A young Parisian rugmaker joins a crowd of demonstrators. Some are armed with pikes, many wear red liberty caps, almost all wear the simple, loose fitting clothes of the artisans and workers of the city. Unsure of why they’re assembled, he asks the man beside him. A pamphlet is shoved into his hand; L’Ami du …
The sans-culottes, the name for the commoners that fought against the monarchy during the rebellion, were arguably the heart and soul of the French Revolution. With their name derived from their choice in apparel — loose fitting pantaloons, wooden shoes, and red liberty caps — the sans-culottes were workers, artisans, and shopkeepers; patriotic, uncompromising, egalitarian, …