Revolutionary Matrons

Abstract The French Revolution was a philosophical moment in history where politics and domesticity were not incompatible. This enabled women to participate in politics in several ways. Some women philosophers, such as Marie-Jeanne Phlipon Roland, Louise Keralio Robert, and Olympe de Gouges wanted political influence but thought they could either exercise it from within their homes or combine a life that crossed over the two spheres, so that they could be political while fulfilling their duties as wives and mothers. The republican home was supposed to be a place of power and virtue, a merging of the public and the private spheres and a place where political ideals and reforms could be born and nurtured. Yet as these women’s influence became more visible, they were severely repressed.