Trimester 1 Study Guide: Revolutions, Industrialization, and Imperialism

A set of 25 practice question-and-answer flashcards covering Enlightenment political philosophies, the French and Latin American Revolutions, the Industrial Revolution, and 19th-century European imperialism.

What was the Enlightenment?

An intellectual movement emphasizing reason, societal progress, and challenging traditional absolute authority.

What core revolutionary ideas did Enlightenment philosophers promote?

Natural rights, individual liberty, and government based on the consent of the governed.

What specific political contribution is Baron de Montesquieu exclusively known for?

The separation of powers, which divided government into branches to prevent tyranny.

Which Enlightenment thinkers collectively inspired the U.S. Bill of Rights, and through which ideas?

John Locke, Voltaire, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, through their writings on natural rights (life, liberty, property), freedom of speech/religion, and the social contract.

How was pre-revolutionary France's social class structure depicted in the 1789 political cartoon?

A peasant (the Third Estate) carrying the Clergy (First Estate) and Nobility (Second Estate) on his back, illustrating how the common people bore the heavy tax burden while the upper classes held all privileges.

What factors sparked growing anger leading to events like the Storming of the Bastille?

Growing anger over economic problems (food shortages, debt) and opposition to the absolute monarchy.

What core principle was proclaimed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man?

That 'all men are born free and equal in rights'.

Who led the Reign of Terror during the radical phase of the French Revolution?

Maximilien Robespierre.

How extreme was the Reign of Terror under Maximilien Robespierre?

It grew so extreme that no one was safe from the guillotine—including fellow revolutionaries.

What was the overall outcome and limitation of the French Revolution?

It successfully challenged traditional political and social systems, though many of its lofty goals of equality and freedom were not fully achieved in the short term.

Why did Napoleon Bonaparte have a mixed relationship with the French Revolution?

He preserved some revolutionary reforms (such as legal equality under the Napoleonic Code) while limiting political freedoms as an authoritarian ruler.

What was the major goal of European powers at the Congress of Vienna?

Restoring stability and a balance of power across Europe following Napoleon's defeat.

Who were the Peninsulares in Latin American colonial society?

Spanish-born officials sitting at the very top of Latin American colonial society.

Who were the Creoles, and what was their key role in Latin American revolutions?

People of European descent born in the colonies who resented the Peninsulares' monopoly on power and led many independence movements.

What two factors drove the Haitian Revolution in 1804?

Social inequality and the fight to end slavery.

What was the broader international impact of the Haitian Revolution's success?

Its success inspired other Latin American nations to declare independence from Spain.

What ideas influenced Simón Bolívar, and what was his major achievement?

He was heavily influenced by Enlightenment ideas of liberty and equality, and helped liberate multiple countries from Spanish rule.

Between which years did most Latin American nations gain independence, demonstrating nationalism as a dominant force?

Between 1810 and 1830.

What was the primary driver of urbanization in 19th-century Britain and Western Europe?

Industrialization, powered by new machines that allowed factories to produce goods more quickly and in larger quantities.

What negative consequences resulted from rapid, unregulated urban growth during the Industrial Revolution?

Severe pollution, overcrowded cities, and harsh working conditions for the urban poor.

What economic ideology was introduced in Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations?

Capitalism, advocating free markets and private ownership.

What economic ideology was introduced in Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels' The Communist Manifesto?

Communism, advocating a classless society and worker control of production in response to industrial inequality.

What three main causes drove 19th-century European imperialism?

The Industrial Revolution (need for raw materials and markets), Nationalism (competition among European powers), and Social Darwinism (the belief that stronger nations were naturally meant to rule weaker ones).

In imperialism, what is the difference between a colony and a sphere of influence?

A colony is a territory settled and directly ruled by people from another land to extract raw materials, while a sphere of influence is a region where an outside power claims exclusive trading privileges and controls the economy without direct political rule.

What impact did European imperialism have on Africa and Asia?

It introduced new technologies and transportation systems while causing cultural blending, but at the expense of local freedoms.