AP World History Unit 5 Revolution’s

Social Contract

Idea that governments are formed by the people to meet their needs—not by divine right—and that people agree to be governed in exchange for protection of rights.

John Locke

Enlightenment thinker who believed people are born with natural rights (life, liberty, property); government must protect these rights or be overthrown.

Thomas Hobbes

Believed in a powerful government to preserve peace; people are naturally selfish and need strict control.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Believed government should reflect the general will of the people; emphasized freedom and equality.

Montesquieu

Promoted separation of powers into executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

Voltaire

Advocated for freedom of religion and speech; criticized the Catholic Church and absolute monarchy.

Mary Wollstonecraft

Argued for women’s political rights, including voting and holding office.

Adam Smith

Economist who believed in free-market capitalism; introduced idea of the "invisible hand."

Cesare Beccaria

Critic of harsh punishments; argued for rights of the accused and reform in criminal justice.

Declaration of Independence

1776 document asserting American colonies' freedom from Britain, inspired by Enlightenment ideas.

Estates-General

French governing body with representatives from the three estates (clergy, nobility, commoners).

Bastille

French prison stormed in 1789, marking the beginning of the French Revolution.

Jacobins

Radical revolutionary group during the French Revolution that led to the execution of King Louis XVI.

Napoleon Bonaparte

French general who rose to power after the Revolution; enacted Napoleonic Code and expanded French empire.

Congress of Vienna

1815 meeting of European powers to restore balance after Napoleon’s defeat and to prevent future revolutions.

Toussaint L’Ouverture

Led a successful slave revolt in Haiti, resulting in independence from France.

Simón Bolívar

South American independence leader who freed Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador from Spanish rule.

José de San Martín

Led independence movements in Argentina, Chile, and Peru.

Miguel Hidalgo

Mexican priest who initiated a revolt against Spanish rule in 1810.

Enclosure Movement

Practice of fencing off common lands; displaced farmers and contributed to urban migration.

Cotton Gin

Invented by Eli Whitney; drastically increased cotton processing and demand for slave labor.

Steam Engine

Invented by James Watt (refined it); major power source of the Industrial Revolution.

Factory System

Replaced domestic system; workers and machines centralized in factories, increasing production.

Karl Marx

Co-wrote The Communist Manifesto; believed in class struggle and advocated for socialism/communism.

Labor Unions

Groups formed by workers to demand better pay, hours, and conditions.

Otto von Bismarck

Prussian prime minister who unified Germany through wars and diplomacy.

Count Camillo Cavour

Prime minister of Sardinia who led Italian unification with help from Garibaldi.

Russification

Policy under Alexander III requiring all people in Russia to adopt Russian culture and language.

Emancipation Edict (1861)

Issued by Alexander II of Russia; freed serfs but with limited impact.

Nationalism

Belief in the right of people to form independent nations based on common culture, language, and history.