Systems of Government and the French Revolution

Systems of Government and Society

• Absolute Monarchy: a government where all power lies in one person, often the king or queen.
• Feudalism: a medieval model of government before the birth of the modern nation-state.

Important Events and Groups

• Tennis Court Oath: an oath taken on June 20, 1789, at the Palace of Versailles, marking the beginning of the French Revolution.
• National Assembly: a group that played a key role in the French Revolution.
• Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen: a document adopted in 1789, stating the fundamental principles of the French Revolution.
• Reign of Terror: a period of violence during the French Revolution, marked by the establishment of the Committee of Public Safety.

Economic Systems and Concepts

• Capitalism: an economic system.
• Socialism: a way to organize a society.
• Mechanization: the process of beginning to use machines and technology to do work.
• Urbanization: the increase in population of people living in towns and cities.
• Agriculture: the practice of growing crops or raising animals.
• Inflation: the rate of increase in prices over a given period of time.
• Deficit: a deficiency in amount or price.

Industrial Revolution

• First Industrial Revolution in Britain: started in the late 18th and 19th centuries, marked by mechanization, including the invention of the Spinning Jenny.
• Spinning Jenny: a machine used for spinning wool or cotton.
• Steam Engine: a machine using steam power to perform mechanical work through heat.
• Changes to Transportation: the use of steam engines led to the development of locomotives and steam boats, revolutionizing transportation.

Social and Political Concepts

• Assimilate: the process of becoming similar to others.
• Paternalism: making all the decisions for the people you govern.
• Colonialism: control by one power over another.
• Cultural Genocide: the intent to destroy a national or religious group.
• Reserves: held back for future use.

The Indian Act

• Classifications: Non-Status Indians and Status Indians.
• Goals: control and assimilation.
• The Indian Act is paternalistic, treating Aboriginal people like children that need parents to look after them.
• The Indian Act is not a treaty and was imposed on Aboriginals by the government.

Residential Schools

• Established by the Canadian government to assimilate Indigenous peoples into a settler society.
• Trauma and Abuse: widespread physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of Indigenous children.
• Control over education, prohibiting Indigenous languages and cultural practices.
• Children were taken away from their homes, unable to communicate with their families.