The Lyon's popular clubs and "les Chaliers" in the early French Revolution

Abstract

In 1790, at Lyon, three thousand citizens founded 31 clubs of section or faubourg and the Central Club who's objections were the learnings of citizen's rights and duties, and the surveillances of administrations. After the crisis of auguste 1792, these clubs that were leaded by Chalier and his partisans, required the Gironde Municipality to enact the laws of Maximum des prix des denrees and of Taxe forcee sur les riches, and to levy Armee revolutionnaire lyonnaise. On February 1793, a mayor girondin Niviere-Chol was dismissed by the Central Club that organized a sans-culotte movement. Finally, Bertrand, partisan of Chalier, was nominated for the mayor by the election on March. But the moderes resisted obstinately against "les Chaliers" and the sans-culotte movement in the city of Lyon. In consequence, the Municipality of "les Chaliers" was overthrown by the insurrection of moderes on 29 May 1793. "Les Chaliers" were arrested and the clubs of section or faubourg were closed by the counter-revolutionary Municipality. This article is about this sans-culotte movement and it's leaders "les Chaliers", especially between 1790 and 92. It is consisted of four chapters. The first chapter reviews historical studies concerning the revolutionary Lyon from the Revolution time to the present day. The second argues the institutionel features of the clubs of section or faubourg and the Central Club, it's origins and organizations, it's social compositions of members etc…. The third observes the social origins of Chalier and his partisans (6 principal members of Tribunal de District de la ville de Lyon-Dodieu, Gaillard, Bussat, Fernex, Dubessey and Hidins, the mayor Bertrand, a member of Comite lyonnais de salut public Achard, officier municipal Riard de Beauvernois, notables Roullot and Sautemouch); and traces the evolution of their activities and of their ideas before and during the early Revolution. The last attempts to analyse on club's activities and tendencies from it's foundation time to 1792, touching the relations of the clubs and "les Chaliers".