history 4.something?

Third estate

Every French citizen who did not possess a noble title or was not a clergyman.

Bourgeoisie

Professional people in the third estate, such as doctors, lawyers, and townsmen of the guilds.

Estates-General

A meeting in which representatives of the three estates discussed important matters.

Revolution

A change from one political system to another, in a relatively short period of time.

National Assembly

Established in 1789 by disappointed members of the third estate, including some lower nobility and clergy.

Tennis Court Oath

A pledge by the third estate and its sympathisers not to disband the National Assembly until a new constitution for France was written.

National Guard

An army formed by the French people that stormed the Bastille in Paris.

The Bastille

A state prison where the government also stored ammunition.

The Great Fear

A revolt by peasants against their landlords in the countryside.

Ancien Régime

A period of time in which the French king had absolute power.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

A declaration written by the National Assembly in 1789, stating that everyone is born free and equal in the eyes of the law.

March on Versailles

An event in October 1789 where thousands of angry people confronted the Royal court at the Palace of Versailles.

Reign of Terror

A period during the French Revolution marked by mass executions using the guillotine.

Jacobines

A political group that dominated the National Assembly and initiated the Reign of Terror.

Guillotine

A quick method of execution by beheading.

Directoire

A committee that governed France after the Reign of Terror.

First Coalition War

A military conflict between France and European countries opposed to the French Revolution.