Etta Palm d’Aelders

French women played an important role during the revolution. For example, on October 5, 1789, thousands of women marched to Versailles (the king’s palace, twelve miles outside Paris) to protest the rising cost of bread; the king agreed to provide bread and returned to Paris with the protestors. Many women believed that they could contribute to the revolutionary government. One such woman was the Dutch activist Etta Palm d’Aelders. In the following viewpoint d’Aelders, who lived in France, details several of the ways French women could become involved politically. According to d’Aelders, patriotic women should provide assistance to young impoverished mothers. She also suggests that women supervise public education in order to ensure that French children are taught their rights and responsibilities. D’Aelders argues that...