- In the two excerpts which make up document #43, Mason and Rizzo point out that the definitions of sans-culottes and their enemies tend "to conflate political opinions with social status"? Where do you see examples of such conflation?
- In document 44, what does the address of the sans-culottes to the National Convention say about their views of private property? What circumstances in France influenced their proposals?
- According to Marat (in document 45), what were the main problems facing France in the early months of the Republic? What measures did he believe should be taken to protect national security?
- In document 46, Hébert's course language reflects his commitment to speak the language of the people. Language aside, do his views coincide with those of the sans-culottes? Why or why not?
- In document 47, Mason and Rizzo suggest the goals of the Society for Revolutionary Republican Women were similar to those of the sans-culottes. Where do you see evidence of this in the document?
- In Toussaint Louverture's letter to General Laveaux (document 48c), how does he defend his decision to accept arms from the Spanish?
- In document 50, how does Parham justify his claim that "the philosophes in general and the abolitionists in particular" were to blame for the violence of the revolution in Saint-Domingue?
- What does document 51 tell us about the justifications for the federalist revolt? Was it counter-revolutionary? How was it different from the Vendée?
- Compare the two viewpoints of the Vendean civil war in document 52. How does each side defend his/her position?
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Reading questions, ch. 8
Please answer two of the following questions.
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In the two excerpts which make up document #43, Mason and Rizzo point out that the definitions of sans-culottes and their enemies tend "to conflate political opinions with social status"? Where do you see examples of such conflation?
ReplyDeleteAlmost the entirety of the description of the sans-culotte is a conflation. No chateaux or valet, simple life, artisan skills -- these are marks of a social class, not of a political group. The end, the part about carrying a saber to cut off the ears of malefactors, and carrying a pike -- those are more accurate descriptions of the group.
2. In document 44, what does the address of the sans-culottes to the National Convention say about their views of private property? What circumstances in France influenced their proposals?
ReplyDeleteIn the address by the sans-culottes to the convention they remark that:"...Property is limited only by the extent of physical needs? Do they [the nobility] not know that no one has the right to do what may harm another." This was in regard to the number of people in France who were hoarding commodities like bread, and the sans-culottes wanted the convention to fix the prices. The quote itself is in response to aristocratic complaints that the goods were their property and the response was that although private property could exist, it could not however harm anyone else in by infatuating the prices of goods. In their list of demands they also wanted a limit on how much land a person could hold.
-Jonathan Mcclintock
In Toussaint Louverture's letter to General Laveaux (document 48c), how does he defend his decision to accept arms from the Spanish?
ReplyDeleteLouverture says that his goal was to unite France against its enemies, and that the Spanish had offered their help and protection to anyone fighting for monarchy. Only later did he learn that this had been a ruse and that the Spanish were never really on their side at all.
3. According to Marat (in document 45), what were the main problems facing France in the early months of the Republic? What measures did he believe should be taken to protect national security?
ReplyDeleteIn his newspaper Marat makes clear that the biggest dangers facing France were the civil war that had broken out in the west and the monopolists who were hoarding essentials and would eventuall as Marat said make the people "find themselves unable to afford the exorbitant prices of essential goods." In regards to the civil war Marat thinks the best way to end it would be to recall the troops sent to fight the rebels, get rid of disloyal generals, and then to arm the peasants in the provinces and send them with the army to defeat the rebels. In this way Marat is showing the trust that he always seemed to have that that it was the common people who could defend the revolution.
-Jonathan Mcclintock
1. In the two excerpts which make up document #43, Mason and Rizzo point out that the definitions of sans-culottes and their enemies tend "to conflate political opinions with social status"? Where do you see examples of such conflation?
ReplyDeleteThere are numerous places where they are conflated. The first document starts off by the sans-culottes defining what they are. “It is a being who always goes about on foot, who has no millions, as you would like to have, no chateaux, no valets to serve him, and who is housed simply with his life and children, if he has them, on the fourth or fifth floor,” (Mason 197-198). The sans-culotte is useful because he works the fields, knows how to find food, to build, and spills “his blood to the very last drop for the good of the Republic,” (Mason 198). Due to the fact that they work they don’t have time to afford frivolous things, such as the Cafe or Theatre, where conspiring could take place.
