france revolution and enlightenment

Absolute Monarch

Kings or Queens that had all the power within their borders and wanted to control every aspect of society.

Divine Right

Belief that God created the monarchy system and gave monarchs the ability to rule as representatives of God.

King Louis XVI

King of France during the French Revolution, executed by the guillotine.

Versailles Palace

Royal palace built during the reign of Louis XIV which he used to enforce his power and prestige.

Enlightenment

Intellectual movement that stressed reason, thought, and the power of individuals to solve problems in society.

Thomas Hobbes

Believed that people are born selfish and wicked and that a strong central government was needed for society.

John Locke

English philosopher who argued that people had the natural rights of life, liberty, and property.

Voltaire

(1694-1778) French philosopher who believed in freedom of speech, religion, and tolerance.

Montesquieu

(1689-1755) French political philosopher who advocated the separation of powers.

Rousseau

Believed that people had to give up some rights to serve the common good.

Wollstonecraft

English writer and early feminist who denied male supremacy and advocated equal education for women.

Estates General Meeting

France's traditional national assembly with representatives of the three estates; its calling in 1789 led to the French Revolution.

First Estate

The Clergy.

Second Estate

The Nobility.

Third Estate

The Bourgeoisie/The Commoners.

National Assembly of France

Governing body of France that succeeded the Estates-General in 1789, composed of delegates of the Third Estate.

Tennis Court Oath

A pledge made by France's National Assembly in 1789 to keep meeting until they wrote a new constitution.

Storming of the Bastille (July 14, 1789)

800 protesters demanded guns and ammunition; troops fired; prison was stormed.

Radicals

People who take extreme political positions.

Reign of Terror (1793-1794)

Ten-month period of brutal repression when ~40,000 people were executed as enemies of the French Revolution.

The Directory

Five-man governing body established after the Reign of Terror; corrupt and short-lived.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Overthrew the French revolutionary government (The Directory) in 1799, became emperor of France in 1804.

Jacobins

Radical republicans during the French Revolution led by Maximilien Robespierre (1793-1794).

Sans-culottes

Radical group of Parisian wage-earners and shopkeepers wanting more voice, lower prices, and food security.

Committee of Public Safety

Led by Robespierre, fixed bread prices, nationalized some businesses, and controlled the war effort during the Reign of Terror.

Marie Antoinette

Queen of France (wife of Louis XVI), unpopular for extravagance; executed in 1793.

Napoleonic Code

Civil code by Napoleon granting equality of all male citizens, property rights, and the Bank of France.

Napoleonic Wars

French wars against England, Prussia, Russia, and Austria led by Napoleon.

Estates

France's traditional national assembly with representatives of the three estates, or classes, in French society: the clergy, nobility, and commoners. The calling of the Estates General in 1789 led to the French Revolution