Ap world vocab 5.1-5.2

Social Contract

An agreement between the people and their government signifying their consent to be governed.

• The Enlightenment idea that people implicitly agree to give up some individual freedoms to a government in exchange for the protection of their rights and the maintenance of social order,

Philosophes

Writers during the Enlightenment who popularized the new ideas of the time.

• The public intellectuals and writers of the 18th-century Enlightenment, primarily French, who championed reason, individualism, and critical thinking to challenge traditional authority and advocate for social, political, and scientific reforms

Enlightenment

A movement in the 18th century that advocated the use of reason in the reappraisal of accepted ideas and social institutions.

• Intellectuals in the 17th and 18th centuries began to emphasize reason over tradition and individualism over community values.

• An 18th-century European intellectual movement emphasizing reason, individualism, and skepticism, challenging traditional authority (monarchy, church) with ideas like natural rights, liberty, and social contracts, which fueled democratic revolutions (American, French, Haitian) and modern concepts of governance

Deism

God is a watchmaker; The religion of the Enlightenment (1700s). Followers believed that God existed and had created the world, but that afterwards He left it to run by its own natural laws.

Liberalism

A political and economic philosophy emphasizing individual rights, personal freedoms, limited government, constitutional rule, and free markets

• Liberalism is a political and economic philosophy that emphasizes individual freedoms, equality, and limited government intervention in personal and economic matters. This ideology emerged as a response to the authoritarian systems of the past, advocating for civil liberties, democratic governance, and the protection of human rights

Conservatism

A political ideology emphasizing tradition, established institutions (church, monarchy, aristocracy), gradual change, and social order.

• A belief in traditional institutions, favoring reliance on practical experience over ideological theories, such as that of human perfectability.

Empiricism

The view that knowledge originates in experience and that science should, therefore, rely on observation and experimentation

Nationalism

A feeling of intense loyalty to others who share one's language and culture. Often linked with a desire for territory.

Classical liberalism

A belief in natural rights, constitutional government, laissez-faire economics, and reduced spending on armies and established churches.

• An 18th-century philosophy emphasizing individual rights (life, liberty, property), limited government, the rule of law, and free-market (laissez-faire) economics.

Feminism

The belief that women should have economic, political, and social equality with men. The movement and ideology advocating for social, political, and economic equality for women

Abolitionism

The movement to end the Atlantic slave trade and free all enslaved people gained followers in the 18th century.

• The 18th-19th century international social and political movement to end slavery and the slave trade was driven by Enlightenment ideals, religious beliefs, and humanitarian concerns.

Zionism

The desire of Jews to re-establish an independent homeland where their ancestors had lived in the Middle East.

• The late 19th-century nationalist movement advocating for the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine (the ancient Land of Israel) due to rising European antisemitism and European nationalism

Anti-Semitism

hostility to or prejudice against Jews.

Wealth of Nations (Adam Smith)

British philosopher and writer Adam Smith's 1776 book that described his theory on free trade, otherwise known as laissez-faire economics.

• Smith responded to mercantilism by calling for freer trade. He generally advocated for laissez-faire, a French phrase for "leave alone." His ideas provided a foundation for capitalism.

Laissez-faire

Policy that the government should interfere as little as possible in the nation's economy.

• An economic philosophy advocating minimal government interference in the market, letting individuals pursue self-interest for economic prosperity

Capitalism

An economic system where private individuals or companies own the means of production (factories, resources) and operate them for profit in a competitive market, driven by supply, demand, and innovation.

• An economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.

Socialism

An economic and political theory advocating community/state ownership or regulation of production/resources, aiming for wealth redistribution and social welfare

• A system in which society, usually in the form of the government, owns and controls the means of production.

Utopian Socialists

Early 19th-century thinkers like Robert Owen, Charles Fourier, and Saint-Simon, who proposed ideal, cooperative communities to counter industrial capitalism's problems, advocating for shared ownership, equality, and communal living to create a more humane society through peaceful, visionary models rather than revolution or class struggle, laid the groundwork for later socialist movements.

Fabian Society

An association of British socialists who advocate gradual reforms within the law, leading to democratic socialism.

• British socialist organization (est. 1884) advocating gradual, democratic socialism (Fabianism) through reform, education, and influencing politics, rather than revolution.

• Reform through parliamentary means

American Revolution (1775-1783)

Colonial revolt against British rule that lasted from 1775 to 1783, resulting in the independence of the thirteen American colonies and the formation of the United States. This revolution was heavily influenced by Enlightenment ideas, leading to the establishment of democratic principles and the questioning of traditional authority.

• A colonial revolt where the Thirteen Colonies fought for independence from British rule, driven by Enlightenment ideals (liberty, natural rights) and grievances over taxation without representation, leading to the formation of the U.S

Declaration of Independence (1776)

The fundamental document establishing the US as an independent nation was adopted on July 4, 1776. It declared the 13 colonies independent from Britain, offered reasons for the separation, and laid out the principles for which the Revolution was fought.

• Expressed the philosophy behind the colonists' fight against British rule. In the document, Thomas Jefferson picked up the phrase "unalienable rights" from John Locke (life, liberty, pursuit of happiness)

• A foundational document asserting the American colonies' right to self-govern, separating from Britain by articulating Enlightenment ideals like natural rights ("Life, Liberty, Pursuit of Happiness") and government by consent

French Revolution

The revolution that began in 1789 overthrew the absolute monarchy of the Bourbons and the system of aristocratic privileges, and ended with Napoleon's overthrow of the Directory and seizure of power in 1799.

