New
New
Year 8

The impact of the French Revolution in the Atlantic world

I can describe the consequences of the French Revolution in Europe and across the Atlantic.

New
New
Year 8

The impact of the French Revolution in the Atlantic world

I can describe the consequences of the French Revolution in Europe and across the Atlantic.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. After the French Revolution, a republic was created in France.
  2. European monarchs feared that the events of France could take place in their countries.
  3. European monarchs waged war with the new French republic.
  4. The ideas of liberty and criticism of absolutist governments spread across the Atlantic to Haiti.
  5. Other areas across the Atlantic rose up in revolution, inspired by ideas of liberty and freedom.

Keywords

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

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

  • Republic - a republic is a country without a king or queen

  • Absolute - in this lesson, absolute refers to a monarch's absolute power meaning they don’t have to answer to anyone for their action

  • Colony - a colony is an area under the control of another country and occupied by settlers from that country

Common misconception

All the Haitian rebels were enslaved people.

Many of the Haitian rebels were free people.

Encourage students to see the Enlightenment as the beginning of a chain of events that led to the Haitian Revolution.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of serious crime

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Who had the French government spent large amounts of money supporting in the 1770s and early 1780s?
Britain
Correct answer: The American colonies
The United States of America
Enlightenment thinkers
Q2.
In France, the peasants were required to pay the , whereas nobles and the clergy were not.
Correct Answer: taille, Taille
Q3.
Which of these statements best describes Louis XVI's approach to spending?
Aware of his country's debts, he was careful not to overspend.
Correct answer: He spent a great deal, holding lavish banquets at Versailles.
Louis spent cautiously and continued to reduce his spending.
Q4.
To which 'estate' did the ordinary commoners of France belong?
First Estate
Second Estate
Correct answer: Third Estate
Q5.
Which of these best describes the Estates-General?
A group of nobles that met regularly to advise the king.
A parliament that sat in order to make laws and raise taxes.
Correct answer: A gathering of representatives from all of French society.
A group of commoners who broke away to form their own assembly.
Q6.
When Louis and Marie Antoinette were executed in January 1793 it created a in France.
Correct Answer: republic, Republic

6 Questions

Q1.
The founders of the French Republic founded their new country along similar lines to the Americans, calling for freedom, and fraternity.
Correct Answer: equality, Equality, egalite
Q2.
Which European monarchies fought against the new French republic?
Correct answer: Britain
Spain
Correct answer: Russia
Correct answer: Austria
Correct answer: Prussia
Q3.
The Caribbean island known as Saint-Domingue was a __________ colony.
British
Correct answer: French
Portugese
Spanish
Q4.
Which of these statements best describes the population of Saint-Domingue in the 1790s?
Correct answer: Enslaved Africans, European settlers, free people of African and Taíno origin
Enslaved Africans and European settlers
Free people of African and Taino origin alongside European settlers
Enslaved Africans alongside free people of African and Taino origin
Q5.
The leader of the Haitian Revolution was Touissaint .
Correct Answer: Louverture , louverture, L'ouverture, l'ouverture, L'Overture
Q6.
The Haitian revolution did inspire other enslaved peoples to rise up and revolt in other Caribbean islands such as Jamaica and...
Correct Answer: Barbados, barbados

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