Start Date
7 November, 2025
Friday, 10am - 1pm.
Overview
On 5 October 1789, an estimated 6000 women marched a gruelling twelve miles, from Paris to Versailles, to complain to the National Assembly and Louis XVI about the bread shortages in the capital city. Despite obtaining promises from the king that provisions in Paris would increase, on 6 October, violence broke out when a group of armed rioters invaded the palace of Versailles. It was not until La Fayette appeared and convinced the royal family to address the crowds from the balcony that peace was restored. The king agreed to move his family from Versailles to Paris, restoring Paris as the most politically prominent city in France. Initiated, organised and led primarily by the market women of Les Halles, the October Days was the first revolutionary event in which women played a prominent role. The significance of this event was acknowledged by officials when an inquiry into the October Days was ordered by the Commune and the National Assembly. Over the course of seven months, 11 December 1789 to 29 July 1790, 388 individuals were interviewed at the Châtelet, one of the most notorious prisons in Paris which also happened to house the city’s torture chambers and morgue.
The October Days is rarely studied from the perspective of women, despite being an event that was initiated and led by women. Participants on this workshop will have the opportunity to examine extracts from the thirty-nine female testimonies recorded during the Châtelet inquiries of 1790 into the October Days. We will discuss the advantages and limitations of using such a primary source, the possible motivations behind the inquiries, and the extent to which these inquiries provide a fair depiction of the October Days. There will also be the opportunity to think more broadly about the October Days within the context of the French Revolution and the impact of this event upon the revolutionary process. The aim of this workshop is to allow participants to develop source handling skills whilst exploring a primary source whose full potential remains untapped.
This workshop is for anyone interested in learning about women’s political agency in revolutionary Paris, gendered aspects of the French Revolution, or the revolutionary process. It may also appeal to those interested in handling and interpreting primary source materials for themselves and discussing their opinions with their peers. No prior knowledge of this topic is required, all welcome.
Syllabus
10-11am An introduction to the October Days and the proceedings of the inquiry.
11-11:15am Break
11:15-12:15pm Exploring the women’s testimonies. Group analysis. Discuss
12:15-12:30pm Break
12:30-1pm Values and limitations of source. Final questions or thoughts.
Please note that the ‘last date available to book’ date is only a guide. We reserve the right to close bookings earlier.
In order to avoid disappointment, please be sure enrol as soon as possible. Registrations will not be processed until the following day if received after 3pm.
Course Lecturer: Dr Sam Dobbie
Sam Dobbie is a PhD History graduate from the University of Glasgow, where she also obtained her MA History and MLitt Modern History degrees. She specialises in the French Revolution, with particular emphasis on the role of women in revolutionary society. Her PhD thesis is entitled ‘Women’s Political Agency in Revolutionary Paris, 1789-1793’. Other research interests include France in the long nineteenth-century and revolution as a process. She has most recently been a tutor at the University of Glasgow and Glasgow Caledonian University on a range of undergraduate and honours courses including France, 1789-1914: Revolution, Nation and Empire, Becoming an Historian, and the Rise of Western Societies, 1789-1914. She also offers courses to adult learners on the Lifelong Learning Dundee programme. Some of her publications include ‘The Complex Nature of Memory in Personal Testimonies from the French Revolution: The Example of Fournier l’Américain’, Esharp 31 (2024), and ‘High Profile Marriages in Revolutionary Paris: The Condorcets’, Epoch 5 (2021).
Courses fees: Full fee £40
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