Le Père Duchesne Sparknotes

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The Sans-Cullotes During the French Revolution

1793 was an important year during the French Revolution, king Louis XVI was executed for his perjury, amongst other crimes. A month later, France declared war on Great Britain, causing food riots in Paris. There were also various "Federalist" revolts that erupted in many important provincial centres against Paris domination.

The source is a public document, due to the fact that it was published in a newspaper, "Le Père Duchesne". "Père Duchesne" was a name given to certain pamphleteers, who became the voice of the "sans-culottes", pro-revolutionary town folk that didn't wear breeches, but wore workmen's trousers as a political gesture amongst the working class civilians.

"Le Père Duchesne" was written and published by Jacques-René Hébert, a French journalist and revolutionary, he gained the support of the working classes through his newspaper and was prominent in the Cordeliers. Hébert was obviously interested in gaining political power through the general public with his pro-revolutionary views, however, eventually he was sentenced to death by the tribunal on the charge of formenting insurrection.

Jacques-René Hébert provides useful information in the extract taken from "Le Père Duchesne", on the "sans-culottes". …show more content…

He mentions that while the upper-class citizens attend theater and opera, the "sans-cullotes" play a major role in the construction of the Republic by working as farmers, blacksmiths and various other trades. He then adds that will fight without any hesitation for the "safety of the Republic". In some sense, the author tries to convey, that the "sans culottes" are the true citizens of the Republic. He also points out that they have strong political

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