On July 14, 1789, the day the Bastille was stormed, the historic Parisian fortress held only seven inmates, a number far smaller than its infamous reputation might suggest. These individuals were not prominent political prisoners, but rather a diverse group confined for various reasons, reflecting the evolving role of the Bastille in the late 18th century.
The Inmates of the Bastille on July 14, 1789
Contrary to its formidable symbolism as a prison for political dissidents, the Bastille on the eve of the French Revolution housed a modest and largely non-political population. The seven inmates found within its walls comprised a mix of common criminals, individuals requiring mental health care, and one noble confined by his own family.
Specifically, the seven inmates consisted of:
- Four common counterfeiters: These individuals had been imprisoned for the crime of forging currency. Their presence indicates that the Bastille still served as a detention facility for serious non-political offenses, much like a conventional jail.
- Two mentally ill men: These inmates were confined due to their mental health conditions. In an era without modern psychiatric institutions, prisons like the Bastille sometimes housed individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others, or whose families could no longer manage their conditions.
- A count imprisoned at the request of his family: This aristocratic individual was a noble confined at the behest of his own family. Such imprisonments were often facilitated by lettres de cachet, royal warrants that allowed for detention without trial, frequently used by families to deal with disreputable behavior, scandalous affairs, or financial irresponsibility within their ranks.
Summary of the Bastille's Inmate Composition
| Inmate Category | Number | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Common Counterfeiters | 4 | Imprisoned for the crime of forging currency. |
| Mentally Ill Men | 2 | Confined due to mental health conditions. |
| Aristocratic Count | 1 | Imprisoned at the request of his own family, often via royal decree (lettre de cachet). |
| Total Inmates | 7 | A small, diverse group of non-political prisoners. |
The discovery of this small and largely apolitical group of prisoners by the revolutionaries who stormed the Bastille underscored that, by 1789, the fortress had largely ceased to be the feared symbol of royal tyranny and arbitrary political imprisonment it had once been.
