WH Unit 2 Vocabulary: Enlightenment & Revolutions

Definition: The belief that every person is born with basic rights, like life, liberty, and property, which governments must protect.

• Social Contract

• Separation Of Powers

• Natural Law

• Natural Rights

Definition: A document written in 1776 by American colonists, stating that they were breaking away from Britain and listing their reasons, based on the idea of natural rights.

• The Constitution

• The Bill of Rights

• The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen

• The Declaration of Independence

Definition: A political philosophy based on the belief in individual freedoms, democracy, and the protection of people's rights, influenced by Enlightenment ideas.

• Nationalism

• Socialism

• Conservatism

• Liberalism

Definition: The use of logical thinking to understand the world and make decisions, rather than relying on tradition or superstition.

• Reason

• Natural Rights

• Argument

• Skepticism

Definition: The questioning of accepted beliefs or ideas, often challenging traditional authority, to find the truth through evidence and logic.

• Rationalism

• Skepticism

• Group Thinking

• Examining Assumptions

Definition: An idea that people agree to give up some freedom in exchange for the protection of their rights by the government. If the government fails, people have the right to change it.

• Separation Of Powers

• Natural Rights

• Republic

• Social Contract

Definition: The idea that a government should divide its powers into different branches (like executive, legislative, and judicial) to prevent any one part from becoming too powerful.

• Reign of Terror

• Natural Rights

• The French Revolution

• Separation of Powers

Definition: A type of government where the people elect representatives to make decisions and laws on their behalf, instead of having a king or queen.

• Separation Of Powers

• Republic

• Democracy

• Social Contract

Match the following:

• The Scientific

  Revolution

• A time in the 1500s and 1600s when people began using experiments and careful observation to learn about the natural world, leading to major discoveries in science and

  mathematics.

• Napoleon

  Bonaparte

• A movement in the 1600s and 1700s where philosophers and thinkers emphasized reason, science, and individual

  rights as the way to improve society and challenge traditional authority.

• The French

  Revolution

• A violent period during the French Revolution (1793 1794) when leaders used fear and executions to control the country and protect the revolution.

• Reign of Terror

• A major uprising in France (1789-1799) where the French people overthrew their king and sought to create a more equal and fair society, inspired by Enlightenment ideas.

• The Enlightenment

• A French military leader who rose to power during the French Revolution and later became emperor, spreading revolutionary ideas across Europe while also becoming a dictator.

The use of logical thinking to understand the world and make decisions, rather than relying on tradition or superstition.

(a)