Discover Parisian History: Top 12 Fun Facts about Olympe de Gouges, the Revolutionary Feminist Icon

1. Drama Queen for a Better World

She put the "drama" in drama queen, playfully poking the patriarchy for a better world: Olympe de Gouges combatted the mockery of the male-dominated literary scene and penned plays discussing issues such as slavery, gender dynamics, children's rights, and unemployment, advocating for women's rights and the abolition of slavery in France.
Source => thoughtco.com

2. Finding Her Power Name

Talk about a serious identity crisis: Olympe de Gouges, originally stuck with the name Marie Aubry after a forced marriage at 17 and widowhood at 18, finally found her power name in 1777, when she donned the literary alter ego "Olympe de Gouges" and began her fierce career as a writer and activist.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Did you know Marie Curie's cookbooks and personal belongings are still radioactive after 100 years? Even her manuscripts require protective clothing to access! Discover more fascinating facts about this famous scientist.

=> Fun Facts about Marie-Curie

3. 18th-century Female Empowerment

Before female empowerment was cool and even before "Who run the world? Girls!" echoed through the airwaves: Olympe de Gouges was breaking the mold and rustling 18th-century Frenchmen's feathers, fearlessly advocating for gender equality, writing groundbreaking plays that shook societal norms, and eventually being executed during the Reign of Terror for her unyielding beliefs.
Source => wikiwand.com

4. Ultimate Abolitionista

Move over, Marvel superheroes: there's a new hero in town! Meet Olympe de Gouges, the Ultimate Abolitionista: In 1788, she wrote "Réflexions sur les hommes négres" (Reflections on Black Men), a game-changing essay that boldly condemned slavery and made her a titan in the fight against this abominable institution in French colonies.
Source => guides.loc.gov

5. Fencing with the Pen

They say the pen is mightier than the sword, but Olympe de Gouges didn't just live by the pen, she fenced with it – daring to challenge gender norms and the patriarchy with every jab, parry, and thrust: With a literary arsenal that included over 40 plays, two novels, and nearly 70 political pamphlets, she fought fiercely for social causes like women's rights, emancipation of slaves, and the protection of society's most vulnerable members – all while never backing down from her belief in fearless free speech.
Source => iep.utm.edu

6. Executed for Feminist Writing

When the guillotine asked, "Off with her head!" Olympe de Gouges didn't think it meant for her writings: She was the only woman executed during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror for her political writings, specifically her Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen in 1791. This influential feminist icon boldly exposed the revolution's lack of gender equality, inadvertently signing her own death warrant while inspiring generations of future feminists.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Animal Spirits not her Focus

Ready to have your animal spirits dampened? Our fearless 18th-century feminist, Olympe de Gouges, didn't exactly "paws" to roar on behalf of our furry friends: Despite advocating passionately for women’s rights and the abolition of slavery, animal rights weren't a frequent focus in her writings. Instead, she put pen to paper (or quill to parchment, rather) to address matters like divorce, marriage, children’s rights, unemployment, and social security.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. Revolutionary Cinderella

Olympe de Gouges: the revolutionary Cinderella who traded glass slippers for feminism and a pen instead of a prince: Olympe was a groundbreaking feminist and playwright, fiercely advocating for women's rights and the abolition of slavery, only to lose her own head to the guillotine for being too radical during the French Revolution.
Source => guides.loc.gov

9. Crowdfunding Human Rights

Before crowdfunding was cool and Olympe de Gouges made it a trendsetter in the fight for human rights: This trailblazing social-justice warrior of the 18th century had to get creative, like running a Kickstarter for equality, to fuel her many written works advocating for everything from women's rights to battling slavery.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

10. Olympe and Madonna's Connection

What do Olympe de Gouges and Madonna have in common? They're both unapologetically ambitious women who have revolutionized societal norms, shaken things up like a Material Girl in France: Olympe de Gouges was a sassy 18th-century playwright and activist who penned the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen, ardently advocating for gender equality and battling against the evils of slavery, only to lose her own head during the Reign of Terror.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

11. Royal Statement-maker

Who needs a king when you've got a queen with a pen? Olympe de Gouges surely knew how to make a royal statement: This 18th-century French powerhouse created her own "Declaration of the Rights of Woman" in 1789, dedicating it to none other than Marie Antoinette, fought passionately against slavery, and eventually met her own tragic end at the hands of the guillotine during the Reign of Terror.
Source => guides.loc.gov

12. LinkedIn Power Woman

If Olympe de Gouges had a LinkedIn profile, she'd be that unstoppable multi-hyphenate power woman who makes the rest of us feel like underachievers binging on Netflix: This 18th-century French icon authored 40 plays, 2 novels, and nearly 70 political pamphlets, all while advocating for women's rights and tackling taboo social issues on and off the stage.
Source => iep.utm.edu