Club of the Cordeliers

Club of the Cordeliers, one of the popular clubs of the French Revolution, founded in 1790 to prevent the abuse of power and “infractions of the rights of man.” The club’s popular name was derived from its original meeting place in Paris, the nationalized monastery of the Cordeliers (Franciscans). It became a political force under the leadership of such men as Jean-Paul Marat and Georges Danton. After Louis XVI’s flight to Varennes (June 1791), the Cordeliers, now meeting at the Salle du Musée in the Place de Thionville (modern Place Dauphine), demanded the deposition of the King and organized the famous demonstration in the Champ-de-Mars (July 17) to present their petition. The demonstration, dispersed by the National Guard, resulted in the deaths of 50 demonstrators and in the temporary disbanding of the club.

After the fall of the monarchy (August 1792), Danton and his friends abandoned the leadership of the club to such men as Antoine-François Momoro and Jacques-René Hébert, who took a large part in the overthrow of the Girondins and gave the club an increasingly radical tone. The club favoured local autonomy, direct democracy, the atheistic program of the Paris Commune, and the formation of a “Revolutionary army” to advance the popular movement. After an unsuccessful insurrection in 1794, Hébert and his friends were arrested and executed; thereafter the club fell into oblivion.