The second document starts off by defining what an aristocrat is. An aristocrat is one who is registered to the National Guard or has taken the civic oath either out of indifference or scorn. He disapproves of the Revolution and shows his love for the Old Regime through his writing, conduct, speech, activities, and associations. Through his conduct he gives the impression that he would send money to the émigrés or join the enemy army. He spreads false truths, doesn’t take care of his land which could prosper for the good of the Nation, and who didn’t buy national property to help the Nation and advised others not to do so. Although he has the ability to do so he didn’t provide work for workers at a proper wage that was relative to the cost of goods. He doesn’t frequent the priests who took the CCC and counsels others not to do so. He doesn’t support the revolution.
2. In Toussaint Louverture's letter to General Laveaux (document 48c), how does he defend his decision to accept arms from the Spanish?
He defended his decision to accept arms from the Spanish because they have always he had always fought for liberty, he felt that his French brothers had abandoned him, and at first he couldn’t see there villainous deceit.
Steph Talarek
In the two excerpts which make up document #43, Mason and Rizzo point out that the definitions of sans-culottes and their enemies tend "to conflate political opinions with social status"? Where do you see examples of such conflation? In reading A enemies of the sans-culottes conflate political opinions with social status by saying that because the sans-culotte is a hard-working man he will not go to upper class activities such as conspiring, gaming or to the prestige’s cafes, or the Theater of the Nation or the Vaudeville Theater. So just because the sans-culotte can’t afford to see Friends of the Laws or Chaste Suzanne means they have no valuable political opinions. In reading B The aristocrat is defined as someone who has, without scorn or indifference, not inscribed in the register of the National Guard and has not sworn the civic oath. He/she is an individual who sole misses the Old Regime and disproves of the Revolution in all ways. Also they have not bought national property although they had the occasion and means to do so. Or one that not out of spitefulness, does not wear a cockade of three thumbs width; one who bought other than the national outfit, and, above all, one who does not glory in the title and the headgear of the sans culottes.
ReplyDeleteIn document 44, what does the address of the sans-culottes to the National Convention say about their views of private property? What circumstances in France influenced their proposals? Sans-culottes didn’t reject the principle of private property but neither were they proponents of the free market. Rather they urged the government to regulate the economy and so help them create an egalitarian society purged of the terrible gap between the rich and poor; a society in which every citizen would have the right to a decent existence, public relief if necessary, and education. The sans-culottes argue that property is limited only by the extent of physical needs, no one has the right to do what may harm another, and that it is harmful for arbitrary power to put a price on goods that seven eighths of the citizenry cannot afford. There were more problems of inflation and grain shortages in the spring and summer of 1793.
Jeff Smith
1. In the two excerpts which make up document #43, Mason and Rizzo point out that the definitions of sans-culottes and their enemies tend "to conflate political opinions with social status"? Where do you see examples of such conflation?
ReplyDeletein the first document a part of where political opinion and social status is conflated is during the beginning of the excerpts. " he is useful, because he knows how to work a field, how to forge, saw, file, roof, make shoes, and spill his blood to the very last drop for the good of the republic.(Mason,Rizzo. 198) this explains that a sans-culottes is a person who is a commoner (social status) and would yet still fight for the republic (public opinion). this shows the conflation of the definition of a sans-culottes.
3. According to Marat (in document 45), what were the main problems facing France in the early months of the Republic? What measures did he believe should be taken to protect national security?
the main problems facing France during the early months of the republic according to Marat were mentioned in the very first part of this document. " the fatherland has fallen prey all at once to the horrors of external war, the horrors of civil war, the disasters of poverty, and the fear of famine."(Mason, Rizzo. 202) These are the problems that face the nation in the early months of the republic.
