the Enlightenment was a movement in the 1600s and 1700s that promoted the use of reason and questioned authority

a social contract is an agreement that rulers should govern in a way that benefits the people in exchange for having power over them

a revolution is the forcible overthrow of a government, a great or complete change

settlers are people who have arrived to live in a new area of land

the Ancien Régime was the name for the political and social system in France before the Revolution, ruled by the monarch: King Louis XVI

The Enlightenment and the Age of Revolution

History

The background to the Enlightenment

Enlightenment ideas: science and politics

The American Revolution and Enlightenment ideas

Enlightenment ideas and the causes of the French Revolution

The impact of the French Revolution in the Atlantic world

In this unit, pupils learnt about the Enlightenment and its emphasis on reason, science and progress. This foundation will be crucial in ‘The Industrial Revolution: did industrialisation revolutionise people's lives?’, where pupils will examine how the intellectual shifts of the Enlightenment contributed to the dramatic changes brought about by industrialisation.

In ‘The Renaissance: what do the artefacts of the Renaissance tell us about it?’, pupils explored how Renaissance art and culture reflected new ways of thinking. Building on this, this unit introduces the Enlightenment, where pupils will examine how ideas of reason and progress further shaped European thought.

In this unit, pupils learn about the Enlightenment and its impact on America, France, and the Atlantic World. They develop knowledge of the Enlightenment's background and ideas and consider its links to the 'Age of Revolution'.

The Enlightenment: what was the Enlightenment?

Historic or outdated representations of people that may portray inequality or injustice.

Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

True or false?: philosophers who were part of the Enlightenment movement criticised absolutist governments and monarchs.

Put these revolutions in chronological order, starting with the earliest.

Approximately how many enslaved Africans were captive in the French colony of Saint Domingue?

support their own governments and monarchs

challenge their own governments and monarchs

emigrate to get away from governments and monarchs

What did the Enlightenment inspire people to do?

The Enlightenment led to the execution of the French king, Louis XVI, in what year?

What is the term given to a country without a monarch?

The founders of the French Republic founded their new country along similar lines to the Americans, calling for freedom, {{ }} and fraternity.

Which European monarchies fought against the new French republic?

The Caribbean island known as Saint-Domingue was a __________ colony.

Enslaved Africans, European settlers, free people of African and Taíno origin

Free people of African and Taino origin alongside European settlers

Enslaved Africans alongside free people of African and Taino origin

Which of these statements best describes the population of Saint-Domingue in the 1790s?

The leader of the Haitian Revolution was Touissaint...

The Haitian revolution did inspire other enslaved peoples to rise up and revolt in other Caribbean islands such as Jamaica and...

Starter Quiz

The founders of the French Republic founded their new country along similar lines to the Americans, calling for freedom, and fraternity.