Selected Bibliography for Memoirs of the Right Reverend Simon Wm. Gabriel Bruté
Life and Politics of Simon Bruté
Bayley, James Roosevelt. Frontier Bishop: The Life of Bishop Simon Bruté. Huntington,
Ind: Our Sunday Visitor, Inc, 1971.
Glen, John M. “Archival Holdings in Southern Indiana.” Indiana Magazine of History 94, no. 3
(September 1998); 240-259.
This issue of Indiana Magazine of History gives a good glimpse of Bishop Bruté de
Remur as a historical actor in Indiana. It gives a brief description of him as a man of
many talents and his role as the first Bishop of Vincennes. This selection is most useful
as a guide to the later life of the bishop and as a starting point by which to judge what
most determined his path from his childhood during the French Revolution. KP
Manfra, Jo Ann. “An Emendation of the Church-State Problematic: The French Connection.”
The Lively Experiment Continued, ed. Jerald C. Brauer. Macon, GA: Mercer University
Press, 1987.
Manfra’s section in this book shows the contribution of Bishop Bruté de Remur to
American politics in regard to pluralism. She also shows his connection to the Politics of
the Catholic Church in the United States. This source gives a vignette about Bruté’s
influence on Catholic policies based on his experience in France, in addition to quoting
Brutés views from his own writings. KP
Pula, James S. “The French in America 1488-1974.” New York: Oceana Publications, INC.,
1975.
Segalen, Martine, and Philippe Richard. “Marrying Kinsmen In Pays Bigoiden Sud, Brittany.”
Journal of Family History 11, no. 2 (April 1986): 109-130. Segalen’s article shows the lack of control of the Catholic Church on the family life of
those in Pre-Revolution Brittany. Genealogies are explored to show how peasants start
marrying within their own families in order to protect their wealth. The lessening grip of
Catholicism in this French province provides a good backdrop to Bishop Bruté’s
challenges as a devout Catholic during this time. It also gives support to an economic
basis for a divergence of the French people from Catholic authority. KP
Sutherland, Donald. “Chouannerie and Popular Royalism: The Survival of the CounterRevolutionary Tradition in Upper Brittany.” Social History 9, no. 3 (October 1984): 351360.
Sutherland’s article explores the counter revolutionary movement in Brittany and its
expression in voting habits and political movements. This piece serves as a good
perspective on the problems faced by Catholics and other groups who were not well aided
by the change in administration. This article best functions as a source to find Bishop
Bruté de Remur’s likely social surroundings. KP
Thurston, Benjamin. “‘Comme des brebis au milieu des loups’: Biblical Ideas and Imagery in the
Sermons and Pastoral Letters of the French Clergy, 1790–91.” French Studies 66, no. 3
(July 2012): 301-315.
Tingle, Elizabeth C. “Builders’ Wages and Purchasing Power in Eighteenth-Century Brittany.”
Journal of European Economic History 28, no. 2 (Fall 1999): 335.
Tingle’s article gives a glimpse of how economic standards influenced the political
climate in Pre- Revolution time Brittany. She points out that is common place for
historians to cite wage reductions as an indication of economic struggle. Tingle argues,
however, that wages are not a stable means by which to judge the economy at this time
because money was not always the common pay during this era. Instead, she points to
inflation, specifically the price of cereals, to show the change in economic standard. This
article is useful because it gives good information on the living standards of the masses in
Brittany which can show the basis by which the community was making political
decisions. KP
Eighteenth Century French Catholicism
Aston, Nigel. Religion and Revolution in France 1780-1804. Washington, D.C.:
The Catholic University of America Press, 2000.
Aston believes that many people do not know the involvement of the clergy and religion
in the French Revolution and wants to correct this by focusing on religious events that
occurred during this time. He claims that the Catholic Church was misrepresented as an
organization and varied little from other churches across Europe. Aston also argues the
Civil Constitution of the Clergy made it easier for Catholics to want to join the CounterRevolution. Aston uses maps and polls illustrating many key factors in the religious
movements during the French Revolution such as oath taking, marriages performed by
priest, and abdicating priest. Besides maps and polls Aston also uses quotes from writings
of priest and other clergy during the time. RW
Bokenkotter, Thomas. Church and Revolution. New York: Image Books Doubleday, 1998.
