Sans-Culottes |
No Socks? No Problem |
Growing crowds, made up of working class French people, took to the streets of Paris to protest the lack of political and economic progress. These groups were called the sans culottes. (Sans culottes means “without knee breeches.” Knee breeches were the clothing of wealthier people; the sans culottes usually wore long pants.)
The sans culottes tended to be fierce supporters of the most radical ideas of the Revolution. On June 20, 1792, crowds invaded the hall of the Leg- islative Assembly and threatened the king and his family in the Tuileries palace. “The Constitution has this Day I think given its last Groan.” |
The sans culottes began to play an increasingly important role in this phase of the French Revolution. While members of the assembly debated how to respond to the threats and problems facing France, the sans culottes took to the streets.
On August 10, 1792, twenty thousand sans culottes and members of the National Guard attacked the king’s residence in Paris, the Tuileries Palace. The king had fled to the Legislative Assembly, but his guards were all killed—many hacked to death by the angry mob.
Their most notorious and devastating protest occurred at the September Massacres.
On August 10, 1792, twenty thousand sans culottes and members of the National Guard attacked the king’s residence in Paris, the Tuileries Palace. The king had fled to the Legislative Assembly, but his guards were all killed—many hacked to death by the angry mob.
Their most notorious and devastating protest occurred at the September Massacres.