Daniel Gitlin
3. Marat warns of the "most pressing dangers" that stood against the Republic. The major ones being those who rebel or speak out against the Convention and the civil war.
ReplyDeleteHis response for both of these is that they should be crushed. There should be "no mercy" for those who speak against the Revolution and sway the opinion of others. They should be imprisoned and their printing presses destroyed.
Then the counter-revolutionaries fighting against the Nation as well as the "unfaithful troops" from the front should both be gotten rid of by having them fight each other off. Then all the problems would be gone.
Jessica Arnold
6. L'Ouverture gave two reasons for accepting arms from the Spanish.
ReplyDeleteFirst,he felt they had been abandoned. His attempt to ally with the French in the fight against the "enemies of France" as well as the request for amnesty and recognition of freedom were rejected.
Second,he claims they were decieved by the Spanish who hoped the liberated slaves would fight each other til they were weak enough to be reenslaved.
Jessica Arnold
How does the Declaration of Rights which preceded the Constitution of Year I differ from that which was written in 1789? What inspired these changes? (The 1789 version is on page 101.) This declaration addresses more social issues. 18 says that every man can contract his services and his time, but he cannot sell himself nor be sold: his person is not an alienable property. 21 Right to welfare: the public relief is a sacred debt. Society owes maintenance to unfortunate citizens, either in procuring work for them or in providing the means of existence for those who are unable to labor. 22 and lastly this declaration says that education is needed by all and society that society ought to favor with all its power the advancement of public reason and to put education at the door of every citizen.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Law of Suspects, what made one a suspect? What were the penalties for being a political suspect? First, those who by their conduct, their connections, their remarks, or their writings show themselves the partisans of tyranny or federalism and the enemies of libertiy; second those who cannot, in the manner prescribed by the decree of March 21 last, justify their means of existence and the performance of their civic duties; third those who have been refused certificates of good citizenship; fourth public functionaries suspended or removed from their functions by the National Convention or its commissioners and not reinstated, especially those who have been or shall be removed by virtue of the decree of August 14; fifth, those of fromer nobles, all of the husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sons or daughtlers, brothers, or sisters, and agents of the émigrés who have not constantly manifested their attachment to the revolution; sixth, those who have emigrated from France between July 1, 1789, and the publication of the decree of March 30-April 8 1792, although they may have returned to France within the period fixed by that decree or earlier. The penalty for being a political suspect was jail and if the jails were full then they would be kept from view in their respective dwellings.
Jeff Smith
In document 44, what does the address of the sans-culottes to the National Convention say about their views of private property? What circumstances in France influenced their proposals?
ReplyDeleteIn document 44, the sans-culottes explain that private property is more than simply physical property. They believe that people shouldn’t have the right to harm other people, prices for goods shouldn’t be so high that barely anyone can afford them, and that the Republic should make sure the people of France are able to acquire the goods essential for life. Inflation and grain shortages were two circumstances that influenced the sans-culottes’ proposals.
Tori barnes
1. According to Marat (in document 45), what were the main problems facing France in the early months of the Republic? What measures did he believe should be taken to protect national security?
ReplyDeleteMarat thinks the civil war in the biggest problem in the early months of the Republic. He thinks the best way to solve the problem is to recall unfaithful troops, get rid of suspect generals and leaders and ask all citizens to take up arms. He also wants a free press, but only one that will "serve the fatherland, not do away with it". He thinks that anyone who speaks against the Revolution should be shown no mercy.
2.In Toussaint Louverture's letter to General Laveaux (document 48c), how does he defend his decision to accept arms from the Spanish?
Louverture said that he was tricked into trusting the Spanish. They offered their protection and he accepted, but soon realized that the Spanish meant for the slaves to fight and slaughter one another and diminish their numbers so they could be easily conquered and reenslaved.
Lindsay Berreth
According to Marat (in document 45), what were the main problems facing France in the early months of the Republic? What measures did he believe should be taken to protect national security?
