The Enlightenment and the French Revolution – Flashcards
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Natural Rights
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life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness - rights we as citizens are born with
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philosophes
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A group of French "radicals" or enlighten net thinkers who focused on human reason and making critical changes in society
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salons
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- Gatherings of the social, political, and cultural elite in France during the Enlightenment, - Informal social gatherings at which writers, artists, philosophes, and others exchanged ideas
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human reason
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the ability of humans to reason and decide based on opinion
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social contract
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An agreement between the people and their government signifying their consent to be governed
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consent of the governed
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Agreement by citizens to obey the laws and the government they create. Consent is the foundation of government's legitimacy.
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general will
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A concept in political philosophy referring to the desire or interest of a people as a whole. As used by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who championed the concept, the general will is identical to the rule of law.
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state of nature
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The basis of natural rights philosophy; a state of nature is the condition of people living in a situation without man-made government, rules, or laws.
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separation of powers
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Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with the legislative branch making law, the executive applying and enforcing the law, and the judiciary interpreting the law.
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check and balances
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The distribution and balancing of power among different branches of government so that no one branch is able to dominate the others.
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ancient regime
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pattern of social, political and economic relationships and institutions htat existed in Europe before the French Revolution; characterized by absolute monarchies, growing bureaucracies, aristocratically led armies, agriculture dominance, food shortages, slow transportation, low level of iron production, unsophisticated financial institutions, competitive commercial overseas empirees, and people who considered themselves as a part of a group, not as individuals
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bourgeoisie
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In early modern Europe, the class of well-off town dwellers whose wealth came from manufacturing, finance, commerce, and allied professions.
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national assembly
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French Revolutionary assembly (1789-1791). Called first as the Estates General, the three estates came together and demanded radical change. It passed the Declaration of the Rights of Man in 1789.
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republic
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A form of government in which the people select representatives to govern them and make laws.
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estates general
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France's traditional national assembly with representatives of the three estates, or classes, in French society: the clergy, nobility, and commoners. The calling of the Estates General in 1789 led to the French Revolution.
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estates system
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3 estates: (1) The First Estate which consisted of the clergy (2) The second estate which consisted of the nobles (3) everyone else; this was 80% third state and 20% rich first and second estates which tended to gang up on the third estate to when the necessary two votes to win any election
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jacobins
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Radical republicans during the French Revolution. They were led by Maximilien Robespierre from 1793 to 1794.
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sans-culottes
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In the French Revolution, a radical group made up of Parisian wage-earners, and small shopkeepers who wanted a greater voice in government, lower prices, and an end of food shortages
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guillotine
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A machine for beheading people, used as a means of execution during the French Revolution.
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radical
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a use of opinions far beyond the norm
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reactionary
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Ideological view that favors a return to a previous state of affairs
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royalist
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Supporters of government by a monarch; used as a name for supported of England's King Charles I.
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civic code
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under Napolean, forbade privliges on both freedom of religion, government jobs to most qualified
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continental system
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Napoleon's policy of preventing trade between Great Britain and continental Europe, intended to destroy Great Britain's economy.
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balance of power
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distribution of military and economic power that prevents any one nation from becoming too strong
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hobbes
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"Materialist. Believed that all phenomena, including man and animals, consist exclusively of particles of matter. Even human consciousness derives from the movement of tiny particles in the brain." (1588-1679
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locke
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English empiricist philosopher who believed that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience (1632-1704)
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rousseau
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(1712-1778) Believed that society threatened natural rights and freedoms. Wrote about society's corruption caused by the revival of sciences and art instead of it's improvement. He was sponsored by the wealthy and participated in salons but often felt uncomfortable and denounced them. Wrote "The Social Contract."
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montesquieu
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(1689-1755) wrote 'Spirit of the Laws', said that no single set of political laws was applicable to all - depended on relationship and variables, supported division of government
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Voltaire
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(1694-1778) French philosopher. He believed that freedom of speech was the best weapon against bad government. He also spoke out against the corruption of the French government, and the intolerance of the Catholic Church.
