AP World Unit 5 5.1-5.2

Enlightenment

An 18th-century intellectual movement that emphasized reason, empiricism, and individual rights over tradition and authority.

Reason

The Enlightenment belief that humans can understand the world and improve society through logical thinking.

Empiricism

The idea that knowledge comes from observation and sensory experience rather than tradition or religious doctrine.

Natural Rights

Rights people are born with, such as life, liberty, and property, which governments must protect.

Social Contract

The theory that governments exist because people consent to be governed.

Consent of the Governed

The principle that a government’s power comes from the people, not from divine right.

Secularism

The separation of church and state, promoted by Enlightenment thinkers.

Absolute Monarchy

A system of government where a ruler has complete control; challenged by Enlightenment ideas.

Popular Sovereignty

The belief that political authority ultimately rests with the people.

Declaration of Independence

A revolutionary document that used Enlightenment ideas to justify independence from Britain.

Age of Revolutions

The period from roughly 1750–1900 marked by widespread revolutions against monarchies and empires.

Nationalism

A sense of shared identity based on culture, language, history, or territory that motivates political unity or independence.

Nation-State

A political state whose people share a common national identity.

American Revolution

A colonial revolt (1775–1783) that established a republic and inspired other independence movements.

Haitian Revolution

The first successful slave revolt (1791–1804) that created an independent nation.

Latin American Independence Movements

Revolutions inspired by Enlightenment ideas that ended Spanish and Portuguese colonial rule.

Simón Bolívar

A leader who helped liberate several South American nations from Spanish control.

Liberalism (19th century)

An ideology advocating individual liberties, limited government, private property, and free markets.

Representative Government

A system where elected officials govern on behalf of the people.

Suffrage

The right to vote, which expanded during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Women’s Suffrage

A movement demanding women’s right to vote, rooted in Enlightenment ideals of equality.

Feminism (early)

Advocacy for women’s legal, political, and educational equality.

Mary Wollstonecraft

Enlightenment thinker who argued women should receive equal education.

Abolitionism

The movement to end slavery, influenced by Enlightenment ideas and religious beliefs.

End of Serfdom

The gradual elimination of forced peasant labor in Europe as part of social reform movements.