Unit 2 Flashcards
(37 cards)
What is the Declaration of Independence?
It was written by Thomas Jefferson and it was based on the ideas of John Locke who argued for natural rights and equality. The Second Continental Congress issued the document in July 1776.
Define checks and balances.
designed to prevent any one branch of government from dominating the others
Define federal system.
a system of government where power is divided between national and state governments
What is the Bill of Rights?
It is the ten amendments that were added to the Constitution.
What is the Old Regime?
It is the social and political system of France.
Define estate.
A name for the three social classes of France:
1) the clergy
2) the nobility
3) the rest of the citizens (the middle class and the poor)
What is the Estates General?
The Estates General is an assembly of representatives from all three of the estates (social classes).
What was the National Assembly?
The National Assembly was a French congress that was established by representatives of the third estate on June 17, 1789 to enact laws and reforms in the name of the French people.
What was the Tennis Court Oath?
The oath was a pledge made by the National Assembly in which they vowed to continue meeting until they drew up a new constitution.
What was the Great Fear?
The Great Fear was a wave of senseless panic that spread throughout France.
What was the Legislative Assembly?
It was a French congress with the power to create laws and approve declarations of war. It was established by the constitution in 1791.
Define reason.
enlightened thinkers believed truth could be discovered though reason and logical thinking
Define émigrés.
a person who leaves his/her native country for political reasons like the nobles and others who fled France during the peasant uprisings of the French Revolution
What was the Reign of Terror?
The Reign of Terror was from 1793-1794 when Maximilien Robespierre ruled France as a dictator executing thousands of political figures and ordinary citizens.
Define coup d’etat.
a sudden seizure of political power in a nation
Define concordat.
a formal agreement especially between the peace and a government dealing with the control of church affairs
What was the Napoleonic Code?
It was a comprehensive and uniform system of laws established for France by Napoleon.
What was the Concert of Europe?
It was a series of alliances among European nations in the 19th century, devised by Prince Klemens von Metternich to prevent the outbreak of revolutions.
What was the Enlightenment?
The Enlightenment was an 18th century European movement in which thinkers attempted to apply the principles of reason and scientific method to all aspects of society.
What were three long term effects of the Enlightenment that helped shape Western civilization?
1) belief in Progress
2) a more secular outlook
3) the importance of the individual
How did the Constitution and the Bill of Rights reflect Enlightenment ideas?
They were both advocated by Voltaire, Rousseau, and Locke. The documents expressed optimistic views that reason and reform could prevail and that progress was inevitable.
How did Enlightenment ideas contribute to the revolutionary mood in France?
They made the 3rd Estate question their government and using Voltaire and Rousseau’s views they began to demand equality, liberty, and democracy.
What effects did the September Massacres have on the government?
The massacres caused the National Conversation to abolish the monarchy and declare France a republic.
Explain Napoleon’s coup d’etat to gain power in France.
In November 1799, he had his troops surround the national legislature which drove out its members. The remaining lawmakers voted to have three consuls, one was Napoleon. Napoleon the seized power and became a dictator. He headed the war against Britain, Austria, and Russia forcing them to all sign peace treaties.
