The French Revolution – Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering essential terms, events, groups, and concepts from the French Revolution to aid exam preparation.

French Revolution (1789–1799)

A period of radical political and social upheaval in France that overthrew the monarchy, established a republic, and profoundly altered the course of modern history.

Storming of the Bastille (14 July 1789)

Revolutionary mob attack on a Paris fortress-prison symbolizing the fall of royal authority and the beginning of popular revolt.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789)

Foundational document proclaiming natural rights to life, liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.

Constitution of 1791

First French constitution that limited the king’s powers and granted voting rights to tax-paying, wealthier men.

Jacobins

Radical republican political club led by Maximilien Robespierre that pushed for abolition of the monarchy and social equality.

Maximilien Robespierre

Leader of the Jacobins and architect of the Reign of Terror who enforced strict egalitarian measures before being executed in 1794.

Reign of Terror (1793–1794)

Period of extreme repression during which revolutionary tribunals sentenced thousands to the guillotine to protect the revolution.

Guillotine

Execution device with a falling blade, viewed as a symbol of revolutionary justice and equality in death.

Sans-culottes

Urban working-class revolutionaries who wore long trousers instead of aristocratic breeches and demanded social equality.

National Convention (1792)

Revolutionary assembly that abolished the monarchy, declared France a republic, and tried King Louis XVI.

Abolition of Monarchy (21 Sept 1792)

Formal end of the French monarchy, leading to the trial and execution of King Louis XVI in January 1793.

Directory (1795–1799)

Five-man executive body that governed after the Terror, plagued by corruption and reliant on military support.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Military general who seized power in 1799, crowned himself Emperor in 1804, and spread French reforms across Europe.

Napoleonic Code (1804)

Comprehensive set of civil laws introduced by Napoleon, guaranteeing equality before the law and protection of property.

Battle of Waterloo (1815)

Decisive defeat of Napoleon by British and Prussian forces, ending his rule and ambitions in Europe.

Triangular Slave Trade

Trans-Atlantic trade route exchanging European goods for African slaves, who were then sold in the Americas for colonial products.

Abolition of Slavery (1794 & 1848)

Initial revolutionary decree ended slavery in French colonies (1794), reinstated by Napoleon (1802/1804), and permanently abolished in 1848.

Citizenship

Revolutionary concept that individuals owe allegiance to the nation rather than a monarch, possessing rights and duties within the state.

Feudalism

Medieval social system of hereditary privileges, dues, and obligations that the revolution dismantled in favor of equal citizenship.

Nationalism

Idea that people with common culture and geography form a sovereign nation; greatly strengthened by the French Revolution.

Marseillaise

Patriotic song adopted as the French national anthem, rallying revolutionary and later national pride.

Political Symbols

Visual markers such as red caps, tricolor cockades, and the Liberty Tree used to spread revolutionary ideas among the populace.

Women’s Clubs

Over sixty revolutionary associations where women demanded equal political rights, education, and fair wages before being banned during the Terror.

Voting Rights in France (1946)

Year French women finally gained universal suffrage, long after initial revolutionary debates on gender equality.

Legacy of the Revolution

Enduring impact that abolished absolute monarchy and feudal privileges, inspired global movements for equality, rights, and democratic governance.