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Enlightenment
A new eara of learning and stressed reason and thought and the power of individuals to solve problems. It is also known as the
Age of Reason. -
Issac Newton
Issac Newton was a scientist that thought up the idea of gravity. He published his ideas in a work called The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. -
Thomas Hobbes and Social Contract
Thomas Hobbes believed that all men should hand over their rights to a strong ruler. He expressed his views in a work called the Leviathan. He said the best goevernment was one that had the awsome power of a leviathan or sea monster. -
John Locke and Natural rights
John Locke believed that everyone was born free and equal. He believed that all people had three natural rights, life, liberty, and property. This helped form the Decleration of Independence. -
Estates
Under the Od Regime, the people of France were divided into three large social classes -
Enlightened dspots
Monarchs that embraced the new ideas and made reforms that reflected the Enlighenment spirit. Despots means "absolute ruler" -
Philospophes
They were social critics. The philosophers believed that people could apply reason to all aspects of life. -
Storming of the Bastille
A mob searching for gunpowder and arms stormed the Bastille, which was a Paris prison.The fall of the Bastille became a great symbolic act of revolution to the French people. It is a national holiday for the French. -
Execution of Louis XVI
King Louis the XVI did not really care about France's problems. He spent to much money on himself. When King Louis realizes that he is in danger he tries to escape which ends up sealing his fate. His attempted escape increased the influence of his radical enemies in the government. -
Committee of Public Safety
The Committe of Public Safety was created by the National Convention. It was responsible for thousands of executions. The Era of the Public Safety Committe was known as the Reign of Terror. -
Execution of Robespierre
Some members of the National Convention turned on Robespirre. They feared their own safety. They demanded his arrest and execution. -
Napoleon becomes Emperor
The people were desperate for strong leadership. They voted in a new constitution and gave all real power to Napoleon as first consul. -
Scorched-earth Policy
Napoleon went into Russia. Alexander pulled back his troops, refusing to be lured into an unequal battle. On this retreat, the Russians burned grain fields, and slaughtered livestock so as to leave nothing for the enemy to eat. -
Waterloo
Napoleon attacked the British at the village Waterloo. The British fought hard all day. Prussian troops came to help the British. Napoleon turned back two days later. This lost ended Napoleon's last bid for power. -
Napoleon is exiled to St. Helena
The French did not want to take a chance with any more of Napoleon's mistakes so they Shipped him of to St. Helena, a remote island in the South Atlantic. There he lived in lonely exile for six years, writing jos memoirs. He died in 1821, of a stomach ailment.