Bokenkotter discusses the progression of the Catholic Church from a conservative power
to a progressive power, and believes revolution has much to do with this, in particular the
French Revolution. He argues that the church and revolution could have peacefully
existed until the deputies took it upon themselves to reform the church. He uses quotes
from people present such as the bishop of Agen. Also, Bokenkotter uses mostly
secondary sources on topics such as the cahiers de doléance and events that happened in
the Estates General. RW
Brown, Stewart J. and Timothy Tackett. The Cambridge History of Christianity: Enlightenment,
Reawakening and Revolution 1660-1815. Cambridge: University Press, 2006.
The Cambridge History of Christianity: Enlightenment, Reawakening and Revolution
1660-1815 focuses on Christianity as a whole in Europe before it begins to focus on
religion in France during the French Revolution. Tackett argues that the French
Revolution is one of the most critical points in Christianity’s history, provided a statesponsored assault on Christianity, and later created the first separation of church and state
in modern history. Tackett uses several secondary sources, but predominantly uses
primary sources such as the French philosophies, mémoires judiciaires, and works by
Stanislaus Fréron and abbé Barruel. RW
Burke, Edmund. Reflections on the Revolution in France. Edited by J.C.D. Clark. Stanford,
California: Stanford University Press, 2001.
Reflections on the Revolution in France in large focuses on Edmund Burke, its objective
is discusses who he was, his knowledge of France, his theory of the French Revolution,
and his crusade against the Revolution historically without any bias. Thus, Clark provides
an evaluation on a primary source, Edmund Burke’s writings, and explains Burke’s logic
and why he holds his views on the events of the French Revolution. RW
Crook, Malcolm, “Citizen Bishops: Episcopal Elections in the French Revolution,” The
Historical Journal 43, no. 4 (2000): 955-976.
Crook argues that the Civil Constitution of the Clergy not only reformed the Catholic
Church, but also served as a turning point in the French Revolution that resulted in
several schisms forming. Crook argues that studies have been done to explain how the
Civil Constitution of the Clergy influenced the clergy, but the effect on the lay people is
not as well known. He believes by examining the episcopal elections of 1790-91, and the
winners, one can get an understanding to the impact on the laity. Crook uses primary
sources such as the Civil Constitution of the Clergy. He also uses maps to portray many
important aspects of his argument. RW
Gibson, Ralph. A Social History of French Catholicism, 1789-1914. London: Routledge, 1989.
Gildea, Robert. The Past in French History. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994.
Lewis, Gwynne. Life in Revolutionary France. London: B.T. Bastford LTD, 1972.
Tackett, Timothy. Religion, Revolution, and Regional Culture in Eighteenth-Century France:
The Ecclesiastical Oath of 1791. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1986.
The Vendée and the Western Uprising
Conde, Maryse. Callaloo: In the Time of the Revolution. John Hopkins University Press, 2002.
Connelly, Owen. Rebel Leadership in the Vendée (1793-94). New York: Routledge, 2006.
Connelly’s article is a good source for information on the Vendée and especially the
leaders of the Vendée rebel army. This article focuses mostly on Henri de La
Rochejaquelein, who achieved many victories considering the rebel army was untrained.
This journal also talks about the defeat of the Vendée army and gives reasons why they
didn’t succeed in their rebellion, listing a view undisciplined and too contained. Rebel
Leadership in the Vendée is a good source to get to know the leaders of the Vendée army
and some of the Revolutionary army and it gives good reasons why this rebellion didn’t
work. This is a good source because it gives good information about the leaders of the
Vendée. JW
Jones, Adam. A Comparison of the Vendée Uprising of 1793-94 & the Bosnian War of the
1990s: Journal of Genocide Research. New York: Routledge, 2006
Le Goff, T. J. A. & D.M. G, Sutherland. The Social Origins of the Counter-Revolution in
Western France. New York: Oxford University Press, 1983
Ross, Michael. Banners of the King: The War of the Vendée 1793-94. London, England: Seeley
Service & Co, 1975.
