Period 3 terms list A

Enlightenment

movement based on the attempt to understand society and government by applying the Scientific Method; applied natural laws to people and governments

nationalism

belief/movement that supports the idea that a people with a common culture/ethnicity, language, history, and/or territory should have its own government and loyalty to the group

empiricism

method of studying the world and using observations and experiments to test hypotheses and record results

philosophe

Enlightenment thinker/writer/philosopher who used satire (writing about a fictional or exaggerated world/event to criticize society) and educational books to challenge religion, government, and society; studied history and used empiricism to try to build the perfect government/society; shared ideas in salons where wealthy women and men hosted debates and discussions

social contract

agreement by which citizens give up specific powers to the government in exchange for protection; basis of government

laissez-faire

economic term that calls for the government to be completely separated from the economy; no tariffs, monopolies, or government support for businesses; based on the belief that without government interference, people will naturally create an economy that benefits the most people

capitalism

economic system based on the government not interfering with the economy; based on the belief that consumers will only buy goods that they want at the “fair” price which will make producers/merchants find ways to make and sell better goods for less; uses the system of supply and demand to explain how prices will be set

Conservatism

political belief that the government should be limited to protect individual freedoms; resists change and preserves tradition/continuity; based on the belief that government should not try to fix social problems with major changes but to provide stability and support

Fabian Society

British group that wanted to slowly introduce socialism into the government instead of overthrowing it and starting over; believed that the government should address and end social injustice and inequality

Classical liberalism

political belief that governments should not threaten individual freedoms (speech, religion, press, assembly, etc.); people should be able to do what they want without threatening another person’s liberty; government is necessary to protect freedom but has to be checked to prevent people from abusing that power

feminism

movement that challenged the patriarchy’s belief that women are inferior to men and should be in a subservient role; not demanding full equality and still accepting that men and women are naturally different but wanted women to have more political, educational, and economic rights

Zionism

19th century movement that wanted to create a Jewish country and government in Palestine; reaction against government and social movements to restrict or remove Jewish people and influences from countries in Afro-Eurasia

anti-Semitism

beliefs or actions that threaten Jewish people, ideas, cultures, societies; belief that Jewish people cannot be full members of a non-Jewish government or society because their religion separates them from others

Dreyfus Affair

political scandal in France caused when a French military officer Alfred Dreyfus was falsely accused and convicted of giving French military information to the German government; the French people and Catholic Church used his Jewish religion as a reason to convict him, and the French government tried to hide information that proved his innocence

Estates System

organization of social classes in pre-Revolution France with different expectations, rights, and protections; First Estate was the clergy, Second Estate was the nobility, and Third Estate was the rest of the population

sans-culottes

middle and working-class French citizens who wanted more representation in government during the French Revolution

Committee of Public Safety

government organization created during the French Revolution and led by Robespierre; responsible for protecting the government from internal and external threats and responsible for the Reign of Terror

grands blancs

people of European descent who owned land and plantations in Haiti; considered themselves members of the 2nd Estate in France (landowners) who should receive special privileges from the government, like lower taxes

petit blancs

people of European descent who did not own land but who aligned with the 3rd Estate in the French and Haitian Revolution

Seneca Falls Convention

1848 meeting in Seneca Falls, New York to organize the American women’s rights movement; produced the Declaration of Sentiments, which used Enlightenment ideas to support equality for women

Reign of Terror (1793-1794)

period in which Maximilien Robespierre and the Jacobins controlled France and executed perceived threats to their power; targeted foreigners, people loyal to the monarchy, clergy, and wealthy people

Congress of Vienna

group that met from 1814-1815 to reorganize European governments and territories after Napoleon was defeated; goal was a balance of power to prevent any European government from becoming a threat to the others but gave territories to other governments without considering how this would impact the people who lived there

Realpolitik

“real politics” or the belief that governments should not focus on ideals but work with what is actually possible; based on the belief that a government should act in its own interests without trying to be morally right; ends justify the means

Chartist Movement

attempt by artisans and workers in Britain to gain the vote during the 1840’s

Centralists

Latin American politicians who favored strong, centralized national governments with broad powers; often supported by conservative politicians.

Federalists

Latin American politicians who favored regional governments rather than centralized administrations; often supported by liberal politicians.

Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo (1848)

ratified by the United States; Mexico lost one-half of its territory.

socialism

economic system in which the government makes some decisions about businesses and regulates working conditions and pay, but businesses are still owned privately

communism

economic philosophy in which all means of production would be owned by the people and there would be no private property because all goods and services would be shared equitably

Romanticism

artistic and literary movement in the 19th century; held that emotion and impression were the keys to understanding the human experience and nature