FRENCH REVOLUTION VOCAB

HUMAN RIGHTS

• The basic rights of human beings, given at birth

TYRANNY

• The unjust use of power
• Specifically by the French Monarch

KING LOUIS XVI

• King of France during the Beginning of the French Revolution
• He was eventually decapitated by guillotine

QUEEN MARIE ANTIONETTE

• Wife of King Louis XVI, ruled France at beginning of French Revolution
• Decapitated by guillotine at end of French Revolution

ESTATES(1,2,3)

• The 3 French social classes
• 1st Estate were nobles
• 2nd Estate was
• 3d Estate were Merchants on top, followed by peasants

ESTATES GENERAL

• An assembly made up of representatives from all three estates

ARISTOCRACY

• Nobles who were born into money and power

BOURGEOISE

• Middle Class
• Stood at top of 3d Estate

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

• A government consisting of delegates from the 3d Estate

FALL OF THE BASTILLE

• July 14 1789
• When a large French crowd stormed a hated French prison, the Bastille
• The prisoners were set free and this started a fire among the French causing more riots

TENNIS COURT OATH

• A gathering of the members of the 3d Estate rep. on the king's tennis court to write a new constitution
• For government called the tennis court oath

DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAN AND CITIZENS

• A written document that was written by the Marquis de Lafayette
• It states that the government gets its power from the people not the king
• This uses the ideas/advice from Thomas Jefferson and states basic rights

NATIONAL CONVENTION

• A new government that was set up by radicals

RADICALS

• People who favor quick and far reaching changes

JACOBINS

• A radical revolutionary group

COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC SAFETY

• A
• Was set up by the National Convention to run the country and crush opposition to revolution

ROBESPIERRE

• A lawyer who quickly gained power and began the Reign of Terror

REIGN OF TERROR

• When Robespierre and his supporters killed anyone supected of being disloyal to the revolution
• Also anyone who might have favored the return of the Monarchy would also be killed
• All who were killed were killed by guillotine & 2 famous people killed by guillotine were...
• King Louis XVI & Queen Marie Antionette

DIRECTORY

• A five person council set up by Middle class leaders
• Set up to run the government but lacked in the support of the people

NAPOLEON BONEPARTE

• French general who returned to France in 1797 after fighting the British in Egypt
• Was a hero to the people and used his popularity to help lead a coup d' etat

COUP D' ETAT

• A swift seizure of government

DICTATORSHIP

• Government by a dictator

NAPOLEONIC CODE

• A new legal system based upon Enlightenment ideas
• Rights included equality before the law, right to choose a career, and religious toleration
• Encouraged public education by setting up state-supported schools
• Ended serfdom and the 3 estates, created a bureaucracy based on merit, not noble birth/military rank
• Reduced power of the Roman Catholic Church, requires everybody to pay taxes/ set up Frances bank