What was the role of Charlotte Corday in the French Revolution?

Charlotte Corday was a 24-year-old woman from Caen, Normandy. On 13 July 1793, she assassinated French revolutionary leader Jean-Paul Marat in his bathtub, before being captured and executed herself on 17 July.

Why did Charlotte Corday kill Marat?

Charlotte Corday killed Jean-Paul Marat because she believed that Marat and the Jacobins were corrupting the soul of the French Revolution. By killing him, Corday hoped to save France from dictatorship, civil war, and bloodshed.

Was Charlotte Corday a hero?

Charlotte Corday was certainly considered a hero and a martyr by royalists, Girondins, and other enemies of the Jacobins during the French Revolution; likewise, she was considered a villain and a traitor by the Jacobins and their supporters.

How old was Charlotte Corday when she died?

Charlotte Corday was only 24 years old when she committed the murder that made her famous. On the day of her execution, 17 July 1793, she was ten days away from her 25th birthday.

Charlotte Corday Timeline

Definition

Charlotte Corday (1768-1793) played a prominent role in the French Revolution (1789-1799) when she assassinated radical activist Jean-Paul Marat in his bathtub on 13 July 1793. Despite her aristocratic background, Corday was an avowed republican who believed Marat and his Jacobin allies were corrupting the soul of the Revolution. Following her execution on 17 July, she became a revolutionary martyr.

More about: Charlotte Corday

Timeline

27 Jul 1768
Charlotte Corday is born in Normandy, France.
1782
Charlotte Corday is sent to a convent in Caen, where she reads Enlightenment philosophers and becomes a republican.
13 Jul 1793
French revolutionary activist Jean-Paul Marat is assassinated in his bathtub by Charlotte Corday.
17 Jul 1793
Charlotte Corday is executed.

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