by Dawn R. Cole

Created on: August 14, 2008

THE HISTORY OF THE GUILLOTINE

The guillotine became a symbol of tyranny during the French Revolution, but the device was actually invented as a way to make executions more humane. The invention would play a vital role in sparking and aiding a revolution that would change the history of the western world.

Though a French physician, Dr. Joseph Ignace Guillotin, is credited for inventing the guillotine, he was only responsible for requesting that capital punishment measures be carried out as painlessly and humanely as possible. He argued for the development of a machine that would offer these provisions. The guillotine was actually invented by Dr. Antoine Louis, though Dr. Guillotin's name will forever be attached to the device.

During the late 18th century, the French population was dying of starvation and disease, suffering from national debt due the King's overspending, battling high unemployment, food scarcity, and the country's involvement in several wars. This economic and political chaos eventually lead to the overthrow of the monarchy and the beginning of the French Revolution.

In 1789, the death penalty was under discussion and was almost banned. Dr. Guillotin came up with the idea of a machine that would provide a swift, humane way to execute criminals that pleased the monarchy and the public. The idea, born out of that discussion, became a reality in 1792. King Louis XVI made the guillotine the official execution method of France. Anyone, including nobility, intellectuals, politicians and serfs, suspected of "crimes against liberty" was executed, whether in the streets, public square, or in the homes of the sick or dying. Most of the public executions involved opposing members of the Roman Catholic Church.

The public executions drew large crowds where vendors would set-up and sell merchandise, before, during and after the deaths. Programs were sold, listing the names of those sentenced to die that day and, like a sporting event, people would vie for the best seats. Entire families would partake in the grisly murders, including children.

"The Reign of Terror" period began in 1793 when King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette both lost their own heads on the guillotine. Maximilien Robespierre took over as a very powerful man in the French government. Robespierre is the person most notably associated with "The Terror" and faced the guillotine, himself, in 1794. Before the end of the "Terror," an estimated 15,000 to 40,000 people succumbed to the device in

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