Jacques Pierre Brissot facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jacques Pierre Brissot de Warville
Portrait by François Bonneville, c. 1790
Member of the National Convention for Eure-et-Loir
In office 20 September 1792 – 30 October 1793
Preceded by	Étienne Claye
Succeeded by	Claude Julien Maras
Constituency	Chartres
Member of the Legislative Assembly for Seine
In office 1 October 1791 – 19 September 1792
Succeeded by	Antoine Sergent-Marceau
Constituency	Paris
Personal details
Born	Jacques Pierre Brissot (1754-01-15)15 January 1754 Chartres, Orléanais, France
Died	31 October 1793(1793-10-31) (aged 39) Paris, Seine, France
Cause of death	Guillotine
Resting place	Chapelle expiatoire, Paris 48°52′25″N 2°19′22″E / 48.873611°N 2.322778°E / 48.873611; 2.322778
Political party	Girondin
Spouse	Félicité Dupont ​ ​ (m. 1759; his d. 1793)​
Children	Pierre Augustin Félix Edme Augustin Sylvain Jacques Jérôme Anacharsis
Alma mater	University of Orléans
Profession	Journalist, publisher
Signature

Jacques Pierre Brissot (15 January 1754 – 31 October 1793) was an important leader during the French Revolution. He was a key member of a political group called the Girondins. He also started a group that worked to end slavery, known as the Society of the Friends of the Blacks. Brissot was a journalist and writer who believed in new ideas for society and government.

Biography

Early Life and Education

Jacques Pierre Brissot was born in Chartres, France, in 1754. He was the 13th child of a tavern owner. He received a good education and worked as a law clerk in Chartres and then in Paris. He later moved to London to become a writer. While in London, he published many articles and started two newspapers, though they were not successful.

He married Félicité Dupont, who translated English books. They lived in London and had three children. Brissot's early writings focused on the philosophy of law, showing he was influenced by thinkers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

A Writer for Change

Brissot became known for his writings about social issues. One of his early books, Théorie des lois criminelles (1781), argued for changes to the laws about crime and punishment. This book was seen as very bold because it seemed to criticize the government. Because of his writings, Brissot was put in the Bastille prison in 1784, but he was released a few months later.

After his release, Brissot continued to write pamphlets. In 1785, he wrote an open letter supporting the right of people to protest against unfair rulers. This caused more controversy, and he went to London for a short time.

Fighting Against Slavery

In 1788, Brissot founded an anti-slavery group called the Society of the Friends of the Blacks. He became a leader in the fight to end slavery.

He traveled to the United States to meet with abolitionists there. He also looked into business opportunities. He was so impressed with America that he thought about moving there with his family, but this never happened. In 1789, he was made an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He believed that American ideas could help improve the French government. In 1791, he helped start a newspaper called Le Républicain, which supported the idea of France becoming a republic.

Role in the French Revolution

Entering Politics

When the French Revolution began in 1789, Brissot quickly became one of its strongest supporters. He edited a newspaper called Patriote français from 1789 to 1793. He also gave many speeches at the Jacobin Club, a famous political group. He was elected to serve in the government, first in the Paris city council, then in the Legislative Assembly, and later in the National Convention. In the National Convention, he represented the area of Eure-et-Loir.

The Girondins

Brissot became the leader of a political group known as the Girondins (sometimes called Brissotins). This group was not a strict political party, but its members generally believed in protecting private property and wanted to prevent the revolution from becoming too extreme. They were also known as the "War Party" because they pushed for France to declare war on other European countries. They believed this would help secure the revolution.

The Girondins disagreed with another powerful group called the Montagnards, led by Robespierre. Brissot and the Girondins wanted a more orderly revolution and were concerned about the growing power of radical groups in Paris.

Debate Over King Louis XVI

After King Louis XVI was arrested, there was a big debate about what should happen to him. Many people wanted to execute the king, believing it would prevent the monarchy from returning. However, Brissot and the Girondins suggested other options. They wanted to keep the king alive as a hostage or a bargaining chip. Brissot worried that executing the king would weaken France's position with other countries and could lead to a large rebellion by those who supported the king. He even suggested that the citizens should vote on the king's fate.

However, the National Convention eventually voted for the king's immediate execution. King Louis XVI was executed on 21 January 1793.