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spread of enlightenment ideas
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Pamphlets, News papers, and Salons
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Tennis Court Oath
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A pledge made by the members of France's National Assembly in 1789, in which they vowed to continue meeting until they had drawn up a new constitution.
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economic problems of French Revolution
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industry plagued by falling profit margins and unemployment; unprecedented prosperity rested on unstable foundations; caused mainly by economic imbalances resulting from the chaos of the Great War
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bread prices during the French Revolution
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inflation - high prices which causes the peasants to fall into debt
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American Revolution
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..., The war between Great Britain and its American colonies, 1775-83, by which the colonies won their independence.
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Storming of the Bastile
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July 14, 1789 when mob and some of the king's soldiers attacked the Bastille which was a jail where the gun powder was kept the effect was the people getting left out, only 7 but the impact was great and all the guards got killed
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Great fear
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1789 - the rumors of noble attacks on towns and the government taking peasant crops; led to peasants burning manor records, staling grain
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Declaration of Rights of Man
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French Revolution document that outlined what the National Assembly considered to be the natural rights of all people and the rights that they possessed as citizens
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Constitution of 1791
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all 3 estates have equal power in government, National Assembly becomes Legasliative Assembly, absolute monarchy is abolished, forcing the king to obey
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Reign of terror
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(1793-94) during the French Revolution when thousands were executed for "disloyalty"
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Committee for public safety
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Jacobins leaders Maximilien Roberpierre, Jean-Paul Marat, Georges Danton ; killing of 20,000 people in less than a year, killed thousands of nobility and Catholic peasants, began public education; abolished slavery, premogeniture, and debtor's prison, 12 members of the convention, led by maximilien robespierre
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King is executed in french revolution
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Louis 16th Punishment for inequality and damage upon the citizens and government
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The Directory
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1785-1799. Five man group. Passed a new constitution in 1795 that was much more conservative. Corrupt and did not help the poor, but remained in power because of military strength. By 1797 it was a dictatorship.
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Napolean's rise to power
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liutenant, censored the media so he seemed indestructible, captured most of Italy, set up consulate-governming board, powerful, charasmatic
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Napoleonic code
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This was the civil code put out by Napoleon that granted equality of all male citizens before the law and granted absolute security of wealth and private property. Napoleon also secured this by creating the Bank of France which loyally served the interests of both the state and the financial oligarchy
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Russian campaign
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Napoleon tried to add Russia to his empire; had a huge army and moved into Russia in September. Russians used the scorched earth policy; Russia retreated and lured them deeper in and burnt everything in their path
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positive effects of Napoleon in the french revolution
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~ Concordat of 1801 = restored the Catholic Church ~ France = dominant military force ~ Civic Code provided equality, marriage laws, and public schools ~ gained more land and allies then in 1799 when he began
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negative effect of Napoleon's reign
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~revealed how much the revolutionary states depended on the military ~ 80% of France was in disagreement with him ~ lacked resources
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metternich
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..., Austrian foreign minister who basically controlled the Congress of Vienna. Wanted to promote peace, conservatism, and the repression of liberal nationalism throughout Europe.
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How did congress of vienna create a balance of power in Europe?
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re-established order by re-establishing old dynasties that had been driven out during the revolution
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why did the French Revolution become radical?
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people wanted abuses of clergy politicians to stop and the balance of powers to be changed as well as the equality among the social hiearchy
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to what extend did the french revolution achieve enlightenment ideas
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it was able to establish a balance of power and provide the third estate with the rights they wanted - also the citizens were able to hold higher authority jobs in the government
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How did the enlightenment thinkers use reason and natural law to influence political,social, and economic changes?
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Ideas of science, reason, and philosophy affected the ideas behind the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. They contradicted rights and values which got people to thinking about their own rights. These thinkers also proposed new ideas and morals revolved around the concept of balance in power and rights.
