World Flashcards
King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette ruled as absolute monarchs. They had ultimate decision-making power but were seen as ineffective and more focused on luxury than governance.
The Three Estates
The Three Estates
The First Estate was the clergy (religious leaders), the Second Estate was the nobility (wealthy landowners), and the Third Estate included everyone else, like peasants and middle-class workers. The Third Estate bore most of the tax burden.
The Bastille
The Bastille
A prison stormed on July 14, 1789, symbolizing the start of the French Revolution. Rebels sought weapons and gunpowder.
The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen
The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen
A document issued by the National Assembly in August 1789, promoting natural rights such as freedom of speech, equality under the law, and power derived from citizens rather than monarchs.
What political, social, and economic factors caused the French Revolution in 1789?
Political: Absolute monarchy, no public say in government, ineffective rulers.
Social: Inequality between the Three Estates, heavy tax burden on the Third Estate.
Economic: Debt from wars, harsh winters, and bread shortages.
What inequalities existed?
The First Estate (clergy) and Second Estate (nobility) had privileges and naid little to no
Office on the web Frame
taxes. The Third Estate (everyone else) faced heavy taxes a manu trou
What was the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen?
A document that outlined freedom, equality, and citizen rights inspired by Enlightenment ideas and the American Revolution
What caused the storming of the Bastille in July of 1789?
Fears of the king overthrowing the National Assembly and the need for weapons led to the storming.
Maximillian Robespierre
Leader during the Reign of Terror, known for radical reforms and violent purges.
The Jacobins
A radical political group that supported Robespierre and the Reign of Terror.
The Committee of Public Safety
An organization created to protect the revolution, often through extreme measures like executions.
The Reign of Terror
A period (1793-1794) of mass executions of perceived enemies of the revolution, including King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
Napoleon Bonaparte
A military leader who rose to power during the revolution, became dictator in 1799, and later Emperor of France in 1804.
What key changes and reforms happened in the beginning of the French Revolution? To what extent did they increase equality in French society?
Abolished the Three Estates, introduced taxes for clergy/nobles, allowed religious freedom, and gave women some rights. However, inequality persisted in many areas.
Why did the Revolution become radical and violent? What were the effects/consequences?
The king’s attempted escape, foreign invasions, and internal opposition caused fear and radical measures like the Reign of Terror. Consequences included thousands of executions and political instability.
Who was Napoleon Bonaparte? How did he change Revolutionary France between 1799-1804?
Napoleon stabilized France, restablished ties with the Church, and centralized power but reduced some revolutionary reforms like women’s rights.
Grand Blancs
Wealthy white plantation owners in Haiti who controlled politics and land.
Petit Blancs
Lower-class whites, such as small merchants and laborers, who resented the Grand Blancs
Mulattos
Mixed-race individuals who sought equality with whites but faced discrimination.
The Code Noir
A set of laws regulating the treatment of slaves, including harsh punishments and restrictions.
The Maroons
Escaped slaves who formed independent communities and resisted colonial forces.
Dutty Boukman
A Voodoo priest whose leadership and rituals inspired the beginning of the Haitian Revolution.
Toussaint L’Ouverture
A former slave who became a military leader and led Haiti to independence.
The 1811 Louisiana Rebellion
A slave revolt in the U.S. influenced by the Haitian Revolution’s ideals of freedom.
The 1811 Louisiana Rebellion
A slave revolt in the U.S. influenced by the Haitian Revolution’s ideals of freedom.
What was society like in Haiti as a French colony? How was it organized? In what ways was it an unequal society?
Haiti’s society was hierarchical: Grand Blancs at the top, Petit Blancs below them, followed by Mulattos, and slaves at the bottom. Slaves faced harsh treatment and limited rights.
What was the Code Noir? How did it impact the lives of slaves?
The Code Noir regulated slavery, restricting slaves’ movements and enforcing harsh punishments, such as execution for rebellion.
How did the French Revolution inspire and influence the Haitian Revolution?
Ideas of liberty and equality from the French Revolution spread to Haiti, inspiring slaves and free blacks to fight for freedom.
How did slaves play a role in starting the Haitian Revolution? What role did Voodoo play in it?
Slaves organized rebellions with leaders like Dutty Boukman using Voodoo rituals to unite and inspire resistance.
Who was Toussaint Louverture? What role did he play in the Revolution?
He was a former slave turned military leader who led the Haitian forces to independence.
What role did Napoleon Bonaparte play in the Haitian Revolution?
Napoleon attempted to reinstate slavery and control Haiti but failed due to resistance and yellow fever outbreaks.