Foreign Policy and War

In 1791, Austria and Prussia issued the Declaration of Pillnitz, warning France not to harm King Louis XVI. Brissot, as a leader in the Legislative Assembly, rallied support for war. On 20 April 1792, France declared war on Austria. The goal was to protect and strengthen the revolution.

Brissot had a good understanding of foreign affairs. He played a key role in France's decision to declare war on other powerful nations, including Austria, the Dutch Republic, and Great Britain, in early 1793. He also helped shape how these wars were presented to the public as part of the revolutionary cause.

Arrest and Execution

As the revolution became more extreme, the disagreements between Brissot's Girondins and the Montagnards grew stronger. Brissot wrote a pamphlet in May 1793, calling for action against the most radical groups.

The Montagnards, supported by the Parisian National Guard, demanded the arrest of Brissot and other Girondin leaders. Under threat of violence, the National Convention agreed. On 2 June 1793, Brissot and other Girondins were arrested.

Brissot tried to escape from Paris but was caught on 10 June in his hometown of Chartres. He was taken back to Paris for trial. On 3 October, the trial of Brissot and the other Girondins began. They were accused of working against the revolution and with foreign powers. Brissot defended himself, arguing against the charges.

However, his defense was not successful. On 30 October, Brissot and 28 other Girondins were sentenced to death. Brissot was executed by guillotine at the age of 39. He was buried in the Madeleine cemetery in Paris.

Legacy

Through his many writings and speeches, Brissot greatly influenced the ideas of the French Revolution. He believed in a fair, democratic society where everyone could vote and live in freedom. His ideas helped shape many modern movements for liberation.

Brissot was also interested in science and how knowledge could help people understand the world better. His life and work show how the ideas of the Enlightenment period led to the French Revolution. In 1789, he was elected to the American Philosophical Society.

Works

• Recherches philosophiques sur le droit de propriété considéré dans la nature, pour servir de premier chapitre à la "Théorie des lois" de M. Linguet, Paris, 1780
• Bibliothèque philosophique du Législateur, du Politique et du Jurisconsulte, Berlin et Paris, 1782–1786, 10 vol.
• Moyens d'adoucir la rigueur des lois pénales en France sans nuire à la sécurité publique, Châlons, 1781
• Théorie des lois criminelles, Paris, 1781, 2 vol.
• De la Vérité des Méditations sur les moyens de parvenir à la vérité dans toutes les connaissances humaines, Neufchâtel et Paris, 1782
• Discours sur la nécessité de maintenir le décret rendu le 13 mai 1791, en faveur des hommes de couleur libres, prononcé le 12 septembre 1791, à la séance de la Société des Amis de la Constitution, séante aux jacobins
• Discours sur la nécessité politique de révoquer le décret du 24 septembre 1791, pour mettre fin aux troubles de Saint Domingue; prononcé à l'Assemblée nationale, le 2 mars 1792. Par J.P. Brissot, député du département de Paris, Paris : De l'Imprimerie du patriote françois, 1792
• Correspondance universelle sur ce qui intéresse le bonheur de l'homme et de la société, Londres et Neufchâtel, 1783, 2 vol.
• Journal du Lycée de Londres, ou Tableau des sciences et des arts en Angleterre, Londres et Paris, 1784
• Tableau de la situation actuelle des Anglais dans les Indes orientales, et Tableau de l'Inde en général, ibid., 1784
• L’Autorité législative de Rome anéantie, Paris, 1785
• Examen critique des voyages dans l'Amérique septentrionale, de M. le marquis de Chatellux, ou Lettre à M. le marquis de Chatellux, dans laquelle on réfute principalement ses opinions sur les quakers, sur les nègres, sur le peuple et sur l'homme, par J.-P. Brissot de Warville, Londres, 1786
• Discours sur la Rareté du numéraire, et sur les moyens d'y remédier, 1790
• Mémoire sur les Noirs de l'Amérique septentrionale, 1790
• Voyage aux États-Unis, 1791
• Mémoires de Brissot... sur ses contemporains, et la révolution française ; publ. par son fils ; notes et éclaircissements hist. par M.F. de Montrol, 1830–1832

Images for kids

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  Execution of Brissot and other Girondins, 1793

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  Bibliothèque philosophique du Législateur, du Politique, du Jurisconsulte, 1782

See also

In Spanish: Jacques Pierre Brissot para niños

• Society of the Friends of Truth