In the Reign of Terror: An English Lad in the French Revolution (1789-1799)

The storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, ushered in the French Revolution. Within four years, the king was executed and a revolutionary tribunal was established to judge “enemies of the people.” Led by Robespierre, the Jacobins sought to establish a “Republic of Virtue” and to achieve it, the property of nobles was seized and “enemies” tried and sent to the guillotine. Known as the Reign of Terror, everyone associated with the monarchy, expressed royalist views, or opposed the committee, faced potential execution. Harry Sandwith, a companion of a French family, wins their confidence and becomes the protector of the three daughters. After the girls are condemned to death in the coffin-ships, Harry saves the girls and the gets them safely to England.