• A radical period of social and political upheaval that overthrew France's absolute monarchy, dismantled feudalism, and introduced democratic ideals (liberty, equality, fraternity) and nationalism

• A pivotal event marking the end of absolute monarchy and feudalism in France, fueled by Enlightenment ideals, financial crises, and social inequality, leading to radical political and social change, the rise of republicanism, the Reign of Terror, and ultimately Napoleon's ascent

Declaration of the Rights of Man

The French Revolution document that outlined what the National Assembly considered to be the natural rights of all people and the rights that they possessed as citizens.

• A key French Revolution document asserting universal, inherent rights (liberty, property, security) for all men, inspired by Enlightenment ideals and natural law. A statement declaring basic human rights.

Reign of Terror

The French Revolution's radical phase, marked by extreme political repression, mass executions (especially by guillotine) of perceived enemies, and rule by the Committee of Public Safety (led by Robespierre) to enforce revolutionary ideals, ultimately showing the conflict between liberty and radical control.

• A period during which the government executed thousands of opponents of the revolution, including the king and queen, sprang from the Jacobins. After a period of turmoil and war, the brilliant general Napoleon Bonaparte became emperor of France in 1804.

A period during which the government executed thousands of opponents of the revolution, including the king and queen, and sprang from the Jacobins.

Liberte, egalite, et fraternite

The foundational motto of the French Revolution (1789), representing core Enlightenment-inspired democratic ideals: individual freedom from oppression, equal rights for all citizens under the law, and national solidarity (brotherhood)

• A French motto that translates to 'Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.' It emerged during the French Revolution as a rallying cry for the rights of citizens and the principles of democracy

Haitian Revolution

(1791-1804) The first and only successful slave revolt; Slaves of the Saint Domingue colony (responsible for half of the world's sugar and coffee) of France revolted and successfully gained control of the island; renamed Haiti in the native Taino language; "remember Haiti".

• A successful slave revolt in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, resulting in the world's first free black republic, Haiti, and the first successful slave rebellion in history

Bolivar Revolutions

A revolution against Spain led by Simon Bolivar. It resulted in the creation of multiple independent countries, which was not the goal ( one unified country ). The desire for independence also arose from creoles (who refused support from mestizos, indians, and mulattos).

• The early 19th-century independence movements in South America, led by Simón Bolívar, a Creole aristocrat who, inspired by Enlightenment ideas, liberated vast territories (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia) from Spanish rule, aiming for republican governments and a unified "Gran Colombia," though these revolutions ultimately led to fragmented nations and instability.

Simon Bolivar

The most important military leader in the struggle for independence in South America. Born in Venezuela, he led military forces there and in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.

• Some creoles, such as Simon Bolivar, continued to push for enlightenment ideals in Latin America. He became instrumental in the independence of areas that became Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

Propaganda Movement

The 1882 movement in the Philippines involved magazines, pamphlets, and other publications that demanded social and political reforms. Filipino intellectuals in Spain advocating for political reforms in the Philippines, seeking representation as a Spanish province, not independence, through literature (like Rizal's novels) and journalism, fostering national identity against colonial oppression

• A late 19th-century campaign led by Filipino intellectuals aimed at reforming Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines through advocacy, literature, and education.

• A Filipino intellectual campaign in Europe, led by ilustrados (educated elites like José Rizal), using writings (like La Solidaridad) to advocate for political reforms and greater Filipino rights within Spanish colonial rule, promoting national consciousness, not outright revolution initially, but laying groundwork for future nationalism by highlighting injustices and demanding representation

Italian unification

In 1848, Italy was separated into many states. Cavour worked to unify the North, then helped Giuseppe Garibaldi unify the South staritng with Sicily. Garibaldi eventually stepped aside and handed over all of Southern Italy to Victor Emmanuel II (King of Sardinia) rule all of the now unified Italy.

• Count di Cavour, the prime minister of Piedmont-Sardinia, led the drive to unite the entire Italian peninsula under the only native dynasty, the House of Savoy. The 19th-century political and social movement that united fragmented Italian states into the Kingdom of Italy, driven by nationalism and led by figures like Cavour (the "brains," using Realpolitik), Mazzini (the "soul," inspiring nationalist ideas), and Garibaldi (the "sword," a military hero)

Realpolitik

Political realism or practical politics, especially policy based on power rather than on ideals.

• A pragmatic and strategic approach to politics that prioritizes practicality over ideology or moral considerations.

• A pragmatic, power-focused approach to politics and foreign policy, prioritizing national interests, practicality, and achievable goals over ideology, ethics, or moral principles, often involving shrewd diplomacy, alliances, and force to gain power and security

Risorgimento

"Renewal, to be born" movement in Italy to recreate a strong, unified Italian nation-state (Italian nationalist movement). Italian for "resurgence" refers to the 19th-century political and social movement for Italian unification, transforming fragmented states into a single nation, driven by nationalism, cultural identity, and figures like Mazzini, Cavour, and Garibaldi, culminating in the Kingdom of Italy by 1870

Ottomanism

Movement in the 1870s and 1880s that aimed to create a more modern, unified state by minimizing ethnic, linguistic, and religious differences across the empire.

• An ideology that aimed to create a sense of unity among the diverse peoples and cultures within the Ottoman Empire, promoting loyalty to the empire above individual ethnic or religious identities

Maroons

Enslaved Africans who escaped from plantations and established independent communities in the Americas, particularly in regions like the Caribbean and Brazil. They joined the Haitian Revolution

Mestizos

A person of mixed Native American and European ancestry. People of mixed European (primarily Spanish/Portuguese) and Indigenous American ancestry who emerged as a distinct social group in colonial Latin America.

Peninsulares

Colonists who were born in Spain or Portugal. People born in Spain (the Iberian Peninsula) who settled in the Spanish colonies of Latin America

Mulattoes

Those of African and either European or indigenous ancestry. A person of mixed Black and White ancestry