Born in Paris on 14 July 1764 into a family of the petty bourgeoisie, Jean-François Varlet studied at the Collège d'Harcourt.
[citation needed] However, at 21 Varlet was too young to be eligible for an elected position, so he turned to popular agitation instead.
When Louis XVI attempted to flee Paris, Varlet circulated petitions in the National Assembly and spoke against the king.
[citation needed] On 10 August 1792, the Legislative Assembly suspended the king and called for the election of a National Convention to write a new constitution.
However, this was not a coherent political party, and another Enragés leader, Jacques Roux, even called for Varlet's arrest.
[6] On 22 February 1793, Jacques Roux and Jean-Francois Varlet emboldened the Parisian working poor to approach the Jacobin Club and persuade them to place price controls on necessary goods.