About
Jacques Pierre Brissot, born January 15, 1754 in Chartres and guillotined October 31, 1793 in Paris, was a major figure of the French Revolution. Son of an innkeeper, he first turned to letters and published philosophical works on criminal law. Imprisoned in the Bastille in 1784 for his satirical writings, he traveled to the United States in 1788 and founded the Society of the Friends of Blacks, campaigning for the abolition of slavery. In 1789, he created the newspaper Le Patriote français, an influential revolutionary organ. Elected deputy to the Legislative Assembly and then to the Convention, he became the main spokesman of the Brissotins, soon called Girondins. An advocate of war against Austria, he clashed with Robespierre.
* 1754-01-15 — † 1793-10-28
Major works
- Théorie des lois criminelles (1781)essay
- Bibliothèque philosophique du législateur (1782)essay
- De la vérité (1782)essay
- Nouveau Voyage dans les États-Unis de l'Amérique septentrionale (1791)travelogue
- Le Patriote français (1789)newspaper
Key milestones
- 1784Imprisoned in the Bastille for pamphlets against the queen and the government.
- 1788Founded the Society of the Friends of Blacks, an abolitionist society.
- 1793Arrested with the Girondins, condemned to death and guillotined in Paris.
Themes
French RevolutionAbolition of slaveryFreedom of the pressWar and diplomacyCriminal law
Sources: britannica.com · parcoursrevolution.paris.fr · dpul.princeton.edu