Global History Regents (copy) (copy)

Enlightenment

A period in European history when reasoning was used to understand and improve society.

Natural Rights

Concept by John Locke that individuals have rights to life, liberty, and property.

Checks and Balances

Montesquieu's idea that power should be separated among different branches of government.

Social Contract

Rousseau's theory that society is an agreement among individuals to work for the greater good.

French Revolution

The uprising in France (1789-1815) when the people overthrew King Louis XVI.

Third Estate

The social class in France that included mostly peasants and had the least rights and highest taxes.

Declaration of the Rights of Man

A document that granted equal rights to the men of France and established a fair system of taxation.

Reign of Terror

A period during the French Revolution when thousands were executed, led by the Jacobins.

Haitian Revolution

The revolt (1791-1804) in the French colony of Saint Domingue where slaves fought for independence.

Boukman Rebellion

A slave revolt that sparked the Haitian Revolution, led by Dutty Boukman.

Nationalism

Pride in one's country, often leading to the desire for independence or unification.

Unification of Italy

The process of combining various Italian states into one nation in 1870.

Unification of Germany

The process of uniting German states into one nation in 1871, led by Otto von Bismarck.

Industrial Revolution

The transition from hand production to machine production in factories.

Laissez Faire Capitalism

An economic system where businesses are owned by individuals with little government intervention.

Communist Manifesto

A book written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels that critiques capitalism and promotes communism.

Cold War

A period of political tension between the United States and the Soviet Union after WWII.

Containment

The U.S. policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism during the Cold War.

Decolonization

The process by which colonies gained independence from colonial powers after WWII.

Apartheid

A system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa.

Holocaust

The genocide during WWII where Hitler and the Nazis murdered six million Jews.

Genocide

The attempt to exterminate an ethnic group, often violating human rights.

Tiananmen Square Massacre

A violent suppression of pro-democracy protests in 1989 China.

Green Revolution

Technological advancements in agriculture that increased food production globally.

Human Rights

Basic rights that all humans are supposed to have, including freedom of speech and the right to live.