The first French society to take the name club was Le Club Politique, established in 1782, and a few years later, Le Club de Boston or Club des Americains, was formed in Paris. The political clubs had no regular form, as they were tolerated only during revolutionary epochs. The Club des Jacobins, the Club des Feuillants, the Club des Cordeliers and the Club de Mont rouge were the most famous clubs of the time of the first French Revolution and formed the storm-centres of that movement. None of the French clubs survived the coup d'etat of 9 Nov. 1799, by which Napoleon overthrew the Di rectory. Two clubs were formed during the revolution of 1830, but they were both dissolved by the law relating to associations. At the revolution of February 1848 hosts of clubs started into existence, the most celebrated of which was the Central Republican Society (SociCte centrale republicoine), but their dura tion was short, for the Constituent Assembly in the following year ordered them all to be closed.
About the same periods as in France, politi cal clubs were introduced into Italy, Germany and Spain, especially during the time of the first French Revolution and that of 1848. In Germany, however, they were put down by a law of the empire in 1793 and in 1832 a federal decree was issued prohibiting all kinds of po litical societies and assemblies. In 1848 the number of clubs found in Italy, and particularly in Germany, was very great, but their collapse was as sudden as their rise. Later in the cen tury municipal clubs, somewhat on the "good government° order, arose in Prussia. The city of Berlin had 75 such organizations in 1896. Some of these clubs maintain death-benefit and savings-bank features. Social clubs of the Eng lish type have not spread rapidly on the Conti nent. In France the name cercle was given to clubs of this nature. The most fashionable clubs of Paris are Le Cercle de la rue Royale and the Jockey Club. Many sports besides horse-racing are represented in the club life of the French capital. The automobilists and the devotees of yachting, fencing, etc., have their separate organizations. There are also cercles for army officers, for literary men, for artists and one connected with agricultural interests. Alpine clubs (q.v.) are found in many European countries. The French society of that name has numerous branches. Catholic clubs of workingmen exist in different parts of the country.
Although clubs were not unknown in the United States toward the close of the 18th cen tury (the Hoboken Turtle Club dating back to that period), yet their spread and development were slow previous to the Civil War. Among those antedating the War were the Union Club of New York (1836), the Somerset Club of Boston (1857) and the Maryland Club of Baltimore (1857). The Union League Club of New York (1863) grew out of the purpose to defend and perpetuate the national integrity, to encourage loyalty to the Federal govern ment. Other Union League clubs were formed later in Philadelphia and other cities; and in all the important centres of the country there grew up large and flourishing societies of a political or social nature, or such as combined the two features. The Manhattan Club became
the chief social Democratic club of New York. The Saint Nicholas Club represented a different type, a society founded upon a similarity of ancestry or antecedents and endeavoring to preserve historical associations. As these or ganizations have increased in number they have become more varied in character, until not only politics, science, art, music, literature, so ciology, religion, philanthropy and professional, commercial, social and sporting life are all rep resented, but the subdivisions are bewildering and continually increasing. Athletic clubs of various kinds are numerous and popular, abroad as well as in America.
University clubs draw together the college bred men of various sections or cities. The largest one of the kind in the United States is that in New York, which has over 3,500 members. The city has also a Yale, a Harvard, a Princeton and several other college clubs. Among the largest clubs of the metropolis, in addition to those already mentioned are the following: New York Athletic, New York Yacht, Century, Army and Navy, Metropolitan, Players, Lotus, The Knickerbocker Club, Au thors' Club, Press Club, Grolier Club, Catholic Club, Holland Society, etc. The Chicago Ath letic Club has 3,000. In Philadelphia, in addition to the Union League, the Manufacturers' Club, the Art Club, the Rittenhouse, and the New Century, are numerically strong. Clubs de voted to the cultivation of vocal music, many formed of the German element in our cities, are prominent. Among these societies are the Liederkranz, the Anon and the Mendelssohn.
Wherever the Anglo-Saxon race is repre sented in sufficient numbers, even in the remotest parts of the globe, the club idea has taken root, and we find English-speaking clubs or such as are suggested by or modeled upon English originals. India has more than 300 clubs; Peking has its Reform Club; Cairo its Cycling Club, and Zanzibar its Golf Club. The Scotch Thistle Club of Hawaii shows its origin in its name and springs from the same source as the Caledonian clubs of America. Indeed, the ten dency of men of a common blood to seek, when on a foreign soil, a social bond of unity, ac counts for a special type of club. The line be tween organizations calling themselves societies and those known as clubs is not always dis tinctly marked, but in general it may be said that where the social element is slight or lack ing, the term club is inappropriate. This element entered largely into organization of many women's clubs in the early history of such societies, but their literary, professional and especially their philanthropic features have become more prominent of late years. See BOYS' CLUBS; GIRLS' CLUBS; MOTHERS' CLUBS; WOMEN'S CLUBS; WORKINGMEN'S CLUBS.