In France the Jacobins were among the most revolutionary of the groups which collectively promoted the French revolution. They took their name from the Couvent des Jacobins, in the rue Saint Honoré, Paris, where they met from November 1789 until their destruction in July 1794. Led by Robespierre and Saint Just, they dominated the radical wing of the French Assembly, pressing at first for a constitutional monarchy and then for a republic. They embraced the cause of the petit bourgeoisie, respecting private property and the rights of man, but prepared to use all the power of the state to prevent either a return to monarchy or the triumph of anarchist or federalist tendencies. The Jacobins were therefore not the most radical of groups, being surpassed by the Hébertists who sided with…
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Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Jacobins and Anti-Jacobins". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 20 January 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=578, accessed 19 December 2024.]
