French Revolution
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The Guillotine
The guillotine was a way to punish the people of the area who did not follow the rules. It was created by Dr. Joseph Ignace Guillotine. When the blade of this machine was cranked to the top, a mechanism released the sharp and heavy blade from the top and sliced the criminals head off. Dr. Guillotine said the person being killed would not feel a thing and it would be quick and efficient. But the audience witnessing this, said that the guillotine made the death happen to quick to be enjoyed by them.
Jean-Paul Marat is Murdered (1743- 1793)
Marat edited a newspaper called " Friend of the People" in which he stated that all of the people who supported the king should be killed. A woman by the name of Charlotte Corday, who's group of radical supporters were jailed, pretended to have information about a traitor to interest Marat to let her into his home. Because Marat had a severe skin disease, and could be mostly found in his tub with cold water, this is where he was found murdered. Charlotte Corday had stabbed him while he was in the tub and she was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death. She was killed by the guillotine.
Jean- Paul Marat
Murdered
Charlotte Corday
Murderer
Georges Danton
The reason for the execution of Louis
Georges Danton Takes Louis To Court
One of the people in Marat's political organization was Georges Danton. He was a skilled and influential speaker and tried Louis for treason. By a close vote, Louie was found guilty and sentenced to death. He walked with dignity up the steps to the guillotine. Later after Louie was killed, Danton found himself in trouble with The
Reign of Terror, and was sentenced to death by the guillotine as well. He asked the executioner to hold up his head after he was dead because he felt like it was "..well worth seeing."
Reign of Terror
The reign of terror started by a man named Maximilien Robespierre who slowly gained control of France and started to rule it as a dictator. He would have people of the Public Safety Committee tried in the morning and killed by the guillotine in the afternoon. Not only was Danton killed during this time, Marie Antoinette, a widowed queen, was killed as well. On July 28, 1794, Maximilien was sentenced to death and the Reign of Terror was over.
The Rights of a Man
Declaration of the Rights of Man of the Citizens was a document that was based off the Declaration of Independence and stated that " men are born and remain free and equal in rights" These rights included life, liberty, security and resistance to oppression. This document also stated that citizens get equal justice, freedom of speech and freedom of religion.