Revolutions & Movements Study Guide

Revolutions and social movements are periods of dramatic, often violent political and social change driven by mass participation. The American Revolution created a new republic based on Enlightenment ideals; the French Revolution dismantled the monarchy and reshaped European politics; the Russian Revolution replaced the Tsar with a communist state. Social movements - including abolitionism, women's suffrage, civil rights, and decolonisation - have expanded rights and challenged entrenched power structures. These upheavals reflect moments when populations refused to accept existing conditions and demanded transformation. This sub-category tests knowledge of history's great revolutions and movements - their causes, key figures, pivotal events, and the lasting changes they brought to political and social life.