Age of Revolutions: American and French Revolutions

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms, events, figures, and concepts of the American and French Revolutions from the lecture notes.

Colonialism

Acquiring partial or total control over another land and settling it with your own people to provide wealth and power.

7 Year War (French Indian War)

A conflict begun in 1754 between Britain and France, in which Native Americans joined the French and Britain seized most French territory in North America.

Stamp Act

A British tax imposed on the American colonies to help pay for the expenses of the Seven Years War.

Boston Massacre (1770)

An incident in 1770 where British soldiers killed five colonists and were subsequently found not guilty.

Boston Tea Party (1773)

A 1773 protest by American colonists against the British taxation of tea.

Continental Congress (1774)

A 1774 gathering of state representatives who met to compile a list of complaints for the British king.

Lexington & Concord (1775)

The 1775 site where British soldiers and Massachusetts minutemen exchanged fire.

Declaration of Independence

A historic American document asserting the fundamental rights to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.

First Estate

The division of French society composed of clergy members of the Catholic Church.

Second Estate

The division of French society consisting of rich people and nobles.

Third Estate

The broad division of French society made up of everybody else, including the bourgeoisie, the poor, and peasants.

Bourgeoisie

Wealthy members of the French Third Estate who possessed money but were still classified with commoners and desired more power.

Deluge

A downpour, famously referenced by King Louis XV stating, 'It will survive for my time, after me, the deluge.'

National Assembly

A legislative government created by the Third Estate after being locked out of their meeting hall.

Tennis Court Oath

An agreement signed by members of the Third Estate on an indoor tennis court, pledging not to disband until a new constitution was created.

Madame Deficit

A nickname given to Marie Antoinette, an Archduchess of Austria (Habsburg), due to her lavish spending on gowns, jewels, gambling, and gifts.

The Bastille

A Parisian fortress, armory, prison, and symbol of oppression that was stormed by citizens seeking weapons.

The Great Fear

A period during which commoners across France feared monarchical and noble retaliation, leading them to break into nobles' houses, steal items, and burn legal documents.

Tithe

A tax traditionally given to the church, which was outlawed by the National Assembly during its reforms.