Trimester 1 Study Guide: Revolutions, Industrialization, and Imperialism

A comprehensive vocabulary review of 50 flashcards covering Enlightenment political philosophies, the French Revolution and Napoleon, Latin American independence movements, and 19th-century Industrialization and Imperialism.

The Enlightenment

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

Natural Rights

Core revolutionary rights promoted by Enlightenment thinkers, specifically identified by John Locke as life, liberty, and property.

Consent of the Governed

The Enlightenment principle that a government's legitimacy and political power are derived directly from the approval of the people.

Baron de Montesquieu

Enlightenment thinker exclusively known for advocating the separation of powers to prevent tyranny.

Separation of Powers

The political doctrine of dividing government authority into distinct branches in order to prevent tyranny.

John Locke

Enlightenment philosopher whose writings on natural rights (life, liberty, and property) directly inspired the U.S. Bill of Rights.

Voltaire

Enlightenment philosopher whose advocacy for freedom of speech and freedom of religion inspired the U.S. Bill of Rights.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Enlightenment thinker whose political writings on the social contract helped inspire the U.S. Bill of Rights.

The Social Contract

An Enlightenment political concept concerning the mutual agreement between citizens and government, notably articulated by Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

U.S. Bill of Rights

A foundational democratic document collectively inspired by John Locke, Voltaire, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau through their writings on natural rights, speech/religious freedom, and the social contract.

Absolute Monarchy (France)

The traditional system of autocratic rule in pre-revolutionary France that faced widespread opposition due to debt and food shortages.

The Three Estates

The rigid social class hierarchy of pre-revolutionary France, divided into the Clergy, the Nobility, and the common people.

First Estate

The Clergy in pre-revolutionary France, an upper class that held extensive privileges and paid little in taxes.

Second Estate

The Nobility in pre-revolutionary France, who held aristocratic privileges and bore minimal tax burdens.

Third Estate

The peasants and common people of pre-revolutionary France who bore the heavy tax burden while holding no social privileges.

1789 Estates Political Cartoon

A political cartoon depicting a peasant (Third Estate) carrying the Clergy (First Estate) and Nobility (Second Estate) on his back, illustrating France's unfair tax burden and privilege system.

Storming of the Bastille

A major event sparking the French Revolution, fueled by growing anger over debt, food shortages, and opposition to the absolute monarchy.

Declaration of the Rights of Man

A French revolutionary document proclaiming that "all men are born free and equal in rights".

Maximilien Robespierre

The radical French revolutionary leader who directed the Reign of Terror.

The Reign of Terror

A radical phase of the French Revolution led by Robespierre where political extremism escalated to the point that no one—including fellow revolutionaries—was safe from the guillotine.

The Guillotine

The execution instrument used during the Reign of Terror to execute perceived enemies of the revolution and fellow revolutionaries.

Overall Impact of the French Revolution

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

Napoleon Bonaparte

French leader who preserved revolutionary reforms like legal equality under the Napoleonic Code while ruling as an authoritarian leader who restricted political freedoms.

Napoleonic Code

A uniform system of laws established by Napoleon that preserved revolutionary reforms such as legal equality.

Napoleon's Authoritarian Rule

The aspect of Napoleon's governance characterized by the suppression and limitation of political freedoms despite legal reforms.

Congress of Vienna

A meeting of European powers following the defeat of Napoleon with the primary objective of restoring stability and a balance of power across Europe.

Balance of Power

A diplomatic and political framework pursued at the Congress of Vienna to prevent any single nation from dominating Europe.

Peninsulares

Spanish-born officials who occupied the very top tier of Latin American colonial society.

Creoles

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

Haitian Revolution (1804)

A revolution driven by social inequality and the fight to end slavery whose success inspired other Latin American nations to declare independence from Spain.

Simón Bolívar

South American revolutionary leader heavily influenced by Enlightenment ideas of liberty and equality who helped liberate multiple countries from Spanish rule.

19th-Century Nationalism

A dominant 19th-century political force that inspired widespread Latin American independence movements between 1810 and 1830 and fueled European competition.

Latin American Independence Era (1810–1830)

The critical period during which the majority of Latin American nations gained their independence from Spanish colonial rule.

The Industrial Revolution

A transformative economic and technological shift that created a massive demand for raw materials and new consumer markets, driving global European expansion.

Factory System Technology

New machinery and production methods that allowed industrial factories to manufacture goods more rapidly and in larger quantities.

Urbanization

The rapid growth and expansion of cities, primarily driven by industrialization in 19th-century Britain and Western Europe.

Negative Consequences of Urban Growth

Severe environmental pollution, overcrowded cities, and brutal working conditions suffered by the urban poor during rapid, unregulated industrialization.

Capitalism

An economic ideology introduced by Adam Smith advocating free markets and private ownership of property.

Adam Smith

Scottish economic philosopher who authored The Wealth of Nations and advocated for capitalism and free market principles.

The Wealth of Nations

The foundational economic book written by Adam Smith introducing capitalism, private ownership, and free markets.

Communism

An economic ideology introduced by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels advocating a classless society and worker control of production in response to industrial inequality.

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

Authors of The Communist Manifesto who advocated for a classless society and worker control of production to combat industrial inequality.

The Communist Manifesto

The political work authored by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels that introduced communism and called for worker control over production.

Causes of Imperialism

Industrial demands for raw materials and markets, nationalist rivalry among European powers, and Social Darwinist beliefs.

Social Darwinism

The belief that stronger nations were naturally meant to rule weaker ones, serving as an ideological justification for European imperialism.

Colony

A territory settled and directly ruled by people from another land primarily to extract raw materials.

Sphere of Influence

A region where an outside foreign power claims exclusive trading privileges and controls the economy without exercising direct political rule.

India and the Congo

Examples of global regions that were subjected to direct colonization and European rule during the imperial era.

China (Imperial Era)

An Asian nation divided by outside powers into foreign spheres of influence rather than being governed as a single direct colony.

Impact of Imperialism on Local Freedoms

The loss of independence and personal liberties experienced by populations in Africa and Asia despite the introduction of new technologies, transportation, and cultural blending.