This revisionist study challenges those readings of the French Revolution that see it as inherently violent and intolerant, often in terms of the Terror alone, and explores the egalitarian policies pursued in the provinces. The mainstream Jacobin agenda held out the promise of "fair shares" and equal opportunities for all in a private ownership market economy. Moreover it sought to achieve social justice without jeopardizing human rights. Thus it tended to complement, rather than undermine, the liberal, individualist program of the Revolution.
Reviews
'... a forceful and healthy antidote to current orthodoxy, whose impact is all the more impressive for being based on solid archival work'. Economic History Review ' ... [a] superbly written and widely researched study ... should be essential reading for scholars of the Revolution'. English Historical Review
