The American Revolution
This 1776 document, primarily written by Thomas Jefferson, told King George III that the colonies were now "Free and Independent States."
What is the Declaration of Independence?
This massive stone fortress and prison in Paris was stormed by a mob on July 14, 1789, marking the start of the revolution
What is the Bastille?
This Enlightenment philosopher argued that all people are born with "natural rights," including life, liberty, and property.
Who was John Locke?
Originally used to pump water out of mines, James Watt perfected this invention which became the main power source for factories and trains.
What is the steam engine?
This "Wizard of Menlo Park" invented the first long-lasting incandescent light bulb, changing how long factories could stay open.
Who was Thomas Edison?
This "Taxation without Representation" act required colonists to pay a fee on all printed materials, such as newspapers and legal documents.
What is the Stamp Act?
This device, nicknamed the "National Razor," was used for executions during the Reign of Terror.
What is the guillotine?
This term describes a system of government where the people hold the power and elect representatives to make laws.
What is a Republic (or Democracy)?
This transition saw work move from small "cottage industries" in people's homes to these large buildings located in cities.
What are factories?
Henry Ford famously used this production method to mass-produce the Model T, making cars affordable for the average person.
What is the assembly line?
He was the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and later became the first President of the United States.
Who is George Washington?
She was the Queen of France during the revolution who was famously (and inaccurately) accused of saying "Let them eat cake."
Who was Marie Antoinette?
This French document, inspired by the American Revolution, stated that "men are born and remain free and equal in rights."
What is the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen?
Eli Whitney invented this machine, which sped up the processing of a major southern crop but also unfortunately led to the expansion of slavery
What is the cotton gin?
This cheaper and stronger metal, created using the Bessemer Process, allowed for the construction of skyscrapers and better railroads.
What is steel?
This 1770 event, where British soldiers fired into a crowd of colonists, was used as propaganda by Paul Revere to stir up anti-British feelings.
What was the Boston Massacre
This was the name of the social system in France where the population was divided into three groups; the "Third" of these groups paid nearly all the taxes.
What were the Estates (or the Three Estates)?
This Enlightenment idea, championed by Baron de Montesquieu, suggests that government power should be divided into three branches (Legislative, Executive, and Judicial).
What is the Separation of Powers?
This process, which began in Britain, involves the shift from making goods by hand to making them with machines.
What is industrialization?
This "invisible" form of energy powered everything from the telegraph to streetlights by the end of the 19th century.
What is electricity?
Often called the "turning point" of the war, this 1777 victory for the colonists convinced France to join the fight against Great Britain.
What was the Battle of Saratoga?
This military general rose to power at the end of the revolution, eventually crowning himself Emperor of the French in 1804.
Who was Napoleon Bonaparte?
This "Agreement" or theory suggests that people give up some of their freedom to a government in exchange for protection of their remaining rights.
What is the Social Contract?
This "Iron Horse" allowed goods and people to travel across land much faster than a horse and wagon, and it ran on tracks.
What is the steam locomotive (or train)?
Alexander Graham Bell changed the world in 1876 when he invented this device, allowing people to hear each other's voices from miles away.
What is the telephone?