What was the Enlightenment?
An intellectual movement in the 18th century that advocated the use of reason to reconsider accepted ideas and social institutions.
What caused the Enlightenment?
Philosophers realized the natural world works on a set of laws not determined by the Bible or Quran (secularism).
Who was Francis Bacon and what did he invent?
Francis Bacon invented Empiricism, where reality is discernible through the five senses (using science).
What were John Locke’s main ideas in Two Treatises on Government?
The divine right of kings is false; humans are naturally given rights like life, liberty, and property; these rights come from being human, not from kings; he proposed a social contract where people give up some autonomy for protection of natural rights; people have the right to overthrow bad governance.
What did Adam Smith argue in Wealth of Nations?
He critiqued mercantilist economies and argued for laissez-faire (hands-off) economics where people could make their own economic decisions.
Who was Mary Wollstonecraft and what did she advocate for?
An Englishwoman who wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Women, arguing for women’s education and equal capability.
What were the three main political/economic ideas from the Enlightenment?
1) No absolute monarchies; power should be distributed among different branches of government; 2) All men possess the right to life, liberty, and property, and are created equal; 3) Governments should allow markets to operate with minimal regulations.
What were the four main global outcomes of Enlightenment philosophies?
1) Revolutions and formation of new constitutional governments; 2) Rising nationalism; 3) New religious philosophy (deism); 4) Feminism and Abolitionism movements.
What is nationalism?
Strong identification with one group of people under a uniting concept (language, religion, culture, etc.). People now identify with a nation rather than a king.
What is deism?
A religious philosophy that believes there is a god who started the universe but does not intervene.
What was the Seneca Falls Convention?
A US convention that rallied for women’s rights and suffrage, introducing the Declaration of Sentiments (the Declaration of Independence edited to include women).
What were the three main causes of the French Revolution?
1) Inspiration from the American Revolution; 2) War spending drove up prices of necessities, especially bread, hurting the Third Estate; 3) The Third Estate (98% of population) had the least political say despite being the economic backbone.
What were the three estates in France?
First Estate - clergy; Second Estate - nobility; Third Estate - commoners (98% of population).
What did Marie Antoinette allegedly say about bread prices?
“Let them eat Brioche” (fancy well-made bread compared to commoners’ sawdust-filled bread).
What was the National Assembly?
A representative assembly formed by the Third Estate when they had little political say. Louis XVI threatened to arrest its leaders.
What happened at the Storming of the Bastille and when?
On July 14, 1789, a crowd stormed the Bastille prison (a symbol of monarchy and abuse of power) in response to threatened arrests of National Assembly leaders. This sparked uprisings around the country and forced Louis XVI to give voice to the National Assembly.
What was the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen?
A document created by the National Assembly similar to the Declaration of Independence, stating the monarchy had to go and that “men are born free and equal.” It also eliminated France’s official religion.
What happened during the Women’s March on October 5, 1789?
Women, angry at the Royal family, extracted them from Versailles and brought them to Paris to be closely watched. They stuck heads of royal friends on pikes.
What caused the Austro-France War?
Austria didn’t like France’s new revolutionary government and wanted to reestablish the monarchy in France after the royal family fled.
What was the Edict of Fraternity?
A declaration released after Parisians invaded Tuileries palace (ending the French Monarchy) stating “all governments are our enemies, all people are our friends.”
What was the Reign of Terror?
A period where Louis XVI and 40,000 people (including Marie-Antoinette) were guillotined for threatening basic rights. Women were heavily discriminated against. Led by Robespierre who forced a dystopian “utopian” society with forced political conformity. It ended with Robespierre’s assassination.
What was Napoleon’s role after the French Revolution?
France decided to spread freedom and liberty to Europe through military might. Napoleon Bonaparte was one of the leaders but ended up establishing the next monarchy anyway.
What was the global outcome of the French Revolution?
Widespread revolutions in Europe and in Caribbean/South American colonies.
What made Haiti the wealthiest colony globally before its revolution?
Sugar, cotton, and coffee production by enslaved labor (almost 90% of the population were slaves).
