And the «son of the family» became a citizen: male emancipation in revolutionary France.

Authors

  • ANNE VERJUS

Keywords:

citizenship, suffrage, right to vote, political minority, French Revolution, patriarchy.

Abstract

Ignored until recently, the category of «fils de famille» illuminates our understanding of revolutionary citizenship. The term, taken from private law, refers to adult men legally under their fathers’ control. An analysis of the archives of the Constitutional Committee reveals not only new details about the citizen—often assimilated by historians to the chef de famille or head of household—but also clarifies the stages involved in defining who could vote. This study of the historical sociology of suffrage reveals the interconnectedness of the social effects of private law and electoral rights throughout the pivotal year of 1792.

Published

2010-11-30