amsco 5.2 apwh

American Revolution

A political uprising in which Britain’s North American colonies, influenced by Enlightenment ideas, sought independence due to grievances over representation and governance.

Declaration of Independence

A 1776 document stating the American colonies’ reasons for separating from Britain, arguing that governments must protect natural rights and derive authority from the people.

French Revolution

A 1789 movement in France that challenged absolute monarchy and social inequality, fueled by Enlightenment ideals and financial crisis.

Philosophes

Enlightenment thinkers who promoted reason, secularism, and criticism of traditional political and religious authority.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

A statement drafted in 1789 that outlined natural rights, legal equality, and the principle that political authority rests with the people.

Reign of Terror

A radical period of the French Revolution (1793–1794) when the revolutionary government used mass executions to eliminate perceived enemies and protect the republic.

Haitian Revolution

A successful revolt of enslaved people in the French colony of Saint-Domingue that overthrew colonial rule and led to the creation of an independent Black nation.

Bolívar Revolutions

Independence movements in northern South America led largely by Simón Bolívar that ended Spanish colonial rule and established new states.

Italian Unification

The 19th-century process that combined various Italian states into one kingdom through diplomacy, nationalism, and military campaigns.

German Unification

The consolidation of German-speaking states under Prussian leadership in 1871, achieved through Bismarck’s political strategy and military victories.