In 1781, a French gentlewoman named Marie-Jeanne Philippo married the wealthy businessman Jean-Marie Roland. After that she was usually referred to simply as Madame Roland, and still is in most books of quotations.
Her famous quote came on the last day of her life, when she was sent to the guillotine during the French Revolution’s bloody Reign of Terror.
Madame Roland and her husband were supporters of the the democratic goals of the French Revolution when it began in 1789.
The Rolands became active leaders of a moderate Revolutionist party called the Girondists. Unfortunately for them – and for thousands of other French citizens – a more extreme group took control of France a few years after the storming of the Bastille.
They were called the Jacobins and their leaders initiated “la Terreur,” which was essentially designed to eliminate anyone the Jacobin leaders thought might threaten their power. That included the Rolands.
In the spring of 1793, Madame Roland was taken prisoner in Paris. Her husband was away at the time and went into hiding.
Madame Roland was kept in prison for months. Finally, on November 8, 1793, she was sent to the guillotine, a few weeks after Marie Antoinette had met the same fate.
On the way to her execution, Madame Roland passed a large statue of the goddess Liberty that her former Revolutionist comrades had erected nearby (the same goddess portrayed by the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor).
According to historical accounts of the day, when Madame Roland saw the statue she looked at it sadly and said what would become a famous and still relevant quotation:
“O Liberté, que de crimes on commet en ton nom!” (“O Liberty! What crimes are committed in thy name!”)
Shortly thereafter, Madame Roland was beheaded. When her husband heard the news, he killed himself with his own sword.
For further reading, check out The Terror: The Shadow of the Guillotine: France 1792--1794
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