The Vanishing Children of Paris: Rumor and Politics Before the French RevolutionIn the spring of 1750 children began to disappear from the streets of Paris as they made their way to school, as they ran errands for their parents, even from the presence of their parents-- no child was safe. Astonishing rumors quickly spread ... In fact, the police had been given sweeping powers of arrest to control the problems of vagrancy; some were clearly abusing that power. An atmosphere of mounting fear and suspicion between the populace and the police erupted in a two-day series of riots which culminated in the lynching and murder of an alleged abductor. The authors use this incident to view broader issues concerning the power of rumor, the logic of mob psychology, and the exercise of authority and the maintenance of peace in Paris under the Ancien Régime. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
The Landscape of Revolt | 7 |
Orders in the City | 29 |
The Rules of Rebellion | 51 |
Truth and Rumour | 81 |
The Unloved | 115 |
Notes | 133 |
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accused affair Ancien Régime appeared archers arrested authority Barbier Bastille became beggars Berryer Blanc blood boys Brucelle capital century certainly Châtelet child abductions chroniclers commissioner constable court crowd cure d'Angerville D'Argenson Danguisy district edict enlèvements d'enfants episode events of 1750 evidence fact Faillon gardes françaises Geneviève girl Hartmann von Aue heard Herod ibid incident Inspector Roussel interrogation involved Jansenist Joly de Fleury Journal June King King's knew L'affaire des enlèvements Labbé later leprosy Les Invalides Lieutenant Louis Devaux Louis XV magistrates marquise de Pompadour matter Mémoires mss Joly officers Olivier Paris Parisians Parliament police force Pont Neuf populace Poussot prison public order rebellion reported responsibility revolt rioters riots role Romon royal rumour Saint-Denis scene seen sergeant Severt spies statement story street suspected taken tion told took town truth uprising vagrants Vergée Versailles violence Watch whole witnesses woman women young