MEDIEVAL HISTORY VOCABULARY FOR CHAPTER 7
CHANGES IN THE WESTERN WORLD
Enlightenment: a philosophical movement, primarily of the 1700s, that was characterized by
reliance on reason and experience
Age of Reason: the period of the Enlightenment
Scientific Revolution: a time when scientists began to rely on observation of the natural world
Scientific Method: a method involving careful observation of nature and, in some sciences,
controlledexperiments. Natural Rights: rights that belong to all human beings from birth
Philosophe: a French thinker of the Enlightenment
English Civil War: the military clash between forces loyal to King Charles I and the forces of
Parliament that overthrew the monarchy
English Bill of Rights: acts passed by Parliament in 1689 guaranteeing certain rights of English
people and limiting the power of the monarch
Colony: territory settled and ruled by a distant country
Declaration of Independence: the document in which the United States announced its
independence from Britain
Reign of Terror: the period (1793-1794) of the French Revolution during which many people
were executed for opposing the revolution
Industrial Revolution: the change in the methods of producing goods—from hand tools at
home to machines in factories, 1760s-1860s
Textile Industry: the making of cloth
Labor Union: an organization of workers formed to bargain with employees for better pay and
working conditions
Napoleonic Code: The French legal system based on Enlightenment ideas, set up during
Napoleon’s rule
Nationalism: a feeling of pride in one’s country and a desire for its independence
Imperialism: the effort of a nation to create an empire of colonies
Natural Rights: rights that belong to all human beings from birth
Philosophe: a French thinker of the Enlightenment
English Civil War: the military clash between forces loyal to King Charles I and the forces of
Parliament that overthrew the monarchy
English Bill of Rights: acts passed by Parliament in 1689 guaranteeing certain rights of English
people and limiting the power of the monarch
Colony: territory settled and ruled by a distant country
Declaration of Independence: the document in which the United States announced its
independence from Britain
Reign of Terror: the period (1793-1794) of the French Revolution during which many people
were executed for opposing the revolution
Industrial Revolution: the change in the methods of producing goods—from hand tools at
home to machines in factories, 1760s-1860s
Textile Industry: the making of cloth
Labor Union: an organization of workers formed to bargain with employees for better pay and
working conditions
Napoleonic Code: The French legal system based on Enlightenment ideas, set up during
Napoleon’s rule
Nationalism: a feeling of pride in one’s country and a desire for its independence
Imperialism: the effort of a nation to create an empire of colonies