Abstract
From the autumn of 1792, there were frequent disturbances in the rural communities of the Drome regarding the illegal division of common land (or lands held in common). The purpose of this article is to examine the processes which led to such illegal partitions and the social awareness of the peasantry of the time. Since the eve of the Revolution, rural communities had wanted to divide not only common land which had been seized by the feudal lord, but also that which had remained under community control. They anticipated that the public authorities would legalize partition. But when the law of October 11, 1792 cut off their hopes by deferring partition, rural communities refused to obey, and began a process of illegal partition through voluntary direct action. In their eyes, this was a legitimate way of restoring social justice. Even after the partition, rural communities maintained traditional customs and rights of cultivation. This indicates that the purpose behind the partition was not to create the modern proprietary rights, but to increase communal and individual income and to achieve a secure livelihood through the effective use of common land.
