Roland de la Platière was born and baptized on 18 February 1734 in Thizy, Rhône. He was a studious child, who received a thorough education. At the age of 18 years, Roland was offered the choice of becoming either a businessman or a priest. But he declined both offers and took up studying manufacturing, leading him to the city of Lyons. Two years later, a cousin and inspector of manufactures offered Roland a position in Rouen. He gladly accepted the job. Roland then was transferred to Languedoc, where he became an enthusiastic economist but soon became ill from overwork. He was then offered the less stressful job of lead inspector of Picardy which was the third most important manufacturing province in France in 1781.
Later that year he married Marie-Jeanne Phlipon, better known simply as Madame Roland, the daughter of a Parisian engraver. Madame Roland was just as involved in Jean-Marie's work as he was, editing much of his writing and supporting his political goals. For the first four years of their marriage, Roland continued to live in Picardy and work as a factory inspector. His knowledge of commercial affairs enabled him to contribute articles to the Encyclopédie Méthodique, a three volume encyclopedia of manufacturing and industry, in which, as in all his literary work, he was assisted by his wife.
The Revolution
Jean-Marie Roland de La Platière. Painting by François Bonneville, 1792.
During the first year of the Revolution, the Rolands moved to Lyon, where their influence grew and their political ambitions became clear. From the beginning of the Revolution, they affiliated with the liberal cause. The articles they contributed to the Courrier de Lyon came to the attention of the Parisian press; although Roland signed them, it was Madame Roland who wrote them. The city then sent Roland to Paris to inform the Constituent Assembly of the critical state of the silk industry and to ask for relief of Lyon's debt. As a result, a correspondence began between Roland, Jacques Pierre Brissot and other supporters of the Revolution, whom he had met in Paris. The Rolands arrived in Paris during February 1791, and remained there until September. They frequented the Society of the Friends of the Constitution, entertaining deputies who later became leading Girondists, and taking an active part in the political landscape. Meanwhile, Madame Roland opened her first salon, helping her husband's name become better known in the capital.
In September 1791, Roland's mission was complete and he returned to Lyon. By then, however, inspectorships of manufacture had been abolished, so the Roland family decided to move and make their new home in Paris. Roland became a member of the Jacobin Club, and their influence continued to grow. Madame Roland's salon becoming the rendezvous of Brissot, Jérôme Pétion de Villeneuve, Maximilien Robespierre, and other leaders of the popular movement – especially François Nicolas Leonard Buzot.
When the Girondins assumed power, Roland found himself appointed minister of the interior on 23 March 1792, displaying both his administrative ability and what the Encyclopædia Britannica (Eleventh Edition, 1911) characterized as "a bourgeois brusqueness". His wife's influence on his declarations of policy was particularly strong in this period: as Roland was ex officio excluded from the Legislative Assembly, these declarations were in writing, and so most prone to exhibit Madame Roland's personal beliefs.
Roland de la Platière. Drawing by Georges-François-Marie Gabriel, 1792–1793.
King Louis XVI used his veto power to prevent decrees against émigrés and the non-juring clergy. Madame Roland therefore wrote a letter addressing the royal refusal to sanction the decrees and the role of the king in the state, which her husband addressed and sent to the king. When it remained unanswered, Roland read it aloud in full council and in the king's presence. Judged inconsistent with a minister's position and disrespectful in tone, the incident led to Roland's dismissal. However, he then read the letter to the Assembly, which ordered it printed and circulated. It became a manifesto of dissatisfaction, and the Assembly's subsequent demand that Roland and other dismissed ministers be reinstated eventually led to the king's dethronement.
After the insurrection of 10 August, Roland was reinstated as Interior Minister, but was dismayed by what he saw as the lack of progress made by the Revolution. As a provincial, he opposed the Montagnards who aimed at supremacy not only in Paris but in the government as well. His hostility to the Paris Commune prompted him to propose transferring the government to Blois; and his attacks on Robespierre and his associates made him very unpopular. After failing to seal the armoire de fer (iron chest) found in the Tuileries Palace, containing documents that indicated Louis XVI's relations with corrupt politicians, he was accused of destroying some of the evidence within. Finally, during the trial of the king, he and the Girondists demanded that the sentence should be decided by a poll of the French people rather than the National Convention. Two days after the king's execution, he resigned his office.
Death
The body of Roland is found in a wheat field, by the road from Paris to Rouen. Engraving by Charles François Gabriel Levachez, circa 1799.
