Who proposed the 1880 law adopting 14 July as an annual national festival?

Benjamin Raspail proposed the 1880 law adopting 14 July as an annual national festival.

Raspail was a French republican politician, painter, and engraver who served as a representative of the Seine. On 21 May 1880, he introduced a proposal declaring 14 July the Republic’s annual national festival. The proposal was supported by 64 government members, reflecting the Third Republic’s effort to establish durable republican symbols.

The date was politically sensitive. It could recall the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, but also the Fête de la Fédération of 14 July 1790, a more conciliatory celebration of national unity. This dual reference helped lawmakers avoid making the national holiday solely about revolutionary violence.

The Assembly adopted the proposal on 8 June, the Senate approved it on 29 June, and the law was promulgated on 6 July 1880. Henri Martin later played an important role in the legislative debate and wording, which can cause confusion, but Raspail was the proposer of the law.