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 taille was a land tax paid in France by peasants and non-nobles before the Revolution, and was not paid by clergy or nobility

an Estates-General was an emergency meeting of people from all areas of French society that the king could call to advise him

a republic is a country without a king or queen.

the ability of a monarch to do as they please without having to answer to anyone for their actions is known as absolute power

Enlightenment ideas and the causes of the French Revolution

History

The background to the Enlightenment

Enlightenment ideas: science and politics

The American Revolution and Enlightenment ideas

The impact of the French Revolution in the Atlantic world

The Enlightenment and the Age of Revolution

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?

Depiction of war, threats of war, death or the aftermath of war.

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Enlightenment thinkers in France blamed the problems of their country on Louis XVI and the {{ }} Régime.

In France, which group had to pay the taille?

Many peasants in France were starving following years of bad...

When members of the Third Estate broke away from the Estates-General they formed the 'National {{ }}'.

When Louis and Marie Antoinette were executed in January 1793 it brought about the end to {{ }} monarchy in France.

In what year was the Declaration of Independence signed?

The printing press allowed __________ ideas to arrive in the American colonies.

There were {{ }} British colonies in North America at the time of the Revolutionary War.

In 1765 Britain introduced new taxation to the American colonies in the form of the {{ }} Act.

Starting with the earliest, place these events in chronological order.

The collective name for the basic principles/laws which govern a country is a...

Enlightenment ideas and the causes of the French Revolution

Lesson outcome

Content guidance