Rumor and Revolution

Abstract

This chapter follows events in the lives of Colson and his neighbors from the fall of 1789 through the summer of 1791. It takes note of the continuing moments of enthusiasm and joy, with the king’s short speech in the National Assembly in February 1790, followed by patriotic oaths throughout the city; and the Festival of Federation on July 14 of that year, the first anniversary of the fall of the Bastille. But it also examines the periods of fear and suspicion, notably from the perceived crime wave in Paris throughout this period; the women’s march to Versailles in October 1789; the endless rumors of aristocratic conspiracies to destroy the Revolution; and king Louis XVI’s attempted flight with his family in June 1791. The chapter ends with an account of the brutal repression of citizens attempting to draw up a petition in favor of a republic, known as the “Massacre of the Champ de Mars.”