ReplyDeleteAccording to Marat, there were a great deal of pressing issues threatening the revolution in the early months of the Republic. One of these was the potential of those enemies of the Convention to continue their revolt against liberty and the new Convention. Marat believed that the only way to counter this was to take “vigorous measures against the rebel chiefs.” However, the most important danger facing the new Republic was the vicious civil war in the Vendée and other regions. The only way to eliminate this threat was to vigorously eliminate all of the counter revolutionaries, unfaithful troops and their leaders. Only then would the external war be easily won. Another grave threat was the potential dissatisfaction of the common people if the Convention did not immediately make good on their promise to bring down the price of food.
In Toussaint Louverture's letter to General Laveaux (document 48c), how does he defend his decision to accept arms from the Spanish?
Toussaint Louverture defends his decision to accept arms from the Spanish because he believed, with good cause, that he had been abandoned by the French. Louverture proposed that the French recognize the liberty and equality of their black slaves. The French landowners refused and Louverture was forced to accept aid from the Spanish. According to the document he was tricked by the Spanish and realized “that they intended to make us slaughter one another in order to diminish our numbers so as to overwhelm the survivors and reenslave them.” Louverture made a mistake when faced with a difficult situation and paid for it.
According to Marat (in document 45), what were the main problems facing France in the early months of the Republic? What measures did he believe should be taken to protect national security?
ReplyDeleteAccording to Marat the main problems facing France in the early months of the Republic were the external and civil wars, the effects of poverty, and the fear of famine. Marat expressed several measures to be taken in order to protect French national security. Marat believed the only effective means to eliminate all counter-revolutionaries was to re-call the unfaithful troops, arrest their leaders, and discharge suspect general. Marat also believed all citizens within departments should be armed with various weapons in order to join troops and suppress the Rebels. Marat believed these actions would eliminate the internal struggles making it easier to combat the external struggles. In order to suppress the external war, Marat, believed the department of war must be put into the hands of those capable and trustworthy. Marat wanted to divide the ministry between several ministers, appointing each to supervise and Army or form an administrative council. He believed the Ministry of War was too great a burden or a single person. In order to restore order and solidity to the Revolution, Marat, believed those who supported the counter-revolution through speech and publications need to be with more firmly. Their publications were threatening the Republic. Marat wanted their printing presses closed and those involved put in prison. Marat believed if freedom of opinion were to be unlimited it should only benefit the nation and not harm it.
In Toussaint L'Ouverture letter to General Laveaux (document 48c), how does he defend his decision to accept arms from the Spanish?
Toussaint L’Ouverture defends his decision to accept arms from Spain by first reminding General Laveaux of the many times he turned to France. Toussaint wanted to unite those of St. Domingue and France in order to combat those threatening France. All advances made by Toussaint were rejected. Toussaint chose to accept the Spanish arms because they offered their protection to him and those who followed. Toussaint states, “having always fought in order to have Liberty I accepted their offer. Eventually, Toussaint saw Spanish motives clearer. The Spanish wanted to turn the slaves against one another in order to reduce their number making it easier to enslave them again.
By: Kathryne Hardy
According to Marat (in document 45), what were the main problems facing France in the early months of the Republic? What measures did he believe should be taken to protect national security?
ReplyDeleteMarat says that to protect national security the patriots must destroy its opposing force or be destroyed. "the only effective means to cut down all the counter-revolutionaries in revolt is to recall the unfaithful troops sent againstthe rebels... arm themselves with pitchforks, scythes, pikes, guns, and sabres, to... and to fall upon them all at once and crush them without mercy." (Mason& Rizzo, 202) he wants the destruction of all the counter-revolutionaries. that in his mind will protect national security
Daniel Gitlin
In the two excerpts which make up document #43, Mason and Rizzo point out that the definitions of sans-culottes and their enemies tend "to conflate political opinions with social status"? Where do you see examples of such conflation?
ReplyDeleteBoth texts have the conflation of political views to social status. With lines like, "no chateaux, no valets to serve him..." That is purely social status and not political opinion. It is a generalization at best to say that all people of a certain social standing have the same beliefs. There might me some truth in that to a degree but even with the Sans-Culotte, there was a wide amount of jobs they did, ranging from very unskilled laborers to artisians and it would be foolish to believe that those thousands of people believed the same things in the very same way.
