Civil Disobedience was started by a woman...? Bet!
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LISTEN TO THE FRENCH REVOLUTION EPISODE HERE
We accidentally happened upon this name of the French Revolution during our last podcast episode, and I felt she needed far more attention. She was far more moderate in her politics than the revolutionaries on either side, but she was a radical feminist (my favorite kind). She was one of the first to suggest universal human rights, fairness to all classes of citizen, including children born out of wedlock, slaves, and *gasp* women!
"In addition to the political activism... Gouges foreshadowed Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) and Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968), by calling for disobedience to obviously unjust laws. Her argument for protections for the deposed French king comes, not so much from her royalist tendencies, but from her understanding of the “global family” and from her pacifism, as well as from her understanding of the separability of sovereign power from the individual who inhabits that power. Once the sovereignty is removed, the individual, she believed, was no longer synonymous with that figurehead. Putting to death the man who held that title but has since relinquished it, is a miscarriage of justice." (https://iep.utm.edu/gouges/)
Olympe de Gouges was born into a modest family, and her early life was marked by a lack of formal education. She married at a young age but was widowed shortly thereafter, a turn of events that allowed her to move to Paris and pursue a career in writing. Adopting the pseudonym Olympe de Gouges, she wrote plays, pamphlets, and novels that often explored themes of social injustice and human rights. Her work frequently confronted issues such as slavery, political corruption, and the status of women in society.
The French Revolution, which began in 1789, provided a backdrop for de Gouges' most influential work. She initially felt optimistic about the revolution, until it became clear that they were missing some key points. As the revolutionaries proclaimed liberty, equality, and fraternity, de Gouges pointed out the glaring omission of women's rights from these principles. In response, she penned the "Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen," a direct challenge to the "Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen" adopted by the National Assembly in 1789.
In her declaration, de Gouges argued that women should have the same political and social rights as men, including the right to vote, participate in government, and own property. She famously stated, "A woman has the right to mount the scaffold. She must possess equally the right to mount the speaker's platform." and "Woman is born free and remains equal to man in rights," underscoring the inherent equality between the sexes. Her work called for an end to gender-based oppression and for the recognition of women's contributions to society.
De Gouges' outspoken views and her fearless critique of the revolutionary government made her many enemies. She was a vocal opponent of the Reign of Terror and criticized the execution of King Louis XVI, advocating instead for a peaceful republic. Her political activism eventually led to her arrest in 1793. Accused of sedition and treason, she was tried and found guilty. On November 3, 1793, Olympe de Gouges was executed by guillotine.
Despite her tragic end, Olympe de Gouges' legacy endured. Her writings and advocacy for women's rights have inspired generations of feminists and human rights activists. Her life and work serve as a powerful reminder of the enduring struggle for gender equality and the importance of standing up against injustice. Today, she is remembered as a trailblazer who dared to envision a world where women could enjoy the same rights and freedoms as men.
I'll close with this quote, because it applies to the current United States mess as much as it did to the French Revolution: "Now is the time to establish a decent government whose energy comes from the strength of its laws; now is the time to put a stop to assassinations and the suffering they cause, for merely holding opposing views. Let everyone examine their consciences; let them see the incalculable harm caused by such a long-lasting division...and then everyone can pronounce freely on the government of their choice. The majority must carry the day. It is time for death to rest and for anarchy to return to the underworld."