French Revolution Lecture Notes Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards derived from handwritten lecture notes covering the social estates, key figures, and terms of the French Revolution.

Old Order

System where the king was at the top and three social groups called estates were under him

King Louis XVI

Last King of France before the French Revolution

Marie Antoinette

Queen of France before the French Revolution and wife of King Louis XVI

1st Estate

Roman Catholic clergy, making up 1% of the population

2nd Estate

Nobility, making up less than 2% of the people

3rd Estate

Largest group of people, making up 97% of the people

Bourgeoisie

City dwellers, factory owners, merchants, bankers, lawyers, and doctors

Sans-culottes

'Without knee breeches'; consisting of shoemakers, carpenters, bricklayers, dressmakers, and laborers

Declaration of Rights of Man + Citizen

Document that stated the rights and freedoms of the people

Radical

Wanting major changes in government or society

Maximilien Robespierre

Leader with intense dedication who was more radical and led the National Convention

Guillotine

Most common sentence that could execute one person per min

Counterrevolution

A revolution against a government established by a revolution

Reign of Terror

Series of accusations, trials, and executions