History

The Jacobin Club was established in Versailles during the Estates-General of 1789 by Breton deputies. It followed the National Constituent Assembly to Paris, where it cemented its headquarters and base of operations. It expanded its membership to include those not in the Assembly, eventually swelling to a size of 420,000 individuals and thousands of chapters nationwide. During the National Convention, the Jacobin Club under the leadership of Maximilien Robespierre gained control of the Committee of Public Safety and launched the Reign of Terror in 1793. The Thermidorian Reaction a year later brought the Jacobins out of power and effectively disbanded the organization.

Features

The Jacobins were a radical, left-wing political organization with the goals of providing universal suffrage, a strong central government, public education, and the separation of church and state. During their reign of power, they regulated the price of food, preserved the French Revolution from counter-revolutionaries and protected France's borders from invading forces by conscripting an army of 850,000. Public education was instituted and the church was removed from power by secularizing the government. They also were able to sweep the last remnants of royalty and the feudal system from France.

Significance

By taking compete control of the government at the bloodiest time in the French Revolution, the Jacobins were able to impact the direction the Revolution would take. They centralized the government with strong executive powers while at the same time suspending the constitution. Because of their actions, the laissez faire economics of the early Revolution gave way to the interventionist ideals that were favored by later political bodies. Most of their goals were met, along with other changes that impacted France for years to come.

Considerations

During their early days, the Jacobins had a much more moderate view on politics. Their early platform was simply to support legislation by the National Constituent Assembly and institute the Rights of Man and Citizen as a working practice. The believed in the Age of Reason and establishing a Republic of Virtue based on equality, fraternity and liberty. As the more radical elements of the Club began to take power, the moderate minority left to form their own organization, the Feuillants Club. However, that was short lived as the Terror claimed much of their membership.

Misconceptions

The Jacobins did not have the goal of executing the 40,000 people who were beheaded by the guillotine during the Terror. Robespierre and the Club used the means they had before them to preserve the Revolution for the future. During the social upheaval of the mid-1790s, a strong central government that ruled without accommodation to enemies was needed. By destroying a segment of the population, the Jacobins were able to keep the Revolution alive and institute the goals they believed were necessary to achieve peace.