Paris 1791, after a failed attempt to flee the country of France by the royal family resulted in their arrest, the flight of the King led the country to dub the King as untrustworthy and leading many people to demand that he go to trial and the monarchy be destroyed and the country to become a republic. Though, the National Assembly said the King’s trip to Varennes was not an attempt to flee the country, but an abduction.
Sunday July 17th, some 6000 people gathered at a large parade area in Paris, where the Eiffel Tower now stands, to sign the Republican petition. Speeches were given by many and heard by all. This all happened in defiance of the National Assembly, who had decreed “no club or society could meet without certificate.” In the morning, there was some banter between protesters and the National Guard, but nothing was with great violence. Later in the day, Lafayette was said to lead more National Guard members to the parade grounds, it is said that upon arrival they were mobbed, assaulted and hit with rocks. Unclear to this day is if soldiers were ordered by Lafayette to or not, but in result of being abused by the protesters the soldiers opened up fire on a group of protesters, leaving around 50 people dead and left many more injured.
The Champs de Mars was blamed on the Republican protesters by the National Assembly. It also forced political figures into hiding, it created a new branch of the Jacobin party called the Feuillants, and further radicalized the remaining Jacobins. It ruined the Reputations of Lafayette and Paris Mayor Bailly, who, in result, fled Paris and was later spotted and arrested and put to trial. He was found guilty for the killings at the Champ de Mars, many saying he had a “thirst for blood.” Jean Sylvain Bailly was guillotined on Champ de Mars in November of 1793.
Lafayette returned home in 1792 and was appointed to command one of the French armies in the War of the First Coalition. He was later branded a traitor and tried to escape to the Dutch Republic but was captured and imprisoned. Napoleon Bonaparte released Lafayette from prison in 1797. He was the first person granted honorary citizenship of the United States. Marquis de Lafayette died on May 20th, 1834, at the age of 76.
Cited:
Andress, David. “Articles - the Denial of Social Conflict in the French Revolution: Discourses Around the Champ De Mars Massacre, 17 July 1791.” French Historical Studies 22, no. 2 (1999): 183.
Price, M. “Massacre at the Champ De Mars.” English Historical Review 117, no. 471 (2002): 483–84.
Harison, Casey. “Massacre at the Champ De Mars (Book).” Journal of Social History 36, no. 1 (2002).
Kelly, George Armstrong. “Bailly and the Champ De Mars Massacre.” The Journal of Modern History 52, no. 1 (1980): 1046.
Many new interesting facts on Lafayette, very interesting blog which kept me wanting to read until the end.
Interesting, I didn't realize that the Assembly tried to pass off the king's flight as an abduction, why would they try to cover up the fact that he was fleeing?
Great work! I didn't know I (my character) was responsible for a massacre!