The French Revolution, Napoleonic Era, and Latin American Revolutions

Vocabulary terms and definitions covering the Ancien Regime, French Revolution, Napoleonic era, and Latin American independence movements.

Ancien Regime

The old social and political system in France before the French Revolution.

First Estate

The social class in pre-revolutionary France made up of the clergy, or church leaders.

Second Estate

The social class in pre-revolutionary France made up of nobles and wealthy landowners.

Third Estate

The social class in pre-revolutionary France consisting of common people, including peasants, workers, and the middle class.

Bourgeoisie

The middle class belonging to the Third Estate who paid many taxes but held little political power under the Ancien Regime.

Estates-General

An assembly where representatives of the three Estates met to discuss problems and advise the king.

Tennis Court Oath

A promise made by the Third Estate to continue meeting until France had established a new constitution.

The Great Fear

A period during the French Revolution when peasants attacked nobles and destroyed records of their debts.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen

A French Revolutionary document inspired by the American Declaration of Independence that stated all men had equal rights and freedoms.

Women's March on Versailles

An event where women forced the French king and his family to move to Paris so the people could watch them more closely.

Civil Constitution of the Clergy

A measure that integrated the Catholic Church into the French government, requiring clergy members to be elected and swear loyalty to France.

Maximilien Robespierre

The political figure who led the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution.

Concordat

An agreement between Napoleon Bonaparte and the Pope that restored formal ties between France and the Catholic Church.

Napoleonic Code

A uniform set of laws that made men equal before the law while limiting certain rights, granting women fewer rights than men, and making them legally dependent on their husbands.

Lycees

Government-run secondary schools for boys established by Napoleon to train loyal, skilled civil servants and military leaders.

Continental System

Napoleon's economic strategy aimed at weakening Britain's economy by preventing European nations from trading with Britain.

Peninsula War

A conflict that resulted in France losing control of Spain and Portugal after years of fighting.

Guerrilla Warfare

A combat tactic in which small, mobile groups utilize surprise attacks against a stronger, conventional enemy.

Scorched Earth Policy

A military strategy in which retreating forces destroy food and supplies to prevent the enemy from utilizing them.

Battle of Waterloo

The 1815 military engagement that resulted in the final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Congress of Vienna

A post-Napoleonic conference with three major goals: restoring monarchs to their thrones, establishing a balance of power in Europe, and preventing future major revolutions or French takeovers.

Peninsulares

Colonial residents born in Spain or Portugal who lived in Latin America and held the highest government offices.

Creoles

People of European descent born in the Americas who resented the colonial hierarchy that reserved top government positions for peninsulares.

Padre Miguel Hidalgo

A Mexican priest who helped launch Mexico's fight for independence from Spain in 1810.

Independence of Brazil

The 1822 transition in which Brazil achieved independence under a Portuguese prince rather than through an extended military conflict against its sovereign.