History glossary
brigands
armed bands or outlaws, often imagined during the Great Fear as hired enemies of peasant communities.
- Category
- Social term
- Region
- France
- Date range
- 1789
What it means
Brigands were armed bands or outlaws. During the Great Fear of 1789, rumours claimed nobles had hired brigands to attack peasants and destroy crops, helping to spread panic across rural France.
