ABSTRACT
The legislation that appeared during the half-century which bridges the Revolution signalled the collective nature of rural life was not immune to structural change. Napoleon and the restored Bourbons came to power their goal was not to return the commons to collective usage, but to make them financially viable for either the nation or the communities involved. In the Gard, at least 153 communes were affected by one or more of the legislative measures under investigation. After the declaration of war in April 1792 and the 'second revolution' of 10 August 1792, the inhabitants of the Midi found themselves in increasingly tense times. A comparable situation occurred in the Gard as Revolutionary, Napoleonic and Restoration land reforms allowed many petits vignerons in the region to secure plots of land on which to grow grape vines. It was during October 1793 that the Convention set up the Commission des Subsistances to oversee all matters relating to prices and the food supply.
