Women of the French Revolution

On may 4, 1789, Madame de Stael, daughter of the finance minister Jacques Necker, watched the opening procession of the States General. Seven years later, on the eve of his departure for Italy and glory, Josephine de Bauharnais married the young Napoleon Bonaparte. Between these two dates the French Revolution had run its course. At every stage, women, whether as witnesses or participants, were closely associated with its main events. Their experiences, recorded in the letters and memoirs of the day, give a fresh slant on the revolution's often told story and incidentally cast a light on women's lot in general at the time.