Cathryn Salisbury-Valerien
The address of sans culottes to the national convention say about the views on private property is that nobles and other high officials are putting fixed prices on goods and salaries, which is making it hard to own private property. They say that no one has the right to endanger another's way of living. the circumstances in France that influenced their proposals were that working men make a profit from the fixed prices in order to have the necessities of life and have the ability to enjoy them. That a man hold no more land than he can work.
ReplyDeleteToussait L'Ouverture defends his decision to accept arms from the Spanish. He wanted to unite France against its enemies. But he saw Spain as wanting French citizens to kill one another so the Spanish could enslave and conquer them.
-Jeremy
In the two excerpts which make up document #43, Mason and Rizzo point out that the definitions of sans-culottes and their enemies tend "to conflate political opinions with social status"? Where do you see examples of such conflation?
ReplyDeleteThis is very true and evident in document #43. For example, when talking about the Sans-Culotte, they describe them as, "housed simply with his wife and children, if he has them, on the fourth or fifth floor." and "He is useful, because he knows how to work a field, how to forge, saw, file, roof, make shoes, and spill his blood to the very last drop for the good of the Republic" (198). Where as, you won't see the Sans-Culotte,but rather their enemy is spotted in places like, "Cafe de Chartres, the Theater of the nation when Friends of the Laws is being performed,..."(189). They also write that, "In the evening, he[Sans-Culotte] goes to his section, not powdered,perfumed, and outfitted in the hope of attracting the attention of all the citizenesses in the stands" (189).
In document 46, Hébert's course language reflects his commitment to speak the language of the people. Language aside, do his views coincide with those of the sans-culottes? Why or why not?
I believe that Hebert's views coincide with the Sans-Culottes. For example, He mentions that the Sans-Culottes don't care about material goods, but rather work and virtue(204). He goes on to attack the rich and ask questions about whether they feel that they are too good for their fellow men. For example, he says on page 205, "The rich think only of their interests; they are the Republic's greatest enemy; they despise the Revolution because it has established liberty and equality;" Kate Starnes
Elliot Grimm
ReplyDelete3. According to Marat (in document 45), what were the main problems facing France in the early months of the Republic? What measures did he believe should be taken to protect national security?
In document 45, Marat makes clear that the main problem facing the Republic was the civil war. The measure he thought should be taken is to recall all previous unfaithful troops and lead them to combat the enemies and crush them in one fatal swoop. He believed that the soldiers would be more willing if they were paid.
Another problem Marat thought the country faced was the monopolists' rapiciousness and the merchants' greed. He believed this was pushing the people into poverty. He thought that the convention needed to make a way to bring prices down.
Elliot Grimm
Elliot Grimm
ReplyDeleteCompare the two viewpoints of the Vendean civil war in document 52. How does each side defend his/her position?
The first excerpt defends the Vendean's actions. It states how barbaric measures were being used against the people of the countryside and also that many were being arbitrarily arrested. Also, the constitutional priests that were being sent to the countryside were not the priests that the countrymen had known all their lives and felt as if they were being deceived. This viewpoint defends the actions of the countrymen by accounting for the barbarism of the new republic and also how they were out of touch with countryside society.
The second excerpt criticizes and condemns the Vendean's actions in the civil war. It speaks of how the opponents of the New Republic use tactics that are unfair and cruel. They attack whenever they please and hide whenever danger might be about. They also have a great skill in firearms and use it whenever it benefits them. Their attack is quick and brief and an army may be crushed before even knowing what is going on. Furthermore, the enemy escapes and scatters immediately and yet never loses their precision. This excerpt speaks of these tactics, today referred to as Guerilla Warfare, as examples of how the opponents of the Republic fight unjustly and unfairly in the civil war.
Elliot Grimm
3. According to Marat (in document 45), what were the main problems facing France in the early months of the Republic? What measures did he believe should be taken to protect national security?
