AP World History – Unit 5: Revolutions

Vocabulary flashcards covering core political, scientific, and economic concepts, revolutions, and thinkers from AP World History Unit 5: Revolutions.

The Enlightenment

A movement where people used reason and science to question government and society.

Scientific Revolution

A time when people made new discoveries through science and experiments.

John Locke

A philosopher who believed people have natural rights: life, liberty, and property.

Popular Sovereignty

The idea that government gets its power from the people.

Social Contract

An agreement where people give government power in exchange for protection of their rights.

Laissez-faire Economics

The idea that the government should have little control over businesses and the economy.

Natural Laws

Rules of nature that apply to everyone and can be understood through reason.

Protestant Reformation

A movement that challenged the Catholic Church and led to new Christian religions.

Heliocentric Theory

The idea that Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun.

Deism

Belief in a creator who made the universe but does not interfere with it.

Montesquieu

A philosopher who believed government power should be divided into three branches.

American Revolution

The colonies fought against Britain to gain independence.

French Revolution

A revolution where people fought against the king and inequality in France.

Haitian Revolution

A successful revolt by enslaved people in Haiti against French colonial rule.

Latin American Revolutions

Revolutions where Latin American countries fought to gain independence from European rule.

A Vindication of the Rights of Women

A book by Mary Wollstonecraft arguing that women deserve equal education and rights.

Divine Right of Kings

The belief that kings get their power directly from God.

Absolutism

A government where one ruler has almost complete power.

Constitutionalism

The idea that government power should be limited by laws or a constitution.

Bourgeoisie

The middle class, especially wealthy business owners and merchants.

Mercantilism

An economic system where countries build wealth by exporting more than they import and controlling trade.