French Revolution Flashcard terms2
1
Q
A.R. Turgot
A
a French economist and statesman (1727-1781). Today he is best remembered as an early advocate for economic liberalism.
2
Q
absolute monarchy
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Rule by a sovereign with unlimited power, one who is above the law.
3
Q
allegiance
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A formal declaration of loyalty.
4
Q
aristocrats
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A form of government that places power in the hands of a small priviledged ruling class.
5
Q
artisan
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a skilled craft worker who makes or creates thing by hand.
6
Q
assignats
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certificates of money in Revolutionary France.
7
Q
Bastille
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Medieval fortress that was converted to a prison stormed by peasants for ammunition during the early stages of the French Revolution.
8
Q
Bastille, Fall of
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On July 14, 1789 peasants stormed the Bastille prison to release people who were falsely imprisoned by the government.
9
Q
bias
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favouring one viewpoint without reason.
10
Q
bloc
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A group.
11
Q
bourgeoisie
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wealthiest group in the Third Estate, some live like nobles. Made up of the middle class: bankers, factory owners or merchants.
12
Q
Calvinist
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Protestants who followed the strict philosophy of John Calvin.
13
Q
Causes of the French Revolution
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Absolute Monarchy, social inequality, not enough money, enlightenment thought, American & English example.
14
Q
censored
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to remove or suppress what is considered morally,politically, or otherwise objectionable.
15
Q
Charlotte Corday
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A Girondist who assassinated a leading Jacobian John Paul Marat.
16
Q
Chateaux
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A manor house or residence of thelord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry
17
Q
Citizen
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is the status of a person recognized under the custom or law as being a member of a state.
18
Q
cockade
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an ornament worn on top of a hat.
19
Q
constitution
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A document that sets out the major laws and principles of a government.
20
Q
coup d’etat
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a sudden overthrow of the government by a small group.
21
Q
Danton
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One of the leaders of the French Revolution.
22
Q
Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen
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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. Claimed that all people were born and remain free and had equal in rights. These rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression; freedom of speech and religion, and equal justice; right to say how they would be governed.
23
Q
deficit
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The money the government is short each year after it pays the bills. A debt.
24
Q
democracy
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a government that answers to the wishes of the people.
25
Diamond Necklace Affair
An incident in the 1780s at the court of Louis XVI of France involving his wife, Marie Antoinette. The reputation of the Queen, was ruined by the implication that she had participated in a crime to defraud the crown jewellers of the cost of a very expensive diamond necklace. The Affair was historically significant as one of the events that led to the French populace's disillusionment with the monarchy, which, among other causes, eventually culminated in the French Revolution.
26
emigres
Nobles who decided to flee from France and settle in other countries to save their lives. (People who leave one country for another.)
27
Estates general
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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Etat c'est moi
The state is me is a phrase attributed to Louis XIV. It is supposed to remind the rule of royal authority in a context of distrust with the Parliament.
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feudal system
The economic and social system of medieval Europe. Lords received land from the ruler and serfs worked the land for the lord.
30
First estate
Made up of clergy from the Roman Catholic Church. They owned 10% of land in France. Did not pay taxes.
31
Girondists
A political group in France in 1791-95 within the Legislative Assembly and the National Convention during the French Revolution.
32
guillotine
An instrument for beheading by means of a heavy blade used as a means of execution during the French Revolution.
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Hugeuenots
Member of a French Protestant group descended from 16th and 17th century Protestant Church of France. Historically, "Huguenots" were French Protestants inspired by the writings of John Calvin
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illiterate
unable to read.
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inalienable
something that cannot be taken away or transferred.
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inflation
a situation in which the price of goods rises quickly.
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infrastructure
the roads, canals, and other means of communication and travel within a community.
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Jacobins
Middle class citizens; demanded the execution of the royal family. They also insisted on going to war with Austria and its allies.
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Jacques Louis David
an influential French painter. In the 1780s his type of history painting marked a change in taste. David later became an active supporter of the French Revolution and friend of Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794),
40
lavishly
David later became an active supporter of the French Revolution and friend of Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794),
41
Legislative Assembly
France's new legislative body (makes laws) during the French Revolution.
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logo
A graphic symbol often used in advertising.
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Louis XIV
The Sun King, absolute monarch, ruled by divine right; built Palace of Versailles so his subjects would become dependent on him; France became a prosperous nation under him, but was involved in long and costly wars.
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Louis XV
Became king at age five; heavily taxed the poor and spent money extravagantly; king during the French and Indian War.
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Louis XVI
King of France (1774-1792). In 1789 he summoned the Estates-General, but did not grant the reforms that were demanded and revolution followed. Weak leader whose wife influenced his decisions greatly; executed after being found gulty of conspiracy against the nation.
46
Madame Roland
a supporter of theFrench Revolution and influential member of the Girondist faction. She fell out of favour during the Reign of Terror and died on the guillotine.
47
Marat
Jean-Paul Marat was a radical journalist, hero of the sansculottes, stabbed to death by a young woman as he bathed.
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Marie Antoinette
Austrian princess (1755-1793) who married King Louis XVI. She was an extravagant spender and very unpopular. To add to her unpopularity Austria was an enemy of France.
