Modern World History Vocabulary

Flashcards covering key vocabulary from Modern World History (M12-M18)

Mary Wollstonecraft

Advocated for equal rights and education for men and women during the Enlightenment.

John Locke

Enlightenment thinker who believed in self-government and natural rights (life, liberty, and property).

Thomas Hobbes

Believed people are selfish and require a strong government, ideally an absolute monarchy, to maintain order.

Diderot

Created the Encyclopedia, compiling Enlightenment ideas and scientific works to spread knowledge.

Adam Smith

Advocated for a free market economy where individual self-interest drives economic progress.

Federal Republic

A government with elected representatives from different states ensuring fair representation; power is divided between national and state levels.

Old Regime

The social and political system in France prior to the French Revolution.

Estates

The three social classes in France before the revolution: Clergy, Nobles, and Commoners.

Estates-General

A meeting of delegates from the three Estates, important for initiating revolutionary changes.

National Assembly

Formed by the Third Estate to establish a representative government and end the absolute monarchy.

Tennis Court Oath

Pledge by the National Assembly to create a new constitution for France.

Robespierre

Leader during the Reign of Terror, head of the Committee of Public Safety.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Leader who stabilized France after the revolution, establishing bureaucracy and lycees, but was eventually exiled.

Industrial Revolution

The movement of people from rural to urban areas provided the necessary labor for industrial growth.

James Watt

Improved the steam engine, which revolutionized industries and transportation.

Agricultural Revolution

More efficient farm implements that improved crop yield

Factory Acts

Laws enacted to improve working conditions, especially regarding child labor.

Luddites

Rebelled against factory work by destroying machines; an early form of organized labor.

Tenement houses

Urban housing with inadequate conditions, often dangerous and overcrowded.

Corporation

A company formed to conduct business, selling shares to investors for growth and profit.

Monopoly

Company that controls all aspects/products within a sector of the economy

Trust

A group of companies that are run by an individual or a group of people (trustees)

Colony

Land or region controlled by another country

Protectorate

Land or region indirectly controlled by another country

Sphere of Influence

An area or region in which a colonial power has exclusive trade rights but does not “control” the area

David Livingstone

Scottish missionary who explored Africa and advocated for the rights of native peoples.

Berlin Conference

European powers divided Africa without African representation, sparked by King Leopold's actions in the Congo.

Geopolitics

Interest in or taking of land for its strategic location or products.

Cash crops

Agricultural products produced in large quantities for market sale, often causing famine in colonized areas.

Direct Rule

Colonial rule with foreign officials and assimilation policies (France)

Indirect Rule

Colonial rule using local leaders with limited self-rule (Britain).