Just a few years after the end of the American Revolution, another earth-shaking revolution erupted in France. When a Parisian crowd stormed the Bastille in July of 1789, it triggered the overthrow of the French monarchy and the birth of a new society. What sparked this momentous event?

In this online talk, the celebrated historian Robert Darnton will offer a new explanation of how the French Revolution happened. Looking at gossip, street songs, graffiti, and underground newsletters over a period of 40 years, Darnton argues that Parisian popular media fed a widespread conviction that the regime had lost its legitimacy. By 1789, ordinary Parisians had developed a "collective temper" that readied them to take the great leap into a revolution.

Wednesday, January 24, 2023
Live on Zoom
7:00 - 8:30pm
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