French revolution

First Estate

Comprised 130,000 people, owned 10% of France's land, and earned revenue from 'tides', while paying no taxes.

Second Estate

Composed of 350,000 nobles who owned 25-30% of land and enjoyed special privileges, including tax exemptions.

Third Estate

The commoners, which included peasants, skilled workers, and the bourgeoisie, who made up the majority of the population.

Plutocracy

A government where the wealthiest individuals hold ultimate power.

Louis XVI

The French king who was seen as unfit to lead and later became a symbol of monarchy during the Revolution.

Estates General

A legislative assembly consisting of representatives from the three estates, convened by the king.

Tennis Court Oath

A pledge made by members of the Third Estate not to disband until a new constitution was established.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen

A foundational document outlining basic rights for all French citizens, established in 1789.

Active Citizens

Men over 25 who paid specified taxes and had voting rights.

Passive Citizens

Individuals, including poor men and all women, who were considered citizens but lacked voting rights.

National Assembly

The assembly formed by the Third Estate that asserted its authority to create laws in France.

Jacobins

A radical political group that played a significant role in the Revolution, advocating for drastic governmental changes.

Girondists

A moderate faction in the Legislative Assembly that supported war against Austria and Prussia.

Reign of Terror

A period during the Revolution characterized by extreme political repression led by the Committee of Public Safety.

Committee of Public Safety

An executive government during the Revolution tasked with defending the Republic from internal and external threats.

De-Christianization Movement

An effort to diminish the Catholic Church's influence in France and promote secular ideals during the Revolution.

Thermidorian Reaction

The period after Robespierre's fall, leading to the end of radical policies and the rise of more moderate governance.

The Directory

A five-man executive body established by the Constitution of Year III to govern France after the radical phase of the Revolution.

Storming of the Bastille

The assault on a medieval fortress and prison in Paris on July 14, 1789, symbolizing the start of the French Revolution.

Women's March on Versailles

An event in October 1789 where Parisian women marched to Versailles, demanding bread and forcing the royal family to return to Paris.

Constitution of 1791

France's first written constitution, establishing a constitutional monarchy with limited royal power and a Legislative Assembly.

Flight to Varennes

The unsuccessful attempt by King Louis XVI and his family in June 1791 to escape Paris and rally counter-revolutionary support.

Sans-culottes

Radical common people of the lower classes in Paris, who played a significant role in the French Revolution, often advocating for direct democracy and social equality.

Guillotine

A device for carrying out executions by decapitation, famously used during the French Revolution as a symbol of revolutionary justice.

Execution of Louis XVI

The public execution of King Louis XVI by guillotine on January 21, 1793, after being convicted of treason by the National Convention.

Napoleon Bonaparte

A military general who rose to prominence during the French Revolution, eventually staging a coup d'état and establishing the First French Empire.