Sans-culottes
What does the name "sans-culottes" literally mean and what social class did it describe?
"Without knee breeches" -- urban, working, poor artisans
Were the Girondists generally more moderate or more radical? From which social background did many of them come?
Moderate; wealthier middle class/provincial bourgeoisie.
Where in the assembly did the Mountain (Jacobins) sit, giving them their nickname?
On the "mountain" (higher benches) of the assembly.
What was the Tennis Court Oath; what promise did deputies make there?
Tennis Court Oath: deputies vowed not to separate until they wrote a constitution.
Who was Louis XVI and what major fate did he meet in 1793?
Louis XVI — King of France; executed by guillotine in 1793.
Give two political demands or goals commonly associated with the sans-culottes.
Radical republic, price controls on bread/fair prices, direct democracy
What kind of government did the Girondists support (monarchy, limited monarchy, republic, etc.)?
Republic with limited centralization / wary of extreme central control (supported a republic early on though moderate)
Name one leader closely associated with the Jacobins.
Maximilien Robespierre
List two rights named in the Declaration of the Rights of Man (Article examples).
Liberty, property, security, resistance to oppression (Article 2); equality before the law (Article 1).
Who was Robespierre and what role did he play during the Terror?
Robespierre — leader of the Jacobins; influential member of the Committee of Public Safety; major architect of the Terror.
Name one major action or event where the sans-culottes applied pressure on the government.
March on Versailles (October, 1789)
Storming of the Tuileries/Bastille involvement
Why did the Girondists favor war with foreign monarchies in 1792?They believed war would unite the nation and spread revolutionary ideals; also to weaken monarchies that might aid Louis.
They believed war would unite the nation and spread revolutionary ideals; also to weaken monarchies that might aid Louis.
What governmental body did the Jacobins dominate during the Reign of Terror?
Committee of Public Safety / National Convention during Terror
How did the Civil Constitution of the Clergy change the role of priests in France?
Civil Constitution made clergy state employees, required oath of loyalty to the nation; divided population as many priests refused.
Who was Toussaint Louverture and how did the French Revolution influence his actions.
Toussaint Louverture — leader of the Haitian Revolution; French Revolutionary ideas about equality and natural rights inspired revolt.
Explain why the sans-culottes tended to oppose the Constitution of 1791.
They wanted stronger economic controls and direct democracy; the 1791 constitution limited popular power and kept a king.
What happened to many Girondists during the Reign of Terror?
Many were arrested, overthrown, and executed by the Jacobin-led Convention.
State one law or policy the Jacobins used to control internal opposition (name or describe it).
Law of Suspects, Revolutionary Tribunal, use of the guillotine for perceived enemies.
From the Testimony of Louis XVI, give one action or accusation that critics used to claim he betrayed the nation.
Secret correspondence with Austria and attempts to flee (Varennes) used to accuse Louis of treason.
Who were the sans-culottes' typical leaders or social representatives (job types)? Name two.
Leaders were often artisans, shopkeepers, and laborers (e.g., cordwainers, bakers, small craftsmen) and radical journalists.
Evaluate the role of the sans-culottes in shifting the Revolution from moderate to more radical phases. Provide one specific example.
The sans-culottes pressured leaders into radical measures such as the September Massacres and supported the purge of Girondists in 1793; their street power helped empower the Jacobins.
Compare and contrast the Girondists' approach to revolution with that of the Jacobins on one key policy (use taxes, central control, or war).
Girondists favored spreading revolution by war (hoping for moderate republicanism), Jacobins favored strong central control and internal terror to secure the Revolution.
Analyze Robespierre’s justification for "terror" as a political tool (briefly state his argument and one historical consequence).
Robespierre argued terror was "prompt, severe, inflexible justice" to defend liberty; consequence: thousands executed, radicalization, eventual backlash and his own execution.
Explain how Enlightenment ideas (name one thinker) are reflected in a specific article of the Declaration of the Rights of Man. Quote or paraphrase the article.
Locke → natural rights reflected in Article 2: "liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression."
Explain how Napoleon impacted the Revolution and how it helped his rise or fall.
Napoleon rose because post-Revolution France was unstable; his military success and promise of order and reform (Napoleonic Code) won support, enabling his 1799 coup and eventual crowning as Emperor.