The Guillotine's First Cut
Throughout the history of the French Revolution, the National Congress has been established by the Third Estate of the Estates-General to oppose the unfair taxation of the commoners and to institute a constitution to restrict the king’s power. Though even with an organization formed by 98% of the population, fear evolved into anger, and anger turned into violence. People grew hostile and decapitation became a part of the revolution. Negotiation between the members of Congress occurred on whether the protests should be peaceful or aggressive, and they chose to be cruel. Some historians believed this paved the way for the harsh and vicious nature of the revolution.
However, a man named Dr. Joseph Guillotine rose to propose equality in capital punishment. He suggested that men, despite their position in the social hierarchy, should go through a quick and painless execution, as such, the guillotine. A sharp, heavy metal suspended mid-air by a rope, falling swiftly into the neck of a person, decapitating them in a second. Trials and tests prompted a redesign to perfect the device, as male necks do not cut as clean as the ones with females and children. The height of the blade is increased, and the edge was changed into a slope.
The first cut, Nicolas-Jacques Pelletier, was convicted of robbery and murder and was the first one to face the cruel fate brought by the guillotine. His head fell into a basket, and thus begin the start of the bloody era that is to come, called “The Reign of Terror”.
References:
Klein, C. (2012, April 25). The guillotine’s first cut. HISTORY.
https://www.history.com/news/the-guillotines-first-cut
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopedia. "National Assembly". Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Jul. 2017,
Created by Eohan Landayan
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