In-Depth Notes on the French Revolution and Enlightenment

Enlightenment

A cultural movement in the 17th and 18th centuries emphasizing reason and individualism rather than tradition.

Philosophes

Enlightenment thinkers who questioned traditional beliefs and promoted reason.

Secular Thinking

The use of logic and reason over religious beliefs in shaping government.

Divine Right

The doctrine that kings derive their authority from God.

Absolutism

A political system where a single ruler holds total power.

Cahiers

Lists of complaints and suggestions made by citizens to the government.

Deficit Spending

When a government spends more money than it collects in revenue.

Lettres de Cachet

Documents issued by the king that allowed for the arrest of anyone without trial.

The First Estate

The clergy or church leaders in French society, who did not pay taxes.

The Second Estate

The nobility in French society, who also did not pay taxes.

The Third Estate

The common people of France, who paid all the taxes.

The Declaration of the Rights of Man

A fundamental document from 1789 that outlined the rights of citizens in France.

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity

The motto of the French Revolution emphasizing freedom, equal rights, and brotherhood.

The Tennis Court Oath

A vow made by the members of the Third Estate to create a new constitution for France.

The National Assembly

The revolutionary assembly formed by the representatives of the Third Estate.

The Storming of the Bastille

A key event on July 14, 1789, symbolizing the uprising against royal authority.

Émigrés

Nobles who fled France during the Revolution, fearing for their lives.

Legislative Assembly

The governing body in France from 1791 to 1792, after the National Assembly.

Convention

The government of France from 1792 to 1795 after the monarchy was abolished.

The Directory

The government of France from 1795 to 1799, marked by corruption and instability.

Economic Hardship

A significant contributing factor to the French Revolution, caused by poor harvests and high taxes.

Mercantilism

An economic system that restricted trade to benefit the state.

Critique of Absolute Monarchy

Enlightenment thinkers argued that rulers should serve the people.

Long-Term Causes of the French Revolution

Factors like absolutism, economic struggles, and Enlightenment ideas that set the stage for revolution.

Abolition of Feudal Dues

Laws passed during the revolution that removed obligations peasants owed to nobles.

Civil Constitution of the Clergy

A law that made church officials elected rather than appointed by the pope.