French Revolution: A Summary of Key Events and Figures
Political Revolution
A political movement where the government is replaced, or the form of government or political system is altered, potentially changing social relations and structures. The revolutions of 1830 and 1848 are good examples.
Constitution
A fixed set of rules that limits and defines the relations between the powers of the state (legislative, executive, and judicial), establishes the organization of government institutions, and guarantees rights and freedoms to the people.
George Washington (1732-1793)
The first U.S. President and commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He led the American forces to victory against the British Empire, after which he resigned his military position and returned to life as a planter. He was unanimously elected as the first U.S. President.
Federalism
A political doctrine where a political entity or organization is formed by associating territories or states, with each member delegating some powers to a central body while retaining some autonomy. It’s a system where government functions are divided between a central authority and a group of states.
Louis XVI (1754-1793)
King of France and Navarre, Duke of Berry. He convened the Estates-General in 1789 and was arrested ten years later in 1792 by the National Convention. Tried and convicted of treason, he was sentenced to the guillotine on January 21, 1793. His execution marked the end of absolute monarchy in France.
Assembly of Notables
A consultative assembly convened by the King of France in 1787. Similar to the Estates-General, its members were chosen by the King rather than elected. They were assembled to address tax issues, but their refusal led to the convocation of the Estates-General.
Cahiers de Doléances
Records of grievances compiled by each constituency in France for the members elected to the Estates-General. While used earlier, the most famous are from 1787 and 1789.
Estates-General
An assembly convened by the King of France, exceptionally bringing together representatives of each estate: the nobility, the clergy, and the bourgeoisie. Dissolved four times by Philip IV and Louis XIII, it was summoned anew by Louis XIV, having met a total of 21 times in 487 years.
National Constituent Assembly (1789-1791)
Formed after the Estates-General at the beginning of the French Revolution. Meeting at the Jeu de Paume, the Assembly took steps that profoundly changed France, including the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, the abolition of feudalism, the nationalization of church property, the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, and the drafting of the French Constitution.
Constitutional Monarchy
A form of government where the monarch is the head of state, but their power is governed by a constitution. The king or queen has a moderating role in political conflicts within a democratically elected government. This system became prevalent in Europe after the French Revolution.
Census Suffrage
A voting system where only a portion of the population is eligible to vote, based on factors like income, economic status, social standing, education level, or marital status.
Bastille
A fortress that protected the eastern flank of Paris for centuries. While initially key to the city’s defense, it later became a state prison. It was stormed by the sans-culottes on July 14, 1789.
Sans-culottes
Self-employed traders, artisans, and laborers who wore simple clothing, including tight breeches. They represented a significant portion of the Third Estate and had long suffered injustices at the hands of the privileged estates. From 1792, they supported the Jacobins and the lower bourgeoisie.
Jacobins
A republican political group based in Paris, supporters of popular sovereignty and a centralized state. The lower-bourgeois Jacobins inspired later republican parties and relied on the sans-culottes to maintain power from 1793-1794.
Republic
A political system founded on the rule of law and equality, designed to protect fundamental rights and civil liberties. The government is chosen by the people.
Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794)
A French politician and one of the most important leaders of the French Revolution. An influential member of the Committee of Public Safety, he was the de facto ruler during the Reign of Terror.
Thermidor
The eleventh month of the French Republican Calendar (July 19 to August 18). The Thermidorian Reaction refers to the period after the coup of 9 Thermidor Year II (July 27, 1794), which saw the fall of Robespierre and the end of the Reign of Terror.
Continental Blockade (1808-1814)
An agreement between France and its allies to block European ports to British goods, aiming to establish French dominance in Europe. Portugal refused to participate.
Waterloo
The 1815 battle between the French army under Napoleon Bonaparte and the British, Dutch, and German forces led by the Duke of Wellington and Prussian Field Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, fought near Waterloo, Belgium.