HIST 4100 Famous Trials:Louis XVI/Marie Antoinette
In mid-January 1793, the French legislative body (The National Convention) found the deposed King Louis XVI guilty of High Treason and Crimes Against the State. None of the elected delegates voted for acquittal. The next day, about half voted for immediate execution which occurred six days later on January 21 before a crowd of 20,000 people. Nine months later, the former Queen Marie Antoinette was convicted of treason and guillotined. These two trials and executions are key events during the French Revolution. This course looks at the historical context of these trials, the propaganda surrounding the king and queen, the issues involved, and the impact on society then and now.