Not long after he resigned as minister, the Girondins came under attack and Roland was denounced as well. Roland fled Paris and went into hiding; in his absence, he was sentenced to death. Madame Roland remained in Paris, where she was arrested in June 1793 and executed on 8 November. When Roland learned belatedly of his wife's imminent death, he wandered away from his refuge in Rouen and wrote a few words expressing his horror at the Reign of Terror: "From the moment when I learned that they had murdered my wife, I would no longer remain in a world stained with enemies." He attached the paper to his chest, sat up against a tree, and ran a cane-sword through his heart on the evening of 10 November 1793.[1][2]
^Claude Perroud, "Note critique sur les dates de l'exécution de Mme Roland et du suicide de Roland", La Révolution française: revue d'histoire moderne et contemporaine, Paris: Société de l'histoire de la Révolution française, t. 22, 1895, pp. 15-26.
^Siân Reynolds, Marriage and Revolution: Monsieur and Madame Roland, Oxford University Press, 2012, pp. 287-288.
Sources
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Roland, Jean Marie". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. The Britannica
Further reading
Andress, David. The Terror: The Merciless War for Freedom in Revolutionary France (2006)
Blashfield, Evangeline Wilbour. Manon Phlipon Roland: Early Years (1922) online
Hanson, Paul R. Historical Dictionary of the French Revolution
Higonnet, Patrice. "The Social and Cultural Antecedents of Revolutionary Discontinuity: Montagnards and Girondins," English Historical Review (1985): 100#396 pp. 513–544 in JSTOR
Lamartine, Alphonse de. History of the Girondists, Volume I Personal Memoirs of the Patriots of the French Revolution (1847) online free in Kindle edition; Volume 1, Volume 2 | Volume 3
May, Gita. Madame Roland and the Age of Revolution (1970)
jean, marie, roland, platière, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jst. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Jean Marie Roland de la Platiere news newspapers books scholar JSTOR November 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Jean Marie Roland de la Platiere 18 February 1734 10 November 1793 was a French inspector of manufactures in Lyon and became a leader of the Girondist faction in the French Revolution largely influenced in this direction by his wife Marie Jeanne Manon Roland de la Platiere He served as a minister of the interior in King Louis XVI s government in 1792 Jean Marie Roland de la PlatiereEngraving by Nicolas Colibert 1792 1793 Born 1734 02 18 18 February 1734Thizy FranceDied10 November 1793 1793 11 10 aged 59 Radepont FranceCause of deathsuicideNationalityFrenchOccupationeconomistEmployerKing Louis XVIKnown forleader of Girondist factionTitleMinister of the Interior Minister of JusticePolitical partyGirondeOpponentRobespierreSpouseJeanne Manon Roland de la PlatiereSignature Contents 1 Early life 2 The Revolution 3 Death 4 See also 5 References 5 1 Sources 6 Further reading 7 External linksEarly life EditRoland de la Platiere was born and baptized on 18 February 1734 in Thizy Rhone He was a studious child who received a thorough education At the age of 18 years Roland was offered the choice of becoming either a businessman or a priest But he declined both offers and took up studying manufacturing leading him to the city of Lyons Two years later a cousin and inspector of manufactures offered Roland a position in Rouen He gladly accepted the job Roland then was transferred to Languedoc where he became an enthusiastic economist but soon became ill from overwork He was then offered the less stressful job of lead inspector of Picardy which was the third most important manufacturing province in France in 1781 Later that year he married Marie Jeanne Phlipon better known simply as Madame Roland the daughter of a Parisian engraver Madame Roland was just as involved in Jean Marie s work as he was editing much of his writing and supporting his political goals For the first four years of their marriage Roland continued to live in Picardy and work as a factory inspector His knowledge of commercial affairs enabled him to contribute articles to the Encyclopedie Methodique a three volume encyclopedia of manufacturing and industry in which as in all his literary work he was assisted by his wife The Revolution Edit Jean Marie Roland de La Platiere Painting by Francois Bonneville 1792 During the first year of the Revolution the Rolands moved to Lyon where their influence grew and their political ambitions became clear From the beginning of the Revolution they affiliated with the liberal cause The articles they contributed to the Courrier de Lyon came to the attention of the Parisian press although Roland signed them it was Madame Roland who wrote them The city then sent Roland to Paris to inform the Constituent Assembly of the critical state of the silk industry and to ask for relief of Lyon s debt As a result a correspondence began between Roland Jacques Pierre Brissot and other supporters of the Revolution whom he had met in Paris The Rolands arrived in Paris during February 1791 and remained there until September They frequented the Society of the Friends of the Constitution entertaining deputies who later became leading Girondists and taking an active part in the political landscape Meanwhile Madame Roland opened her first salon helping her husband s name become better known in the capital In September 1791 Roland s mission was complete and he returned to Lyon By then however inspectorships of manufacture had been abolished so the Roland