Madame Roland

Marie-Jeanne Phlipon, later known as Madame Roland, was born in Paris to a family of modest means.

Madame Roland begins her education at a convent school, receiving a solid grounding in literature and the arts.

She completes her convent education and returns home, where she continues to read and educate herself independently.

Madame Roland starts a correspondence with Jean-Marie Roland, a man 15 years her senior, who becomes her intellectual mentor.

Madame Roland marries Jean-Marie Roland, a man of science and politics, solidifying their intellectual partnership.

Madame Roland gives birth to her daughter, Pauline, who will later become a notable figure in her own right.

The family relocates to Lyon, where Jean-Marie Roland takes a position as an inspector of manufactures.

Madame Roland starts hosting salons in Lyon, which become important forums for political discussion and the exchange of revolutionary ideas.

The French Revolution erupts, and Madame Roland's salons play a significant role in shaping revolutionary thought and action.

The Rolands move to Paris, where Madame Roland's influence in revolutionary circles grows, and she becomes a key figure in the Girondin faction.

Madame Roland's correspondence with leading revolutionaries, including Condorcet and Brissot, solidifies her reputation as a political influencer.

Madame Roland is arrested and imprisoned for her Girondin sympathies, facing charges of counter-revolutionary activities.

Madame Roland is executed by guillotine during the Reign of Terror, a tragic end to a life of political activism and intellectual influence.