Jean Jacques Rousseau

Rousseau was born in Geneva, which were at the time a city-state and a Protestant relate of the Swiss Confederacy. Since 1536, Geneva had been a Huguenot republic and the place of Calvinism. Rousseau was proud that his family, of the moyen order (or middle-class) had voting rights in the town. Throughout his life, he describes himself as a citizen of Geneva.
In theory, Geneva was governed democratically by its male voting citizens, an alternative of the population. In fact, the town was ruled by a secretive executive committee, called the "Little Council," which was made up of 25 members of its wealthiest families. In 1707, a patriot called Pierre Fatio protested at this position, and the Little Council had him shot. Jean-Jacques Rousseau's father Isaac was not in the city at this moment, but Jean-Jacques's grandfather supported Fatio and was penalized for it.