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Rene Descartes
He was a French philosopher and a scientist who revolutionized algebra and geometry. He is most known for his famous philisophical statement "I think, therfore I am." He wrote "Discourse on Methods" which introduced a deductive approach to philosophy using math and logic. -
Enlightenment
The age of Enlightenment was an intellectual movement in the 18th century in Europe. The goal was to establish knowledge based on an enlightened point of view. -
Sir Isaac Newton
He was an English scholar and mathematician that has been regarded as the father of physical science. His discoveries during the Scientific Revolution set the stage for everything that followed in mathematics and physics. He published his Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica which introduced gravity and the fundamental laws of motion. -
John Locke
He is most arguably the most influential philisophical and political thinker of the 17th century. He focused on the structure of government. He believed that all men are rational and capable people. In his famous "Two Treaties" of Government, he wrote about the idea of a representative government that would best serve all. -
Volitaire
He was a French writer and the primary satirist of the Enlightenment. His works advocated freedom from the ploys of religion. His most notable work, Candide, showed his criticisms of optimism and superstition. -
Cesare Beccaria
He was an Italian politician who ventured into philosophy to protest the horrible injustices that he saw in many European judicial systems. His book "Crimes and Punishment" exposed these practices and led to abolition of many. -
Adam Smith
He was a Scottish economist who objected to the mercantile st systems that were in place. He wrote the "Wealth of Nations" which was a dissertation that criticized mercantilism and described the benefits of a free trade system. -
Benjamin Franklin
He was an American diplomat and inventor that traveled frequently between the United States and Europe. He facilitated the ideas of Enlightenment between the US and Europe during these travels. He had a great influence on the formation of a new government and had a hand in the writing of the Declaration of Independence. -
The Meeting of the Estates General
The Estates General were called by King Louis XVI with the plan to solve the monarchy's financial crisis. The "The Third Estate" decided to fork their own National Assembly. They were locked out of the meeting of the Estates General, so they use an indoor tennis court where the Tennis Court Oath took place. This oath was a vow to remain there until a new constitution had been written. -
The Fall of Bastille
An angry crowd marched on the Bastille, which was a fortress in east Paris that housed political prisoners. The commander of the Bastille, Marquis DE Launay, and his troops eventually surrendered to the angry mob. -
March on Versailles
A lot of people were hungry and unemployed. A large crowd of protestors, mostly women, marched from Paris to the Palace of Versailles. They broke into the quarters of Queen Marie Antoinette and demanded bread. They wanted the King to bring his family to Paris to "live amount the people." The King agreed believing it would only be a small inconvenience. -
Flight to Varennes
The Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette felt like prisoners in Paris. They decided to leave and go to Austria. They tried to sneak out of Paris. They almost made it but they were recognized right outside of Varennes and they were forced to return to Paris. This incident was devastating to the National Assembly. -
Dissolution of the National Assembly
The constitution finally came into effect on Sept. 30, 1791. France was proclaimed a constitutional monarchy and the National Assembly was dissolved. -
War
War dominated the debate in the new Legislative Assembly. Tensions were rising and France was viewed with both fear and anger by the European monarchies. The revolutionaries pushed for war because they thought it would unify the nation and spread the ideas of the Revolution to the rest of Europe. France listened and declared war on Austria. -
Attack on the Tuileries Palace
The Austrian army and it's Prussian allies began to advance into French territory. On Aug. 10, 1792, a crowd of about 20,000 people attacked the Tuileries Palace. The King and Queen were able to escape and place themselves under the protection of the Legislative Assembly. -
Declaration of the Republic
After the arrests of Louis XVI and Marie Antionette , the Legislative Assembly disbanded and replaced itself with a new political body called the National Convention. Their first act was to declare France as a republic. -
Punishing Louis XVI
Louis XVI was charged with treason and found guilty. He was driven through the streets of Paris and beheaded by the same guillotine that he had previously ordered the deaths of many by. -
Reign of Terror
The new National Convention was dominated by the Committee of Public Safety and one man in particular, Maximilian Robespierre. He wanted to rid France of all enemies of the Revolution and to protect the virtue of the nation. This began the Reign of Terror that would span from Sept 1793 to July 1794. -
Directory
After the fall of Robespierre and the end of the Reign of Terror, the National Convention created a new government called the Directory. It consisted of an executive council of five members. Almost immediately, the Directory became overwhelmed with corruption, political conflict, and financial problems. -
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon returned from a military expedition in Egypt and broke up the Directory. He established the Consulate and named himself as the First Consul. -
Legion of Honour
Napoleon restructures the French educational system and establishes the Legion of Honour. -
Emperor Napolean
Napolean decides to crown himself Emperor and does so in the presence of the Pope. -
Battle of Austerlitz
In perhaps his greatest victory, Napolean defeated the combined armies of Australia and Russia. -
Napoleon's Army Fails
Napolean arrives in Moscow and finds the city abandoned and had been set on fire by the people. He and his army retreated in the middle of a harsh winter and suffered great losses. -
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was created . Some of its principles were that any nation that had lost terrotory due to Napolean would be compensated and that no nation would be allowed to threaten the security of europe .
