People
The king of France during the start of the French Revolution; he was executed in 1793 for failing to address France’s problems.
King Louis XVI
The largest estate—commoners, including peasants, workers, and the bourgeoisie. They paid most of the taxes.
Third Estate
A sudden takeover of a government by a small group; Napoleon used one to seize power in 1799.
Coup d’état
A huge and luxurious palace built by French kings; it symbolized royal wealth and was home to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
Versailles
A 1789 document stating the basic rights and freedoms that all Frenchmen should have, such as liberty, equality, and justice under the law.
Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen
A writer and activist who fought for women’s rights and authored the Declaration of the Rights of Woman; executed during the Reign of Terror.
Olympe de Gouges
The religious officials of the Catholic Church who were part of the First Estate.
Clergy
A ruler with complete power over the government and people, without limits from laws or a constitution.
Absolute Monarch
On July 14, 1789, Parisians stormed the Bastille prison for weapons; it became a symbol of the start of the French Revolution.
Bastille Day / Storming of the Bastille
A 1791 document by Olympe de Gouges demanding full political and social equality for women.
Declaration of the Rights of Woman
A radical revolutionary who led the Committee of Public Safety and the Reign of Terror; he was later executed.
Maximilien Robespierre
Members of the Catholic Church, including priests and bishops, who held special privileges.
First Estate
The belief that a ruler’s authority comes directly from God, meaning people should not question the king.
Divine Right
A period from 1793–1794 when thousands were executed for allegedly being “enemies of the revolution.”
Reign of Terror
A machine used for executions during the French Revolution; it beheaded people quickly and was considered “equal” for all classes.
Guillotine
A successful general who became leader of France, crowned himself emperor, expanded French territory, and was eventually defeated and exiled.
Napoleon
The French nobility—wealthy landowners who held privileges such as low or no taxes.
Second Estate
A more moderate government (1795–1799) led by five directors; it was weak and eventually overthrown by Napoleon.
The Directory
Juy 14, 1789
The start of the French Revolution
A series of wars (1803–1815) in which Napoleon attempted to expand French power across Europe.
Napoleonic Wars
The king who took the French throne after Napoleon’s defeat, restoring the monarchy in France.
King Louis XVIII
Wealthy landowners of high social status who made up the Second Estate.
Nobility
The radical government of France from 1792–1795 that abolished the monarchy, created a republic, and executed King Louis XVI.
National Convention
A French legislative assembly made up of representatives from the three estates (social classes). It was called in 1789 after 175 years.
Estates-General
Napoleon’s final defeat in 1815 by the British and Prussian armies ended his rule.
Battle of Waterloo