Olympe de Gouges
- Born:
- Marie Gouze, May 7, 1748, Montauban, France
- Died:
- November 3, 1793, Paris, France (Executed)
- Nationality:
- French
- Profession(s):
- Playwright, Political Activist, Feminist
Early Life and Education
- Born Marie Gouze to Anne Olympe Mouisset Gouze and her second husband, Jean-Jacques Le Franc de Pompignan.
- Received limited formal education.
- Married Louis Aubry in 1765. He died shortly after.
- Moved to Paris in 1770 and began using the name Olympe de Gouges.
Career and Major Achievements
- Began her writing career in the 1780s, producing plays and pamphlets addressing social and political issues.
- Advocated for women's rights, abolition of slavery, and social reforms.
- Actively participated in the French Revolution, though she opposed the execution of Louis XVI.
- Openly criticized the Jacobins and Maximilien Robespierre.
- Was eventually arrested and executed for treason.
Notable Works
- Plays:
- L'Esclavage des Noirs (Slavery of the Blacks) (1784)
- Le Mariage inattendu de Chérubin (Cherubin's Unexpected Marriage) (1786)
- Political Writings:
- Réflexions sur les hommes nègres (1788)
- Déclaration des droits de la femme et de la citoyenne (Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen) (1791)
- Numerous pamphlets and open letters on political and social issues.
Legacy and Impact
Olympe de Gouges is remembered as a pioneering feminist and abolitionist. Her Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen is a foundational text in the history of feminism. As shown by the increased interest in figures like those mentioned when researching 'paris 7 diderot olympe de gouges biography,' her work continues to inspire activists and scholars today.