“I believe in the magic and authority of words.”
–René Char

The Sans-Culottes were the working-class people of Paris and other cities who participated in the great festivities of the French Revolution. They were identified by their clothing and demeanor; the sans-culottes were best known for their political radicalism. Their use of violence and intimidation made them the face of the radical revolution of the 1790s. To some, the sans-culottes were an amorphous but brutal mob that were always discontent and susceptible to rumors and gossip that were determined on achieving their aims with violence. However there are others who have ascribed some sense of complexity to the group.