family decided to move and make their new home in Paris Roland became a member of the Jacobin Club and their influence continued to grow Madame Roland s salon becoming the rendezvous of Brissot Jerome Petion de Villeneuve Maximilien Robespierre and other leaders of the popular movement especially Francois Nicolas Leonard Buzot When the Girondins assumed power Roland found himself appointed minister of the interior on 23 March 1792 displaying both his administrative ability and what the Encyclopaedia Britannica Eleventh Edition 1911 characterized as a bourgeois brusqueness His wife s influence on his declarations of policy was particularly strong in this period as Roland was ex officio excluded from the Legislative Assembly these declarations were in writing and so most prone to exhibit Madame Roland s personal beliefs Roland de la Platiere Drawing by Georges Francois Marie Gabriel 1792 1793 King Louis XVI used his veto power to prevent decrees against emigres and the non juring clergy Madame Roland therefore wrote a letter addressing the royal refusal to sanction the decrees and the role of the king in the state which her husband addressed and sent to the king When it remained unanswered Roland read it aloud in full council and in the king s presence Judged inconsistent with a minister s position and disrespectful in tone the incident led to Roland s dismissal However he then read the letter to the Assembly which ordered it printed and circulated It became a manifesto of dissatisfaction and the Assembly s subsequent demand that Roland and other dismissed ministers be reinstated eventually led to the king s dethronement After the insurrection of 10 August Roland was reinstated as Interior Minister but was dismayed by what he saw as the lack of progress made by the Revolution As a provincial he opposed the Montagnards who aimed at supremacy not only in Paris but in the government as well His hostility to the Paris Commune prompted him to propose transferring the government to Blois and his attacks on Robespierre and his associates made him very unpopular After failing to seal the armoire de fer iron chest found in the Tuileries Palace containing documents that indicated Louis XVI s relations with corrupt politicians he was accused of destroying some of the evidence within Finally during the trial of the king he and the Girondists demanded that the sentence should be decided by a poll of the French people rather than the National Convention Two days after the king s execution he resigned his office Death Edit The body of Roland is found in a wheat field by the road from Paris to Rouen Engraving by Charles Francois Gabriel Levachez circa 1799 Not long after he resigned as minister the Girondins came under attack and Roland was denounced as well Roland fled Paris and went into hiding in his absence he was sentenced to death Madame Roland remained in Paris where she was arrested in June 1793 and executed on 8 November When Roland learned belatedly of his wife s imminent death he wandered away from his refuge in Rouen and wrote a few words expressing his horror at the Reign of Terror From the moment when I learned that they had murdered my wife I would no longer remain in a world stained with enemies He attached the paper to his chest sat up against a tree and ran a cane sword through his heart on the evening of 10 November 1793 1 2 See also EditSociety of the Friends of TruthReferences Edit Claude Perroud Note critique sur les dates de l execution de Mme Roland et du suicide de Roland La Revolution francaise revue d histoire moderne et contemporaine Paris Societe de l histoire de la Revolution francaise t 22 1895 pp 15 26 Sian Reynolds Marriage and Revolution Monsieur and Madame Roland Oxford University Press 2012 pp 287 288 Sources Edit This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Roland Jean Marie Encyclopaedia Britannica 11th ed Cambridge University Press The BritannicaFurther reading EditAndress David The Terror The Merciless War for Freedom in Revolutionary France 2006 Blashfield Evangeline Wilbour Manon Phlipon Roland Early Years 1922 online Hanson Paul R Historical Dictionary of the French Revolution Higonnet Patrice The Social and Cultural Antecedents of Revolutionary Discontinuity Montagnards and Girondins English Historical Review 1985 100 396 pp 513 544 in JSTOR Lamartine Alphonse de History of the Girondists Volume I Personal Memoirs of the Patriots of the French Revolution 1847 online free in Kindle edition Volume 1 Volume 2 Volume 3 May Gita Madame Roland and the Age of Revolution 1970 Schama Simon Citizens A Chronicle of the French Revolution 1989 excerpt and text search Scott Samuel F and Barry Rothaus Historical Dictionary of the French Revolution 1789 1799 1985 Vol 2 pp 837 41 online Sutherland D M G France 1789 1815 Revolution and Counter Revolution 2nd ed 2003 ch 5 Tarbell Ida Madame Roland A Biographical Study 1905 External links Edit Roland de la Platiere Jean Marie and Marie The American Cyclopaedia 1879 Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jean Marie Roland de la Platiere Political officesPreceded byBon Claude Cahier de Gerville Minister of the InteriorMarch June 1792 Succeeded byJacques Augustin MourguePreceded byMarguerite Louis Francois Duport Dutertre Minister of JusticeMarch April 1792 Succeeded byAntoine DurantonPreceded byClement Felix Champion de Villeneuve Minister of the InteriorAugust 1792 January 1793 Succeeded byDominique Joseph Garat Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jean Marie Roland de la Platiere amp oldid 1135110974, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
