French and Haitan Revolution

French Revolution

A period of social and political upheaval in France from 1789 to 1799 that led to the establishment of a republic and the end of the monarchy.

King Louis XIV

French monarch whose reign (1643-1715) left a legacy of financial irresponsibility and massive debt.

Estates-General

A general assembly representing the three estates of France: clergy, nobility, and commoners, convened in 1789 to address the financial crisis.

Third Estate

The commoners of France who bore the heaviest tax burden and lacked political power compared to the clergy and nobility.

National Assembly

Formed by the Third Estate after breaking away from the Estates-General, it aimed to represent the common people and create a new constitution.

Tennis Court Oath

A vow by members of the National Assembly not to disband until they had written a new constitution after being locked out of their meeting hall in June 1789.

Storming of the Bastille

A pivotal event on July 14, 1789, where revolutionaries stormed the Bastille prison, symbolizing the start of the French Revolution.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

An essential document adopted in August 1789, outlining universal rights such as liberty and equality.

Women’s March on Versailles

An October 1789 event where women marched to Versailles to confront King Louis XVI over food shortages and high prices.

Flight of Varennes

The failed escape of the royal family in June 1791 that damaged their public trust and accelerated their downfall.

Reign of Terror

A period during the revolution (1793-1794) marked by mass executions and political purges led by the radical Jacobins.

Coup d'état

A sudden, illegal seizure of government power, notably executed by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1799, ending the French Revolution.

Haitian Revolution

The revolution in French Saint-Domingue from 1791 to 1804 that resulted in the first successful slave revolt and the establishment of Haiti.

Vincent Oge

A free man of color who led a failed revolt for voting rights and equal rights in Saint-Domingue in 1790.

Toussaint L’Ouverture

A military leader in the Haitian Revolution who helped abolish slavery in French colonies and served as governor for life.

Bois Caïman Ceremony

A ritual held in August 1791 that united enslaved people in the Haitian Revolution, leading to widespread revolt.

Plantation System in Saint-Domingue

A system based on slave labor used to produce cash crops, characterized by brutal treatment of enslaved Africans.

Abolition of Slavery in French Colonies

A significant legislative act in 1794 that abolished slavery, motivating revolutionaries like Toussaint L'Ouverture to change allegiances.