The memory of French peasants

A farmer harvests his wheat field in Démouville (France).

© AFP / M.Daniau

By: Sayouba Traoré

2 min

We can say of Jean-Marc Moriceau that he is the historian of peasants in France.

He began his plunge into rural history, with a doctoral thesis "Farmers of the Île-de-France: the rise of an agricultural patronage (15th-18th century)" in 1992. Since then, it has not been no longer stopped.

His latest book, “La Mémoire des Paysans.

Chronicles of rural France.

1653-1788 ”, is based on writings and documents left by the peasants themselves.

Publicity

The study of these thousands of documents left by the peasants of the French countryside, led Jean-Marc Moriceau to structure his book in three periods.

A first period which goes from 1653 to 1700, and which is marked by the fiscal pressure of the State, the destruction of wars and the plagues of nature.

A second period which goes from 1701 to 1750. The author himself says that this second period is marked by uncertainties in the countryside.

Then a third period which goes from 1751 to 1788. We are in the last days which precede the French revolution.

However, in the countryside, there are hopes generated by the technical progress and the social progress which is emerging.

Guest:

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, professor at the University of Caen and member of the Institut universitaire de France.

Production: Sayouba Traoré

Director: Ewa Piedel

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• Agriculture and Fishing

• History

• France