Origins Flashcards
Absolutism
System where the monarch has complete authority over the lives of his people
Ancien Regime
Term coined in 1790 by Mirabeau; used to describe the political and social system of France before 1789 (especially the estates system)
Assembly of Notables
Group of 144 nobles/ clergymen from across France hand - picked by the King to approve Calonne’s tax reforms in February 1787
Cahiers de doléance
Ledgers of complaints compiled in early 1789 in preparation for the meeting of the Estates - General in May 1789
Clergy
People who work for the Church: archbishops, bishops, parish priests, monks and nuns
Constitution
Set of rules by which a country is governed
Controller - General
Title taken by the minister in charge of finances in France between 1661 and 1791
Don gratuit
Instead of paying tax, the Church decided an amount that they would pay to the king every 5 years; usually amounted to 2% of their income
Enlightenment
Intellectual and cultural movement which spread across Europe during the 18th century, which questioned traditional ideas, assumptions and institutions.
Estate
Refers to people’s social standing; in France, there were three distinct estates with corresponding privileges and burdens
Gabelle
Indirect tax on salt
Intendant
Royal agent who helped him maintain his rule in the provinces and fed back information
Laissez - faire
Concept of limited government intervention so that the economy is driven by fair competition and by ‘natural laws’ of supply and demand
Lettre de cachet
Letter bearing king’s royal seal by which he could order someone to be imprisoned
Lit de justice
Royal session of the Paris Parlement for the compulsory registration of royal edicts
