WORLD HISTORY UNIT 3
REVOLUTION IN WESTERN EUROPE:
Reaping the harvest of the Enlightenment
THE 17th CENTURY: A NEW ERA
The Renaissance saw the re-discovery of classical knowledge and the re-birth of a
dominant European culture. HOWEVER, it wasn’t until Copernicus’ theory was published
with hesitancy in 1543 that anyone openly questioned the Church. Giordano Bruno was
burned as a heretic for such questioning as late as 1600, and Galileo was forced to live
under house arrest for supporting Copernicus’ theory in 1633. The Roman Catholic Church
didn’t take Copernicus’ book, De Revolutionibus, off of their banned book list until 1835,
and didn’t recognize Galileo’s work as correct until 1993. Nonetheless, THE 17TH
CENTURY WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT QUESTIONING THE WAY THINGS WERE –
THE CULTURAL ASSUMPTIONS OF THE TIME – WAS EVEN REMOTELY
ACCEPTABLE IN EUROPE. UNTIL THAT TIME, THE WORLD WAS THE WAY IT WAS.
PERIOD!
In this unit, we will see the fruits of labor of the Enlightenment thinkers: Revolution.
We will examine 3 different political revolutions in the west:
1. The Glorious Revolution in England (1640-49/1689) created the first Monarch-less
government in Europe in 1649, only to see the Monarchy return 10 years later.
2. The American Revolution in the British colonies, what is now the longest standing
government in the world.
3. The French Revolution – a passionate, violent roller-coaster conflict which
epitomized the literal meaning of the word “Revolution”.
We will examine the causes and effects that these revolutions had on their own people and
the people of other nations in the world, and see how they changed the cultural landscape of
Europe – and eventually the world.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES – REVOLUTION IN WESTERN EUROPE:
1) Demonstrate clear connections between the ideas of the enlightenment thinkers and
the actions which caused Revolution in England (1688), the United States (1776),
and France (1789).
2) Clearly describe the causes of the “Glorious” Revolution in England, its unique
significance, and the effects it had on both England and other western countries.
3) Clearly describe the causes of the American Revolution, its unique significance, and
the effects it had on specific European countries.
4) Clearly describe the causes of the French Revolution, its unique significance, and
the effects it had on Europe, including the actions of Napoleon which culminated in
the Congress of Vienna.
5) Compare and Contrast the European “cultural landscape” in 1800 (end of the era of
Revolutions) with the “cultural landscape” in 1600.
KEY TERMS (This is a rough list – check it against your notes)
Magna Carta
Thomas Jefferson
Tennis Court Oath
Parliament
Cesare Beccaria
National Assembly
James I
Benedict Spinoza
Great Fear
James II
Baron de Montesquieu
Bastille
Charles I
Jean Jacques Rousseau
Guillotine
Charles II
Declaration of Independence
Committee of Public Safety
Oliver Cromwell
Checks and Balances
Maximillian Robospierre
William & Mary
U.S. Constitution
Reign of Terror
John Locke
Bill of Rights
The Directory
Thomas Hobbes
Balance of Power
Napoleon Bonaparte
British Bill of Rights
Coup d’etat
Salon
Glorious Revolution
Lycees
Enlightened Despot
Puritans
Concordat
Louis XIV, XV, XVI, XVII
Roundheads
Battle of Trafalgar
Marie Antionette
Habeus Corpus
Scorced Earth
Abbie de Sieyes
Divine Right
Declaration of the Rights of man Russian Winter
Absolute Monarchy
Klemens von Metternich
Bread Riots
Constitutional Monarchy
Congress of Vienna
Estates General
*The exam for this unit will be Friday, November 10th*
Tuesday 10/24 = Review exam, introduce Unit
HW = English rulers of the 1600’s timeline (rulers,
dates + their religion).
Thursday 11/1= National Assembly gives way to the
Reign of Terror (L.O. #4): Work on Handout packet.
HW = PLAN 197-203.
Thursday 10/26 = Lecture on causes and events of
the English Civil War. (L.O. #2)
HW = PLAN 156-159
Friday 11/2 = Reign of Terror continued. (L.O. #4)
HW = PLAN 204-208
Friday 10/27 = Lecture on Glorious revolution +
movie/activity. (L.O. #2)
HW = PLAN 178-182
Monday 10/30 = Review the American Revolution
(L.O. #3) + connect to L.O. #1, 2
HW = PLAN 183-187.
Tuesday 10/31 = Summarize L.O. #1, 2, 3 and
Introduce the French revolutionary era (L.O. #4)
HW = PLAN 193-196
Monday 11/5 = Napoleon. (L.O. #4) Video?
HW = PLAN 209-212
Tuesday 11/6 = Fall of Napoleon & the Congress of
Vienna, 1815. (L.O. #4, 5)
HW = PLAN 213-217
Thursday 11/8= Review for unit exam
HW = Study for exam
Friday 11/10 = EXAM
HW = Have a good weekend 