What does historical research tell us about the social character and ideas of the Parisian sans-culotte?

Résumé du document

With his ?Phrygians cap' also called ?bonnet rouge' or the ?cap of liberty'; his blue-white-red striped long-trousers, his carmagnole (short-skirted coat) and his sabots (wooden shoes) characterized the Parisian sans-culotte who was one of the most famous, symbolic active figures of the French Revolution. Throughout the revolution, especially during the short but significant period of the Terror (1793-1794), the Parisian sans-culotte took part in the movement of the sans-culotterie played and played a major role in the radicalization and the acceleration of the revolution. In fact, The Parisian sans-culotte appeared during the revolution as the main opponent of the monarchy and overall of the aristocracy. The name sans-culotte originally used by aristocrats as a ridicule name, in order to describe the revolutionaries who did not wear knee breeches like the upper class but long trousers, quickly became a "mark of pride". For the Parisian sans-culotte, his name and at the same time his costume were the symbols of the revolutionary struggle against privileges and a way to erect barriers between them and the fortunate aristocracy class.

Extraits

[...] These linguistic particularities were very popular and had a great echo during the first years of the Revolution. However, after the 9th Thermidor of the year II that is to say June 27th 1794, the tutoiement started to disappear and finally after 1795 and the failure of the last journées revolutionaires the practice was abandoned. Concerning his clothes, we must underline that the traditional costume of the sans-culottes is clearly full of symbols and emblems. Indeed, one of the main emblematic accessories of the Parisian sans-culotte was the Phrygian cap. [...]

[...] The idea of property also means that a man is the rightful owner of his production, for example a farmer is the owner of the crops he cultivated. From the idea of Equality the social aspirations of the sans-culottes were based on two main ideas: the droit à l'existence and the égalité des jouissance. The former one is the right of each citizen to provide a correct life for himself and his family, including in particular a good supply of foods. The second idea appeared as the consequence of the principle of Equality, that is to say same opportunities for all. [...]

[...] Moreover, in addition to the traditional clothes worn by the Parisian sans-culotte, we can evoke the Pike as another symbol of the sans-culotterie. The Pike was clearly a popular weapon, and thus the symbol of the “people in arms” Cobb Ricahrd The French and their Revolution: selected writings edited and introduced by David Gilmour, (London 1998) ibid wed site, In that way, the sans-culotte was clearly a symbolic and emblematic figure of the French Revolution and appeared during the Revolution and even today as the personification of patriotism and Liberty. [...]

[...] Andress David French society in revolution 1789-1799, (Manchester University Press Soboul Albert The Parisian Sans-Culottes and the French Revolution 1793-4, (Oxford University Press 1964) 3. Albert Soboul Les sans-culottes, (Seuil-Point histoire 2004) As a conclusion, we can say that the Parisian sans-culotte was really an important figure of the French Revolution and today, one of the main symbols of this period. Furthermore, the sans-culotte and all its attributes (Phrygians cap, Pike, Sabots, trousers ) have today a central place in the French symbolism. [...]

[...] Moreover, the movement of the sans-culotterie was one of the most powerful factions of the Revolution. A good example of this power is the storming of the Tuilleries (residence of the King) by the sans-culottes on August 10th However, this strong movement appeared also to be a very vulnerable one. Indeed, the heterogeneity of the sans-culotterie is evoked by Soboul as the main reason of the sans-culotterie's fall1. But, this interpretation is not accepted by Richard Andrew and Richard Cobb2. [...]