9. Madame Roland
As you can probably see by now, the French Revolution may have started out as a means of abolishing the monarchy and establishing popular rule in France; however, it quickly descended into a bloodbath intended to destroy any opposition to Maximilien Robespierre. This notion is particularly seen in the case of Madame Roland, a supporter of the revolution, who eventually fell prey to it and died at the guillotine.
Roland was particularly religious, having been educated at a convent. She was also well-read in many of the philosophers – Voltaire, Rousseau, Montesquieu, and Plutarch – whose ideas helped spawn the revolution. As an adult, Madame Roland supported her husband’s political activism and ambitions, which contributed to the revolution. She became particularly well-known for her social finesse and ability to form large social networks; as such, an invitation by Madame Roland to an event was considered significant to the nascent republican government.
She and her husband supported Jacques-Pierre Brissot in forming the Girondin movement, something that set her at odds with Robespierre. Accusations against her mounted, and she was arrested for treason, along with many other Girondins. While in prison, she wrote her personal memoirs and reflections on the role of women in French society. She was able to help her husband escape Paris but was herself executed.