Jacques Antoine Creuzé-Latouche (18 September 1749 – 23 October 1800) was a French lawyer, Jacobin, and member of the

National Convention The National Convention () was the constituent assembly of the Kingdom of France for one day and the French First Republic for its first three years during the French Revolution, following the two-year National Constituent Assembly and the ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

during the French Revolution.

Early years

Jacques Antoine Creuzé-Latouche was born at

Châtellerault Châtellerault (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Châteulrô/Chateleràud''; ) is a commune in the Vienne department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in France. It is located in the northeast of the former province Poitou, and the residents are cal ...

, Vienne, on 18 September 1749 to a Poitevin family of magistrates. He qualified as a lawyer in

Poitiers Poitiers is a city on the river Clain in west-central France. It is a commune in France, commune, the capital of the Vienne (department), Vienne department and the historical center of Poitou, Poitou Province. In 2021, it had a population of 9 ...

and practiced at the bar in Paris. He spent some time in Switzerland before returning to Châtellerault in 1784 where he bought the office of lieutenant general of the ''sénéchaussée'' of Châtellerault. In 1787 he sat in the assembly of the province of

Poitou Poitou ( , , ; ; Poitevin: ''Poetou'') was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers. Both Poitou and Poitiers are named after the Pictones Gallic tribe. Geography The main historical cities are Poitiers (historical ...

Deputy

On 31 March 1789 Creuzé-Latouche was elected deputy to represent the third estate of Châtellerault in the

Estates-General of 1789 The Estates General of 1789 () was a general assembly representing the French estates of the realm: the clergy (First Estate), the nobility (Second Estate), and the commoners (Third Estate). It was the last of the Estates General of the Kingdom ...

. He was not active in the tribune but was active in committee work. He specialized in matters of finance and economics. As a member of the committee on coins he was a strong defender of the assignat, whose fate he linked to that of the French Revolution. After the National Constituent Assembly formed on 9 July 1789 Creuzé-Latouche became judge of the High Court of Orleans, while continuing to play an active role in the Châtellerault

Jacobin The Society of the Friends of the Constitution (), renamed the Society of the Jacobins, Friends of Freedom and Equality () after 1792 and commonly known as the Jacobin Club () or simply the Jacobins (; ), was the most influential political cl ...

Society. In 1790 he joined the Jacobin club in Paris. On 12 April 1791 Creuzé-Latouche was elected to the

Court of Cassation A court of cassation is a high-instance court that exists in some judicial systems. Courts of cassation do not re-examine the facts of a case; they only interpret the relevant law. In this, they are appellate courts of the highest instance. In ...

by his department. He left the Jacobin club during the split in July 1791 between the

Feuillants Feuillant and its plural Feuillants, a French word derived ultimately from the Latin for "leaf", can refer to the following: * Les Feuillants Abbey, also known as Feuillant Abbey (), a Cistercian monastery in Labastide-Clermont, France * Congregati ...

and the radicals, then rejoined at the end of July 1791. He was vocal in opposing refractory priests. On 5 March 1792 he voted to requisition objects of worship made of precious metals so they could be used to make coins and ingots. On 5 September 1792 Creuzé-Latouche was elected to represent the department of Vienne in the National Convention by 177 out of 311 votes. He sat with the

Girondist The Girondins (, ), also called Girondists, were a political group during the French Revolution. From 1791 to 1793, the Girondins were active in the Legislative Assembly and the National Convention. Together with the Montagnards, they initiall ...

s in the Convention. He advocated free trade in food in 1792, and pushed this position more vigorously in the spring in 1793. His strong support for liberalizing the

grain trade The grain trade refers to the local and international trade in cereals such as wheat, barley, maize, rice, and other food grains. Grain is an important trade item because it is easily stored and transported with limited spoilage, unlike other agri ...

earned him a reputation as a " physiocratic sympathizer". He was often described as belonging to

the Plain The Plain (), also known as the Marsh (), was the majority of independent deputies in the National Convention during the French Revolution. They were the most moderate and the most numerous group (around 400 deputies) of the National Conventio ...

. Due to his positions on free trade and his collaboration with several periodicals associated with Jean Marie Roland and

Jacques Pierre Brissot Jacques Pierre Brissot (, 15 January 1754 – 31 October 1793), also known as Brissot de Warville, was a French journalist, abolitionist, and revolutionary leading the political faction, faction of Girondins (initially called Brissotins) at the ...

he was clearly one of the Girondins. At the trial of King

Louis XVI of France Louis XVI (Louis-Auguste; ; 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. The son of Louis, Dauphin of France (1729–1765), Louis, Dauphin of France (son and heir- ...

he voted against the appeal to the people, for detention followed by banishment and then for suspension.

Later career

Due to Creuzé-Latouche's relative lack of political activity he was not included in the arrests that followed the fall of the Gironde in the insurrection of 31 May – 2 June 1793. He gave protection in his home to the daughter of Roland. He stayed away from politics until the

Thermidorian Reaction In the historiography of the French Revolution, the Thermidorian Reaction ( or ''Convention thermidorienne'', "Thermidorian Convention") is the common term for the period between the ousting of Maximilien Robespierre on 9 Thermidor II, or 27 J ...

of 27 July 1794. He was a supporter of the new census system, which he helped implement as a member of the committee of eleven set up to revise the constitution. In Germinal, year 3, he sat on the

Committee of Public Safety The Committee of Public Safety () was a committee of the National Convention which formed the provisional government and war cabinet during the Reign of Terror, a violent phase of the French Revolution. Supplementing the Committee of General D ...

. On 31 January 1795 Creuzé-Latouche spoke in the National Convention calling for the addition of a chair in political economy in the newly established École Normale. The measure was approved with little debate. On 21 Vendémiaire, year IV, Creuzé-Latouche was appointed to the

Council of Ancients The Council of Ancients or Council of Elders () was a house of the French bicameral legislature under the Constitution of the Year III, during the period commonly known as the Directory (French: ''Directoire''), from 22 August 1795 until 9 Nov ...

, where he played an important role in the fight against the clergy. He said "the priests were the instigators of all evil and all the crimes that had desolated the earth. " He was firmly opposed to the royalists and supported the

coup of 18 Fructidor The Coup of 18 Fructidor, Year V (4 September 1797 in the French Republican Calendar), was a seizure of power in France by members of the French Directory, Directory, then forming the government of the First French Republic, with support from th ...

(4 September 1797) in which the

French Directory The Directory (also called Directorate; ) was the system of government established by the Constitution of the Year III, French Constitution of 1795. It takes its name from the committee of 5 men vested with executive power. The Directory gov ...

took power. He was elected to the

Council of Five Hundred The Council of Five Hundred () was the lower house of the legislature of the French First Republic under the Constitution of the Year III. It operated from 31 October 1795 to 9 November 1799 during the French Directory, Directory () period of t ...

in Prairial, year VI, and was appointed president. Creuzé-Latouche supported

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

's coup on 9 November 1799, and was appointed to the Senate in Nivôse, year VIII. He was also a member of the Institute. He died in Paris on 23 October 1800.

Works

*''Description topographique du district de Châtellerault'' (1790) *''De la tolérance philosophique et de l'intolérance religieuse'' (1797) *''Réflexions sur la vie champêtre''

References

Citations Sources * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Creuze-Latouche, Jacques Antoine 1749 births 1800 deaths 18th-century French lawyers 18th-century French politicians People from Vienne (department)