Pierre Gaspard Chaumette

Pierre Gaspard Chaumette was born in Nevers France in 1763.  He studies medicine at the University of Paris in 1790 however he abandoned his fledgling career when the revolution started and embraced politics.  

He was a member of both the Cordeliers and the Jacobins Clubs and edited a Revolutionary journal.  In 1792 he became the Chief Procurator of Commune of Paris and would later become President of the Commune.  With the fall of the monarchy he became a member of the Insurrectionary Commune.  There were allegations that he had taken part or helped coordinated the September Massacres of 1792.  He helped with recruitment drives for the French army in both Normandy and Paris.  He spoke fervently for the execution of Louis XVI claiming that only with his death would economic stability return to France.

He is perhaps most famous for his position on Christianity.  He believed that Christianity was mere superstition and did not warrant a place in the age of reason and Enlightenment.  He organised a Festival of Reason on 10th November 1793 which was to celebrate rationality over faith.  This reached its climax when Madame Momoro emerged clothed as the Goddess of Reason.  He pushed the policy of de-Christianisation across Paris and France.  He even decided to change his own name by removing the Pierre Gaspard (saints names) and replacing them with Anaxagoras (an ancient Greek philosopher who was condemned for criticising religion).  His scientific rationality meant that he was against the extension of equality to women as he believed that their anatomical natures meant they were better at caring for children than men so should remain out of politics.

His view on religion was shared by Jacques Hébert.  Unfortunately for Chaumette his views were not shared by Robespierre.  Robespierre believed that France needed some form of state religion even if it was not Christianity.  Robespierre created the Cult of the Supreme Being and stood square against Hébert and Chaumettes views.  Chaumette was arrested alongside the Hébertists, put on trial and executed on the 13th of April 1794.