49
Marquis de Lafayette
Frenchman who led troops in battle against the British and became hero of the American Revolution. He was also the Commander of the citizens' militia in Paris, also known as the National Guard. He led the women's march to Versailles to bring the royal family back to Paris.
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mercenary
a paid soldier
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monopoly
the exclusive right to sell a product to a group of people.
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Montesquieu
a French lawyer, man of letters, and political philosopher who lived during the Age of Enlightenment.
53
Napoleon Bonaparte
(1769-1821) Soldier and commander in the French army. He was a Jacobin and ruling consul and took control of France by force at the end of the French Revolution. He took down the Moderate government and made himself emperor of France.
54
National Assembly
Formed by the representatives of the Third Estate who were part of the Estates general. They wanted to establish a new constitution in France.
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National Convention
Governed the French Republic from 1792-1795, members were elected and put an end to monarchy in France.
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National Guard
a French militia which existed from 1789 until 1872. It was separate from the French Army and existed both for policing and as a military reserve.
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peasants
They were the rural poor; farmers who paid about half of their income in taxes to the nobles, the chruch and other agents of the king.
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philosophes
Educated people who had theories about society and government.
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portfolio
The area of responsibility of a government official, for example, defence, the budget.
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privileged
having special rights and benefits not given to all people.
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radical
Extremists that supported the revolution and fought for a republic in France.
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ravenous
Seriously hungry.
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reason
The Age of Reason represented a new outlook in the way man viewed himself, the pursuit of knowledge, and the universe.
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republican government
A government in which all power rests with the citizens who vote to elect their leaders.
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revolution
an overthrow of the government and social system of a country, usually by force.
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revolutionary
A person who either actively participates in, or advocates revolution.
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Revolutionary Calendar
A calendar created and used during the French Revolution for about 12 years from late 1793 to 1805. It was designed in part to remove all religious and royalist influences from the calendar, and also to start adding decimals in French time of day, currency, and metrication.
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Right, left and centre
Members of the Legislative Assemby with similar views about the Revolution and the role of the government sat together in the meeting. The right, believed monarchy should be restored. Middle, supported minimal reform. Left, Jacobins wanted to abolish the monarchy.
Robespierre Maximilien Robespierre was a member of the Estates General and Jacobin radicals. He was one of the most radical leaders of the French Revolution. He was in charge of the government during the Reign of Terror, when thousands of people were executed without trial. After a public reaction against his extreme policies, he was executed without trial.
Rosseau Jean Jacques Rousseau was
Salon played an integral role in the cultural and intellectual development of France. The salons were seen by contemporary writers as a cultural hub, responsible for the dissemination of good manners and sociability.
Sans-culottes A reference to Parisian workers who wore loose-fitting trousers rather than the tight fitting breeches worn by aristocratic men. They were a radical group made up of wage-earners and small shopkeepers who wanted a greater voice in government, lower prices and an end to food shortages.
scandal something that draws public attention and criticism.
Second estate Made up of rich nobles and 2% of the population. They owned 20% of land. Paid no taxes. Held the highest offices in government and controlled the most wealth. Scorned the Enlightenment ideas.
speculator A person who deals in a product and hopes to take advantage of the sudden rise or fall and prices.
tariff a tax on imports or exports
Tennis Court Oath The Third Estate pledged to continue to meet and work to establish a new constitution in France after they were locked out of the estates-general meeting. They knocked down a door leading to an indoor tennis court hence the name.
The Directory A group of five men who held the executive power in France according to the constitution of the year III (1795) of the French Revolution. They were chosen by the new legislature, by the Council of Five Hundred and the Council of Ancients; each year one director, chosen by lot, was to be replaced.
The Enlightenment An era from the 1650s to the 1780s in which cultural and intellectual forces in Western Europe emphasized reason, analysis, and individualism rather than traditional lines of authority. It was promoted by philosophes and local thinkers in urban coffee houses, salons, andMasonic lodges. It challenged the authority of institutions that were deeply rooted in society, especially the Catholic Church; there was much talk of ways to reform society with toleration, science and skepticism.
The Great Fear A wave of senseless panic that rolled through France where nobles had their homes destroyed and were attacked. This happened at the start of the revolution.
The Law of Suspects A decree passed by the Committee of Public Safety on 17 September 1793, during the Reign of Terror following the French Revolution. It marked a significant weakening of individual freedoms that led to revolutionary paranoia" that swept the nation.
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The Mountain
A political group during the French Revolution whose members, called Montagnards, sat on the highest benches in the Assembly. They were the most radical group and opposed theGirondists. The term was used in 1793. Led by Maximilien Robespierre, the Montagnards who unleashed the Reign of Terror in 1794.
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The Reign of Terror
Period in France from 1793 to 1794 during which people were put to death for opposing the Revolution.
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Third estate
Made up of 97% of the population of France. Consisted of three levels: the bourgeoisie, the san-culottes and the peasants. They paid high taxes and had no special privileges or political power.
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tithes
A mandatory 10% tax paid by the Third estate. It was one tenth of one's annual income or produce from land.
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toll
a charge to use a road or bridge.
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Tricoleur
The new flag of France created by the revolutionaries.
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tumbrel
A cart with sides, used to take prisoners to the guillotine.
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Ventose
The name of the six-month in the Revolutionary calendar.
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Voltaire
a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher famous for his wit, his attacks on the established Catholic Church, and his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and separation of church and state.
