1. New York: C. Scribner's Sons, 1910. 234. Print * Godineau, Dominique. ''The Women of Paris and Their French Revolution''. Berkeley: University of California, 1998. Google Books. Web. 7 Nov 2013. * Hazan, Eric. "Chapitre IV La Constituante à Paris – Les Journées Des 5 Et 6 Octobre, Les Clubs, La Réorganisation Administrative, La Fête De La Fédération (octobre 1789juillet 1790)." ''Une Histoire De La Révolution Française''. N.p.: La Fabrique, 2012. N. pag. Print. (In French) * McMillan, James. "The Rights of Man and the Rights of Women, the Public Sphere Redefined." ''France and Women, 1789–1914: Gender, Society and Politics''. London and New York: Routledge, 2000. 20. Print. Groups of the French Revolution 1790 establishments in France Proto-feminists Feminism in France Women in the French Revolution fr:Société fraternelle de l'un et l'autre sexe

History

Famous members

See also

Notes

References