Political Clubs and the Revolutionary Press

The Revolution created a vibrant new political culture. Hundreds of newspapers appeared after 1789, from moderate journals to Jean-Paul Marat's fiery L'Ami du peuple, which denounced supposed traitors and urged vigilance. Political clubs flourished. The Society of the Friends of the Constitution, known as the Jacobins because it met in a former Dominican convent nicknamed after Saint Jacques, began as a club of deputies and grew into a national network of affiliated societies.

The Cordeliers Club was more radical and cheaper to join, attracting figures such as Danton and Desmoulins. In 1791 moderate Jacobins split off to form the Feuillants. These clubs debated policy, organised petitions and shaped public opinion, functioning almost like early political parties. Critics worried that they fostered suspicion and intimidation, while supporters saw them as schools of citizenship.