The Age of Absolutism, Liberalism, the Enlightenment, and the American Revolution

Vocabulary flashcards covering the concepts, key figures, timeline events, and ideological foundations of Absolutism, the Enlightenment, and the American Revolution.

Absolutism

A system of government where the king or monarch holds centralized, absolute power, resulting in strictly limited political participation by the citizens.

Louis XIV

The King of France, known as the "Sun King," who served as a prominent symbol of absolute monarchy.

Liberalism

A political and social philosophy centered on individual freedom, respect for human rights, and legal limitations on governmental authority.

The Enlightenment

An intellectual movement in the 17th and 18th centuries emphasizing reason, science, individual rights, and liberty, which challenged absolute rule.

John Locke

An Enlightenment philosopher who argued that all individuals possess natural rights (life, liberty, and property) and that governments exist primarily to protect these rights.

Natural Rights

Fundamental rights articulated by John Locke belonging to all human beings: life, liberty, and property.

Baron de Montesquieu

An Enlightenment thinker who proposed the separation of powers within government to prevent tyranny and the abuse of authority.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

An Enlightenment philosopher associated with the social contract theory, asserting that governmental power must derive directly from the will and consent of the citizens.

No Taxation Without Representation

The rallying slogan of the American colonists opposing taxes imposed by the British Parliament because they had no elected representatives speaking for them.

Stamp Act (1765)

An act passed by the British Parliament in 1765 that levied a direct tax on the American colonies.

Boston Tea Party (1773)

A colonial protest action that took place in 1773 against British taxation policies.

Battles of Lexington and Concord (1775)

Military engagements fought in 1775 that marked the start of armed warfare between the American colonists and British forces.

Declaration of Independence (1776)

A historic document issued in 1776 declaring the thirteen American colonies free from Great Britain, affirming natural rights and popular consent as foundations of governance.

Battle of Yorktown (1781)

A decisive 1781 military battle where the main British army surrendered to American and allied forces.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

The formal peace agreement signed in 1783 in which Great Britain officially recognized the independence of the United States.

United States Constitution (1787)

The foundational legal framework and supreme law of the United States, drafted in 1787 to establish its system of self-government.

American Revolution

The struggle of the thirteen North American colonies against British colonial rule to establish their independence and self-governance.

Nationhood (Pagkabansa)

The formal establishment of an independent, self-governing sovereign country.

Nationalism (Nasyonalismo)

A shared feeling of unity and love for one's country, along with the collective desire to achieve and preserve its freedom and independence.