Unit 5: Revolutions (copy)

Enlightenment

An intellectual movement in the 17th and 18th centuries emphasizing reason, observation, and the idea that human society can be studied and improved.

Natural Rights

Rights believed to belong to all humans by virtue of being human, not granted by the government.

Social Contract

The idea that government is formed by an agreement among the governed to create a state that protects them.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that legitimate political authority comes from the people, not from monarchy or divine right.

Separation of Powers

A design principle in which government is divided into branches, each with distinct powers to prevent tyranny.

Divine Right

The belief that kings are ordained by God to rule and that people have a moral obligation to obey them.

Mandate of Heaven

A Chinese political doctrine asserting that rulers must govern justly to maintain their legitimacy.

Thomas Hobbes

An Enlightenment thinker who favored an all-powerful ruler to preserve peace and stability.

John Locke

An Enlightenment thinker who argued that people are born equal and that government must secure natural rights.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

An Enlightenment thinker who believed that legitimate government reflects the general will of the community.

Voltaire

An Enlightenment advocate for religious toleration.

Montesquieu

An Enlightenment thinker who argued for the separation of powers in government.

Laissez-Faire

An economic principle advocating minimal government intervention in the economy.

Abolitionism

The movement to end the slave trade and slavery.

Neoclassical Period

A cultural movement imitating ancient Greek and Roman styles, emerging in the mid-eighteenth century.

Labor Unions

Organizations formed by workers to advocate for better wages and working conditions.

Reign of Terror

A period during the French Revolution characterized by mass executions of perceived enemies of the revolution.

Creole Nationalism

The pride and political consciousness of creoles, who were people of European descent born in the Americas.

Industrialization

The shift to economies powered by machines and factory organization, marking a significant change in production and society.

Urbanization

The growth of cities as people move from rural areas to urban centers, often driven by industrialization.

Bourgeoisie

The middle class who owned businesses or capital in industrial societies.

Proletariat

The working class who sold their labor for wages in industrial societies.

Child Labor

The employment of children in industrial work, often under harsh conditions.