officially Society of the Friends of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
Club founded in 1790 during the French Revolution to prevent the abuse of power and "infractions of the rights of man.
" Popularly named for its original meeting place at the nationalized monastery of the Cordeliers (Franciscans), the club became a political force under Jean-Paul Marat and Georges Danton . Leadership later fell to Jacques-Réne Hébert and others, who helped overthrow the Girondin s and gave the club a more radical tone. It fell into oblivion after Hébert's execution in 1794.