What were the September Massacres of 1792?

The September Massacres were a series of mass killings of prisoners that occurred in Paris from September 2 to September 6, 1792, during the French Revolution. Following the overthrow of the monarchy on August 10, 1792, the Parisian public feared that political prisoners were plotting a counterrevolutionary uprising from within their jails.1

The violence began when an armed band attacked prisoners being transferred to the Abbaye prison. Over the next four days, the killings spread to other city prisons, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths, many of whom were priests who had refused to accept the reorganization of the Revolutionary church. Most victims were killed following summary trials by hastily formed "popular tribunals," and civil authorities were unable to intervene.1

While the moderate Girondins blamed radical leaders like Georges Danton for the atrocities, there is no evidence that Danton or any single individual organized the event. It is widely regarded as an act of the Parisian people, though Danton was criticized for failing to take action to stop the violence.2