Charlotte Corday

File:A Case Study in the French Revolution and Women's History

Charlotte Corday (Marie-Anne Charlotte de Corday d'Armont; 27 July 1768 – 17 July 1793) was a figure of the French Revolution. She is best known for assassinating Jean-Paul Marat, a radical journalist and politician, which led to her execution by guillotine.

Early Life

Charlotte Corday was born in Saint-Saturnin-des-Ligneries, a hamlet in the commune of Écorches, in the Normandy region of France. She was a member of a minor aristocratic family. After the death of her mother and sister, she was sent to the Abbaye aux Dames convent in Caen, where she was educated.

Political Climate

During the French Revolution, France was divided between the Girondins and the Montagnards. The Girondins were moderate republicans, while the Montagnards were radical revolutionaries. Corday sympathized with the Girondins and was appalled by the violent excesses of the Montagnards, particularly those incited by Jean-Paul Marat.

Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat

On 13 July 1793, Corday traveled to Paris with the intention of killing Marat, whom she believed was responsible for the Reign of Terror. She gained access to his residence by claiming she had information about a Girondin uprising. Marat, who was suffering from a skin condition and often worked from his medicinal bath, received her. Corday stabbed him in the chest with a kitchen knife, killing him instantly.

Trial and Execution

Corday was arrested immediately after the assassination. During her trial, she defended her actions by stating that she killed one man to save 100,000. She was found guilty and sentenced to death. On 17 July 1793, she was executed by guillotine at the Place de la Révolution in Paris.

Legacy

Charlotte Corday's actions and her stoic demeanor during her trial and execution have made her a controversial figure. Some view her as a heroine who acted out of a sense of justice, while others see her as a misguided assassin. Her life and death have been the subject of numerous works of art, literature, and historical studies.

See Also

• French Revolution
• Jean-Paul Marat
• Girondins
• Montagnards
• Reign of Terror
• Guillotine