Social Studies 20-1 - French Revolution Quiz Study Guide

• Key Terms: 

Old Regime: France’s old system of government before the Revolution, with a king and a strict class structure giving nobles and clergy special privileges. / The social and political order that existed in France from the late Middle Ages until the French Revolution.

National Assembly: An assembly composed of the representatives of a nation to challenge the king's authority and push for reforms during the French Revolution.

Monarchy: A system of government where a king or queen rules, often with absolute power, as in France before the Revolution.

Declaration of the Rights of Man: A key document from 1789 that outlined basic human rights like freedom and equality, inspired by the French Revolution.

Estates General: A meeting of representatives from three social classes (clergy, nobility, commoners) in France.

Divine Right of Kings: The belief that kings get their power from God, meaning they don't have to answer to the people or any other authority.

• Factors that led to the French Revolution: 

Economic: American war of Independence (French and Britain war): Their fighting led to bankruptcy.

Social: The three estates.

Historical: The storming of the Bastille. 

Geographic: Severe weather in France consists of really cold weather then droughts. 

Political: Declaration of the rights of Man and citizen. 

• Important Events: 

Storming of the Bastille: The Storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, Angry Parisians, upset with high taxes and King Louis XVI’s rule, stormed the fortress to seize weapons. After fighting, they captured it, symbolizing the people's power. 

Tennis Court Oath: The Tennis Court Oath took place on June 20, 1789. Locked out of a meeting, members of the Third Estate gathered at a tennis court and vowed not to leave until they wrote a new constitution. 

Reign of Terror: The Reign of Terror (1793-1794) was a violent phase of the French Revolution. Led by Robespierre, the government executed thousands, including King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, to eliminate enemies of the revolution. It ended when Robespierre was arrested and executed.

• Important People:

King Louis XVI: The last king of France before the revolution; executed for his failure to address the people's needs.

Marie Antoinette: Queen of France, known for her lavish lifestyle; also executed.

The Jacobins: A radical political group that led the revolution and supported the Reign of Terror.

Robespierre: Leader of the Jacobins; key figure in the Reign of Terror, ultimately executed himself.

Napoleon: Military leader who rose to power after the revolution and became emperor of France.

First Estate: The clergy; privileged and exempt from many taxes.

Second Estate: The nobility; also privileged, but faced growing resentment from the Third Estate.

Third Estate: Common people, including peasants and the bourgeoisie, drove the revolution for rights and equality.

Bourgeoisie: The middle class, part of the Third Estate, who played a significant role in pushing for change.

• Connect Revolution to Nationalism:

The French Revolution helped create nationalism by shifting people's loyalty from their regions or social classes to the nation as a whole. Revolutionary ideas like liberty, equality, and fraternity united the French and encouraged them to see themselves as citizens with rights. This sense of national identity spread beyond France, especially during the Napoleonic Wars, as people fought for their countries and embraced the idea that governments should represent their citizens.

• Analyze the following cartoon:

The cartoon depicts a social hierarchy: a worker toils while supporting a middle figure, likely representing the bourgeoisie, and a well-dressed aristocrat stands above them both. It criticizes the exploitation of the working class by the upper classes.