Ross’s book is a good source for any information regarding the Vendée uprising. Ross
starts with background information on the western region of France and the people who
lived there. He then jumps right into the uprising, discussing why people of the Vendée
first started revolting again the Revolution. Ross goes on to talk about the National
Assemblies and other assemblies responses to these revolts and how eventually they
would destroy this uprising. But also he goes into detail about certain battles and
important people who effected this uprising positively or negatively. Banners of the King
is a great source to understand the Vendée uprising. It gives good descriptions of battles
and their effects on the people of the Vendée and the rest of France. Ross also focuses on
specific people in the uprising such as d’Elbée, who became the generalissimo after
Cathelineau died and lead the Vendean royal army. Banners of the King is a very reliable
source and goes hand in hand with other sources about the Vendée and the uprising. It is
hard to tell if Ross has a bias but the way he writes at times makes it seem as if he is more
sympathetic to the Vendean royalist. Banners of the King is another great source to
understand the Vendée uprising. It allows you to get a closer look at certain events or
people that were part the uprising, such as certain battles and people. This source is
important to research because it gives more magnified information on certain events and
on certain people that Bruté could have witnessed or heard about during the uprising. JW
Secher, Reynalds, & George, Holoch. A French Genocide; The Vendée. South Bend: Notre
Dame Press, 2003.
Secher and Reynalds’ book is a controversial source for information on the Vendée
uprising and the results of such uprising. They start by discussing how the people of the
western France were not different from anyone else during that time. It was the fact that
the assembly wanted to impose laws that were against the Vendeans beliefs and culture,
while also giving benefits to bourgeois in Paris while they were getting higher taxes.
Then they magnify the result of the uprising; Secher writes that over 110,000 thousand
people either died or disappeared. A French Genocide: the Vendée is a good source to see
the results of this uprising and the brutality the assembly had on the people of western
France. Its use of the word “genocide” has been criticized by other scholars. It also gives
a good perspective on the fact that they wanted the revolution as well and were for it, it
was the assembly that imposed unjust laws on them to cause the revolt. This journal is
good for research because it gives a reason why Bruté hated the revolution so much. JW
Tackett, Timothy. The West in France in 1789: The Religious Factor in the Origins of the
Counter Revolution. Chicago, Illinois: The University of Chicago Press, 1982.
Tackett’s article is a good source for information regarding the Vendée uprising and the
Catholic Church. Tackett first talks about the two different reasons why the western part
of France started an uprising. Whether it was economical or religious is still up to debate,
but religious reasons for uprising were strong. He then goes into comparing the difference
between the church and clergy in western France and the Parisian Basin. He also goes
into how the decisions decided by the assemblies of the revolution affected the Catholic
Church in western France. This helped light the fire of the counter revolution and
uprising in the Vendée. The West in France in 1789: the Religious Factor in the Origins
of the Counter Revolution is a great source to understand how the Catholic Church
affected the Vendée uprising. It gives a good idea of how the peasants, nobility, and
clergy lived together in the west. Tackett also focuses on how the west was different from
the other parts of France especially the Parisian Basin. This article is a very good source
and has a lot of valuable information about the church and their influences in western
France. The West in France in 1789: the Religious Factor in the Origins of the Counter
Revolution is a good source to understand the Catholics Church’s influenced and affected
the Vendée uprising. It gives the reader a good perspective of Bruté because he was a
Catholic and became a bishop in America. It also looks at how influential the church was
in Western France. JW
Tilly, Charles. The Vendée. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1976.
