de Gouges, Olympe

The Declaration of the Rights of Man did not extend to women; De Gouges claimed on paper that the declaration was incomplete without the rights of women. Campaigners protests that her ashes do not rest in the Pantheon Paris. (3 mins)

Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed women should be weak and passive. In 1791, Olympe de Gouges published "Declaration of the Rights of Women." Olivier Blanc discusses the major points of the document and its effect. (3 mins)

In 1792, the Jacobins banned women from meeting in groups of five or more and outlawed expressions of dissent. Olympe de Gouges distributed "Les Trois Urnes" and was arrested; she was executed in 1793. Dr. Amanda Foreman reflects on why de Gouges was accused of being a traitor. (2:32)