ReplyDeleteAccording to Marat, the main problems facing France in the early months of the Republic were counter revolutionary forces in the departments, civil war, the organization of the army, repelling foreign invaders, the monopolists driving up the price of goods, and finally those who would slander the revolution.
Admittedly, this last point was rather ironic considering he railed against those who would "defame the activities of constituted authorities faithful to the fatherland, who pervert public opinion." So says the man perpetually out for blood.
In order to protect the fatherland from these threats, Marat believed that the people should be educated on the cause of the revolution, suspect troops and generals should be discharged while the citizens arm themselves, divide the war department in order to better manage the several armies, and destroy the presses and censor any who would slander the Revolution, respectively.
~James Scutari
2. In document 44, what does the address of the sans-culottes to the National Convention say about their views of private property? What circumstances in France influenced their proposals?
ReplyDeleteThe address by the sans-culottes implies that while citizens maintain a right to private property, they feel that no person should possess an excess of property which would be of benefit to a larger population. This was in response to widespread fears that nobles and wealthy merchants were hoarding/monopolizing food and other necessities. They demanded that the Convention freeze food prices, so that they would not continue to sky rocket.
~James Scutari
In Toussaint Louverture's letter to General Laveaux (document 48c), how does he defend his decision to accept arms from the Spanish?
ReplyDeleteIn a letter to General Laveaux, Toussaint l”Ouverture defended his decision to accept arms from the Spanish. He wrote, that “the Spanish offered their protection to me and to all those who would fight with me for the cause of their king, and having always fought in order to have liberty I accepted tier offers, seeing myself abandoned by my brothers the French.” Unhappy with the treatment that slaves were being forced to endure Toussaint L’Ouverture turned to an ally he thought would help him to overcome his situation, only to find that the reasoning behind their actions were not as pure as previously thought. After learning of the Spanish deceit he intended to turn and fight them with their own weapons.
Kate Sinrud
In document 44, what does the address of the sans-culottes to the National Convention say about their views of private property? What circumstances in France influenced their proposals?
ReplyDeleteThe sans-culottes did not want to end private property all together; they instead wanted a way to bring the rich and the poor closer in economic standing. In their address to the National Convention they demand the following: former nobles cannot hold public office, prices of essential goods must be fixed, leases canceled, a maximum to be set on fortunes, and a maximum set on the amount of land owned by an individual. They demanded these things because they saw the demands as a way to “restore abundance and tranquility, gradually eliminate the inequalities of fortune… and increase the number of proprietors.”
Kate Sinrud
Document #43-
ReplyDeleteIn the description of the sans-culottes, he is referred to as one who works, has a simple life, a family, and keeps to himself. He is portrayed as a humble, hard working citizen, not the luxurious person who has time to frequent the cafe, own a chateaux, or pamper themselves to be seen in public. The conflation of social status and political ideals can be seen in the how the sans-culottes are compared with the inferred wealthy or aristocracy, but the opening title of the second description provides a close contrast between the sans-culottes and the moderates, Feuillant, and the aristocracy. In this part of the description the idea of taking money from this group for the nation. In addition, the authors further discuss the difference between the actions of the two, inferring industriousness and progress for the cause of the revolution; whereas, the depiction of the Old Regime is depicted as old and inefficient.
#44
The sans-culottes representation of private property appears to be a sharp turn from the original ideals by the Revolution. In there address to the National Convention, the sans-culottes rail against "monopolists" and want rid themselves of social resemblances of the Old Regime. The twelve demands they made severely limited property rights, set limits on wealth accumulation, business restrictions on businesses that could be owned, and most important, demand for prices set for raw materials, foodstuffs, and uniform prices throughout France. The demands of the sans-culottes allow the reader to see situation they were and the belief these conditions would not change unless intervention occurred on their behalf, in addition, it demonstrates how strongly the sans-culottes felt about the ideal of equality, and the willingness to place primacy on security for subsistence.
~~~ Albert Bailey