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Primary sourceDocument1789

Royal Session: Motion of the Duke of Orléans

Olympe de Gouges · 1789

A 1789 satirical pamphlet by Olympe de Gouges on the royal session and the royal veto, dedicated to the Duke of Orléans.

An early pamphlet by Gouges showing her political writing at the very start of the Revolution.

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Royal Session: Motion of the Duke of OrléansPDF · 32 pages
Olympe de Gouges, Séance royale: motion de Monseigneur le duc d'Orléans, 1789.

About this source

What it is

A pamphlet written in 1789 by Olympe de Gouges, dedicated to the Duke of Orléans, discussing the royal session and the question of the royal veto early in the Revolution.

Why it matters

Written at the very start of the Revolution, this pamphlet shows Gouges already active as a political writer, addressing a powerful figure and commenting on constitutional questions. It demonstrates that her political writing began before her famous Declaration and continued throughout the revolutionary period.

Look closer

  • Why does Gouges dedicate this pamphlet to the Duke of Orléans?
  • How does she describe her own writing and talents in the dedication?
  • What does the choice of a dream or satirical format suggest about how she wanted to make her political points?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Olympe de Gouges on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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