National Convention
The National Convention convened for its first session on the 20th of September 1792 inside the Salle des Cent-Suisses. This hall was small and cramped compared to the massive Salle des Machines where deputies would later meet from May 1793 onward. The assembly consisted of 749 deputies elected by all Frenchmen aged 21 years or older who had lived in their district for one year. Only 11.9% of this greatly expanded electorate actually cast a vote during the indirect election process held between the 2nd and the 10th of September 1792. Maximilien Robespierre presided over these elections in Paris while radical press outlets excluded any candidate with royalist sympathies. Just eleven primary assemblies across the entire nation attempted to retain the monarchy before voting tacitly for a republic. Lawyers made up the largest group among the new deputies while 75 members had previously served in the National Constituent Assembly.
Three major political factions dominated the National Convention throughout its three-year existence. The Montagnards formed the biggest faction with approximately 302 to 309 deputies who sat on high bleachers earning them the name Mountain. The Girondins represented 178 to 227 deputies named after the Gironde region though many were actually Parisians by origin. Jacques Pierre Brissot served as the most prominent speaker for this group known alternatively as Brissotins. The Plain comprised 153 to 250 deputies who derived their name from their position on the floor of the assembly. Over 94% of the Mountain voted similarly on core issues compared to only 70% of Girondins and 58% of the Plain. Power effectively shifted to the Committee of Public Safety starting in April 1793 when the Convention delegated authority to this small body. The eight months from late 1793 through spring 1794 saw Maximilien Robespierre and his allies dominate that committee during the bloodiest phase of the revolution.
The Convention declared a French Republic unanimously on the 21st of September 1792 leaving the fate of Louis XVI unresolved. A commission examined evidence against him while the Legislation Committee considered legal aspects of any future trial. Most Montagnards favored judgment and execution but the Girondins remained divided concerning the king's fate. Some argued for royal inviolability while others supported clemency or lesser punishment like banishment. On the 13th of November Robespierre stated that a constitution violated by Louis could not be used in his defense. Opinion turned sharply against Louis following the discovery of a secret cache containing 726 documents consisting of his personal communications with bankers and ministers. At his trial he claimed not to recognize documents clearly signed by him yet the evidence proved otherwise. The proceedings solidified the transition from monarchy to republic as the Convention moved toward execution.
The Revolutionary Tribunal condemned outspoken critics of the Montagnards to discourage support for enemies of the Revolution. Many members of the community were tried and executed for claims of treason including Camille Desmoulins and Georges Danton. The severity of repressive measures in the provinces stood in direct proportion to the danger of revolt according to historian Albert Mathiez. Armed sections encircled the Convention on the 5th of September demanding an internal revolutionary army and arrest of suspects. The convention yielded but kept control of events putting Terror on the agenda that same day. Collot d'Herbois and Billaud-Varenne joined the Committee of Public Safety on the 6th of September while the Revolutionary Tribunal was reorganized on the 14th. The law on suspects passed on the 17th gave local committees the task of drawing up lists of those deemed threats. By mid-1794 many Convention members who had supported the Committee no longer backed it after witnessing executions of former allies.
Colonists in Saint-Domingue requested 21 representatives due to their population size and economic contribution yet the National Convention refused this demand. The majority of the colony's population were slaves with no rights as citizens contributing nothing to representative population counts. Two commissaries Léger-Félicité Sonthonax and Étienne Polverel implemented rights for free men of color equal to white counterparts starting in May 1793. They attacked the plantation system forcing owners to treat slaves better and care more for their well-being. Sonthonax freed any slave Huzards armed by their masters since they could not return to peaceful plantation life. A proclamation issued in Cap Francais on the 21st of June 1793 freed all slaves agreeing to fight for the French Republic from internal and external threats. The committee ruled that the Republic would pay indemnity to owners of female slaves marrying free men while all children of such unions remained free. Three deputies traveled to France to persuade the National Convention to abolish slavery hearing speeches before voting on the 4th of February 1794.
A public assistance law passed on the 19th of March 1793 established state aid distributed according to population in each department. Work was provided to the able-bodied while home relief appeared wherever possible for other varieties of the needy. Almsgiving was prohibited under this initial framework yet a later law dated the 28th of June 1793 gave state aid through district agencies to the aged and children. Unmarried mothers received support for the first time in French history alongside abandoned children who were received in hospitals until age 12. They were then apprenticed to learn trades as part of broader social welfare initiatives. A law on pensions for soldier's dependents introduced on the 9th of February 1794 included generous provisions for war widows on the 4th of June 1794. The Grand Livre de Bienfaisance Nationale registered state pensions benefiting the needy in rural areas starting May 1794. Local Jacobin projects pursued free healthcare for armaments workers along with pay for sick leave disability and death benefits.
The Committee of Public Safety undermined its own support by eliminating both Dantonists and Hébertists despite their earlier backing. Compelling the Convention to allow arrests of Girondins and Dantonists demonstrated the Committee's lack of respect for members executed during trials. By executing the Hébertists and alienating the sans-culottes the Committee became unnecessary to the Assembly. Robespierre delayed sending the abolition decree to Saint-Domingue for two months due to apparent opposition though the issue was eventually resolved by circumventing him. Napoleon's attempt to return to slavery in 1801 removed France's status as the first nation to abolish slavery. The Convention lasted another year after Robespierre's fall until a new constitution ushered in the French Directory on the 26th of October 1795. This marked the end of the National Convention which had sat from September 1792 through October 1795 under the adopted calendar system.
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Common questions
When did the National Convention convene for its first session?
The National Convention convened for its first session on the 20th of September 1792 inside the Salle des Cent-Suisses. This hall was small and cramped compared to the massive Salle des Machines where deputies would later meet from May 1793 onward.
Who were the three major political factions in the National Convention?
Three major political factions dominated the National Convention throughout its three-year existence: The Montagnards, the Girondins, and the Plain. The Montagnards formed the biggest faction with approximately 302 to 309 deputies who sat on high bleachers earning them the name Mountain.
What date did the National Convention declare a French Republic?
The Convention declared a French Republic unanimously on the 21st of September 1792 leaving the fate of Louis XVI unresolved. A commission examined evidence against him while the Legislation Committee considered legal aspects of any future trial.
How many slaves were freed by the proclamation issued in Cap Francais on the 21st of June 1793?
A proclamation issued in Cap Francais on the 21st of June 1793 freed all slaves agreeing to fight for the French Republic from internal and external threats. The committee ruled that the Republic would pay indemnity to owners of female slaves marrying free men while all children of such unions remained free.
When did the National Convention end its session under the adopted calendar system?
This marked the end of the National Convention which had sat from September 1792 through October 1795 under the adopted calendar system. A new constitution ushered in the French Directory on the 26th of October 1795 after Robespierre's fall.