The French Revolution and Enlightenment Ideas

These flashcards cover key concepts, causes, and effects of the French Revolution and Enlightenment ideas, helping to prepare for an exam on these topics.

What were some of the main ideas from the Enlightenment?

Ideas centered around reason, individualism, and skepticism of traditional authority.

What effects might Enlightenment ideas have had on the common people of Europe?

These ideas likely inspired demands for political representation and social equality.

What was absolutism in the context of the French Revolution?

A political system where the monarch holds absolute power, often justified by the divine right of kings.

What are the three estates of the Ancient Regime in France?

1st Estate: Clergy, 2nd Estate: Nobility, 3rd Estate: Bourgeoisie and peasants.

What was the role of the 1st Estate in France?

The clergy, comprised of 1% of the population and owning 10-15% of the land, held significant power and influence.

What privileges did the 2nd Estate have?

Nobles enjoyed privileges such as no direct taxes and access to high courts.

What was the composition of the 3rd Estate?

Made up of the bourgeoisie, peasants, serfs, and sans-culottes, comprising 97% of the population.

What were the economic burdens faced by the 3rd Estate?

They faced heavy taxation including tithes, taille, capitation, feudal dues, and indirect taxes.

What were some short-term causes of the French Revolution?

Short-term causes included the financial crisis from deficit and bankruptcy, foreign policy issues, and political crisis.

What circumstances contributed to the political crisis just before the French Revolution?

Louis XVI was viewed as weak, and the luxurious court life led to increased discontent among the populace.

What were the effects of the bad harvest during the French Revolution period?

Bad harvests led to unemployment and food shortages, exacerbating social tensions.

What were some of the main ideas from the Enlightenment?

Ideas centered around reason, individualism, and skepticism of traditional authority.

What effects might Enlightenment ideas have had on the common people of Europe?

These ideas likely inspired demands for political representation and social equality.

What was absolutism in the context of the French Revolution?

A political system where the monarch holds absolute power, often justified by the divine right of kings.

What are the three estates of the Ancient Regime in France?

1st Estate: Clergy, 2nd Estate: Nobility, 3rd Estate: Bourgeoisie and peasants.

What was the role of the 1st Estate in France?

The clergy, comprised of 1% of the population and owning 10-15% of the land, held significant power and influence.

What privileges did the 2nd Estate have?

Nobles enjoyed privileges such as no direct taxes and access to high courts.

What was the composition of the 3rd Estate?

Made up of the bourgeoisie, peasants, serfs, and sans-culottes, comprising 97% of the population.

What were the economic burdens faced by the 3rd Estate?

They faced heavy taxation including tithes, taille, capitation, feudal dues, and indirect taxes.

What were some short-term causes of the French Revolution?

Short-term causes included the financial crisis from deficit and bankruptcy, foreign policy issues, and political crisis.

What circumstances contributed to the political crisis just before the French Revolution?

Louis XVI was viewed as weak, and the luxurious court life led to increased discontent among the populace.

What were the effects of the bad harvest during the French Revolution period?

Bad harvests led to unemployment and food shortages, exacerbating social tensions.

What was the Estates-General?

An assembly of representatives from all three estates called to provide advice on the kingdom's financial crisis.

What was the National Assembly?

A revolutionary legislative body formed by representatives of the Third Estate after being locked out of the Estates-General.

What was the Tennis Court Oath?

A pledge by the National Assembly in 1789 to not disband until they had written a new constitution for France.

What occurred during the Storming of the Bastille?

On July 14, 1789, a Parisian mob attacked the medieval fortress to seize gunpowder, marking a symbolic victory over tyranny.

Who was Louis XVI?

The King of France during the early Revolution, known for his indecisiveness and his eventual execution by guillotine.

Who was Marie Antoinette?

The Queen of France and wife of Louis XVI, unpopular for her extravagant lifestyle and Austrian origins.

What was the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen?

A fundamental document of the Revolution that declared all men free and equal in rights.

What was the Great Fear?

A period of panic and riot by peasants amid rumors of an 'aristocratic conspiracy' by the king and the privileged to overthrow the Third Estate.

Who were the Sans-culottes?

The common people of the lower classes in late 18th-century France, many of whom became radical and militant partisans of the Revolution.

What is meant by the term 'Bourgeoisie'?

The middle class, including merchants, professionals, and manufacturers, who were the educated leaders of the Third Estate.