Tilly’s book is the main source for any information needed about the Vendée and the
Vendée uprising. Tilly starts with discussing and talking about what life was like before
the Revolution and the Vendée uprising. Tilly examines certain cities, regions and the
rural parts of western France. To give the reader an idea of what type of people lived in
these places and what their beliefs were. He then goes into the Revolution and how the
western part of France experienced it and their response to the Revolution. Tilly goes on
to discuss how the revolution affected the economy and the Catholic Church not just
throughout France but mainly focuses on the Vendée and western France. Finally at the
end of his book he talks about the uprising and the conflict throughout western France
and how it was put down. The Vendée is the best source to understand the Vendée, how
the revolution affected the people of the Vendée, and how certain cultural beliefs in the
Vendée went hand in hand with the uprising. It explains the impact that the Vendée and
uprising had on the Revolution. The Vendée is extremely helpful to understand the
Vendée and how the Revolution affected the Vendée and its people, while also
understanding how the Vendée and its people affected the French Revolution. This
source is important to research because it allows people to understand where Bruté came
from, what he experienced as a child, and to understand his hatred for the Revolution.
JW
Counterrevolution
Garrett, Clarke. “The Myth of the Counterrevolution in 1789.” French Historical Studies 18, no.
3 (1994): 784-800.
Garrett’s writing looks at the counterrevolution in an interesting perspective. He argues
that the Counterrevolution only existed as a response to the actions and ideas of the
revolution. He believes the counterrevolution could only exist once there were
revolutionary ideas for them to oppose. He uses many different articles and books to help
strengthen his argument. SR
Hanson, Paul. “Monarchist Clubs and the Pamphlet Debate over Political Legitimacy in the
Early Years of the French Revolution.” French Historical Studies 21, no. 2 (1998): 299324.
Hanson’s article discusses the legitimacy of Monarchist clubs and the pamphlet debate
that ensued. He argues that the leaders of these clubs, and their ties to émigré princes, as
well as events in the towns helped shape the public opinion of Monarchist clubs and led
to political debates. The author discusses many pamphlets and writings from the
revolutionary period and previous research on the subject. He also includes pictures and
diagrams to help illustrate his point. SR
Hunt, Lynn. “The Political Geography of Revolutionary France.” The Journal of
Interdisciplinary History 14, no. 3 (1984): 535-559.
Hunt discusses the regional differences that were present in France during the revolution.
She argues that these differences were what led to different regions responding
differently to the revolution. Hunt uses many studies and overviews on revolutionary
France to back up her study. She also points out differences from other studies that
disagree with hers to provide contrast to what she is saying. SR
Markoff, John. “Contexts and Forms of Rural Revolt: France in 1789.” The Journal of Conflict
Resolution 30, no. 2 (1986): 253-289.
McClellan, Michael. “Counterrevolution in Concert: Musical and Political Dissent in
Revolutionary France.” The Music Quarterly 80, no. 1 (1996): 31-57.
McClellan’s article shows the effect that music, drama, and creative writing had on the
revolution. He argues that that these provided means for people to express their
opposition to the revolution and that they became a main form of political dissent during
the revolution. He uses many examples of lines from music, poetry, and drama to provide
insight into their political connotations. He also uses previous writings on the subject to
help back up his own argument. SR
Mitchell, Harvey. “Resistance to the Revolution in Western France.” Past & Present 63 (1974):
94-131.
Tackett, Timothy. “Women and Men in Counterrevolution: The Sommières Riot of 1791.” The
Journal of Modern History 59, no. 4 (1987): 680-704.
Tilly, Charles. “State and Counterrevolution in France.” Social Research 56, no. 1 (1989): 71-97.
Tilley’s writing gives a very broad and informative overview on the counterrevolution in
France. He argues that effect of the revolution on the political structure of France led to
the formation of counterrevolutionary groups who wanted to maintain the old political
order. He uses large quantity and variety of sources including journals, books, and
previous research. He also incorporates primary source documents from the revolutionary
era into his work. SR
Katie Price, Sean Reeves, Joe Warnstedt, and Ross Wickstrom prepared this bibliography.