French Revolution & Napoleon: Key Dates, Figures, and Concepts

July 14, 1789

The date the Bastille was stormed, marking the start of the French Revolution.

the Bastille

A Paris prison and symbol of royal tyranny; its storming sparked the Revolution.

July 4, 1776

The date the American Declaration of Independence was adopted.

natural rights

Basic rights all people are born with, such as life, liberty, and property.

the Constitution of 1789

France's first written constitution, establishing a constitutional monarchy.

Bill of Rights

A list of fundamental rights guaranteed to citizens, limiting government power.

the marquis de Lafayette

French noble who helped in the American Revolution and supported constitutional monarchy in France.

Third Estate

The social class made up of commoners, including peasants and the bourgeoisie.

the bourgeoisie

Middle-class professionals such as merchants and lawyers; leaders of the Revolution.

French Parlements

High courts in France that could register or block royal laws before the Revolution.

the Tennis Court Oath

Pledge by the Third Estate to not disband until a constitution was written.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen

Document stating the principles of liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty.

Olympe de Gouges

Feminist writer who authored the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen.

the Jacobins

Radical political group that supported a republic and played a key role in the Reign of Terror.

Committee of Public Safety

Government body that exercised dictatorial control during the Reign of Terror.

Maximilien Robespierre

Leader of the Jacobins and the Reign of Terror.

Reign of Terror

Period of mass executions of perceived enemies of the Revolution (1793-1794).

the guillotine

Execution device used during the French Revolution.

Temple of Reason

Churches converted to celebrate reason and revolutionary values instead of religion.

Toussaint L'Ouverture

Leader of the slave revolt in Saint-Domingue that led to Haitian independence.

Thermidorian Reaction

The backlash against radical revolutionaries that ended the Reign of Terror.

Napoleon Bonaparte

French military leader who rose to power after the Revolution.

First Consul and Emperor

Titles held by Napoleon as ruler of France.

the Concordat

Agreement between Napoleon and the Catholic Church restoring church-state relations.

the Civil Code

Napoleon's legal code that standardized laws and protected property and equality before the law.

fraternité

The idea of brotherhood and unity among citizens.

the Grand Army

Napoleon's powerful military force that conquered much of Europe.

Elba and Saint Helena

Islands where Napoleon was exiled after his defeats.