Chapt. 19 French Revolution

Maximilien Robespierre

"The incorruptable;" the leader of the bloodiest portion of the French Revolution. He set out to build a republic of virtue, his execution ended the Reign of Terror.

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First and Second Estate

-first estate was the clergy, had to pay almost no taxes, only about 1% of the population -second estate was the nobles who were also exempt from paying taxes -third estate was everybody else and had, most of the taxes levied against them

the National Assembly

A group of Third Estate delegates that broke ties with the Estates General. Drafted a constitution for France at the Oath of the Tennis court. Marked the first stage of the revolution.

July 14, 1789

Bastile Day, marks the start of the French Revolution. The day the people stormed the Bastille Prison which was also an armory that stored all the guns and powder. Similar to our 4th of July. Celebrated today as Independence Day in France.

Committee of Public Safety

Created by the National Convention, 12 people, had almost absolute power, battled to protect the revolution, and prepared France for war by ordering all citizens to join the war-effort, responsible for executing up to 40,000 French deemed as traitors to the revolution during the Reign of Terror

July 4, 1776

Day America declared Independence from England.

Tennis Court Oath

Declaration mainly by members of the Third Estate not to disband until they had drafted a constitution for France (June 20, 1789).

the taille

France's chief tax; land tax applicable to non-nobles

Olympe de Gouges

French feminist who wrote Declaration of the Rights of Woman in 1791 and encouraged women to seek the rights promoted by the Enlightenment and French Revolution

sans-culottes

In the French Revolution, a radical group made up of Parisian wage-earners, and small shopkeepers who wanted a greater voice in government, lower prices, and an end of food shortages (w out knee britches)

Third Estate

Largest of the Three Estates, made up of Bourgeoisie, Peasants, and Urban Workers. Had the least money and power but paid the virtually all of the taxes during French Revolution.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Overthrew French Directory in 1799 and became emperor of the French in 1804. Failed to defeat Great Britain and abdicated in 1814. Returned to power briefly in 1815 but was defeated and died in exile.

Elba and St. Helena

Places of exile for Napoleon. Napoleon banished to _____ (island off Italy) but escapes. After Hundred Days, Napoleon banished to _______(an island in the Atlantic) where he died.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen

This was the new constitution that the National Assembly wrote that gave all citizens free expression of thoughts and opinions and guaranteed equality before the law (during French Revolution).

Abbe Sieyes

Wrote an essay called "What is the 3rd estate" Argued that lower classes were more important than the nobles and the government should be responsible to the people.

guillotine

a machine for beheading people, used as a means of execution during the French Revolution.

National Convention

created in September 1792 by Jacobin leaders, ordered that French Generals should dissolve the old governments, confiscate gov't and church property, abolish titles, hunting rights and unfair taxes, and set up provisional administrations

The Bastille

paris prison; symbol of the oppression, stormed by the workers in paris, july 14, 1789

the Jacobins

radical deputies who gathered at the beginning of the Revolution, especially on August 4, 1789 (when the National Assembly voted to abolish feudalism) ; largest and most powerful political club of the revolution. Leader - Maximilian Robespierre

vote by order or by head

the estates general was split into the three estates, and the third estate had double representation by head because of its size. the first and second estate said that they should vote by order so they could automatically veto the third estates taxes, while the third estate had double representation so it wanted vote by head

bourgeoisie

the middle class, including merchants, industrialists, and professional people

Reign of Terror

the period, from mid-1793 to mid-1794, when Robespierre ruled France nearly as a dictator and thousands of political figures and ordinary citizens were executed

Toussaint L'Ouverture

was an important leader of the Haïtian Revolution and the first leader of a free Haiti. In a long struggle again the institution of slavery, he led the blacks to victory over the whites and secured native control over the colony in 1797, calling himself a dictator.