The French Revolution: A History in Documents

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The French Revolution: A History in Documents explores the rapidly evolving political culture of the French Revolution through first-hand accounts of the revolutionary (and counterrevolutionary) actors themselves. It demonstrates how radical Enlightenment philosophy fused with a governmental crisis to create a moment of new political possibilities unlike any the world had previously seen. In so doing, the French and their allies generated a template for revolutionary possibility from which virtually all subsequent political movements liberalism, abolitionism, socialism, anarchism, conservatism, feminism and human rights included derived inspiration. As well as providing an invaluable general introduction, vital contextual notes and thematic bibliographies, Micah Alpaugh selects a fascinating range of pieces, drawing on Parisian, provincial, colonial, and even international voices. From Enlightened dissent to apologias for terror, from declarations of human rights to accounts of slave rebellions, from passionate arguments for democratization to the authoritarian pronouncements of Napoleonic rule, this book presents the French Revolutions evolution in all its awesome complexity. In addition to classic texts, Alpaugh includes many lesser-known sources, a number of which are translated into English here for the first time. This unique collection of 13 visual sources and over 90 documents, incorporating perspectives from across class, gender, race and nationality, provides you with insights into the fervent debates, pronouncements and proposals that spawned modern politics.

Reviews

Micah Alpaugh has assembled a wide-ranging and stimulating collection of documents, many otherwise unavailable in translation, offering fresh perspectives for students on the Revolution's key moments both within France and further afield. Held together by a brisk and engaging narrative, this will be a valuable teaching resource. * David Andress, Professor of Modern History, University of Portsmouth, UK *
Alpaughs focus is on how people lived the experience of revolution. The many eyewitness accounts help bring to life one of the most dramatic and seismic moments in the worlds history. The well-chosen documents give us a vivid impression of how it felt to experience the successive uncertainties, hopes, and traumas of this most turbulent of times. * Marisa Linton, Professor Emerita in History, Kingston University London, UK *
As the first comprehensive sourcebook on the French Revolution to appear in English in two decades, The French Revolution: A History in Documents is a welcome resource. Sweeping seamlessly from the origins of the Revolution to the Napoleonic Empire, this collection engages students with enduring historiographical themes as well as recent inquiries regarding international exchange and the Haitian Revolution. Over 90 primary sources and 13 thematic essays enable students to analyze the Revolution through the eyes of legislators, clergymen, pamphleteers, the court, a womens club leader, a free man of color, and a cavalry captain among others. Alpaughs robust collection vividly captures the passion, conflict, and possibilities of a revolution that consumed France for 10 years and has captivated the world ever since. * Katie Jarvis, Assistant Professor of History, University of Notre Dame, USA *

Author Bio

Micah Alpaugh is Associate Professor of History at the University of Central Missouri, USA. He is the author of Non-Violence and the French Revolution (2015), as well as numerous articles on protest and political culture.