Authoritarian: A system where people are expected to obey all authority and rules, even though some of these rules and regulations may be unfair and cause the loss of personal freedom.

Clergy Priests or ministers of a religion that are usually a part of the Christian Church.

Constitution The system of laws and principles that a state, country or organisation is governed by.

Democracy A system of governance where people of a country can vote to elect their country’s representatives.

While colonialism and slavery flourished in the 18th century, the foundations of modern democracy were also being established. It is important to consider the ideas of liberty, equality, fraternity and individual freedom in the late 18th century, and to understand what these meant in societies of the time. The conditions in France that caused the revolution in 1789 should be put into context regarding why revolutions did not occur in a reforming monarchy such as the United Kingdom, or in Russia.[1]