Quiz 8:
Age of Revolution
Instructions: Write a 1-2 page essay addressing one of the options below. All essays should
quote material from the selected source, or credit will not be awarded for the quiz.

Option 1: Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense.”
Based on this excerpt, why does Paine believe the Thirteen Colonies should break away
from Great Britain? How does Paine engage counter-arguments regarding the need to
stay a part of the British Empire?

Option 2: Declaration of Independence
According to the Declaration of Independence, what rationales did the Continental
Congress provide for declaring independence from Great Britain? How can the ideals of
the Enlightenment be seen in the Declaration?

Option 3: In Our Time: George Washington and the American Revolution
Based on this podcast, describe George Washington and his role in the American
Revolution. What kind of person was he, and what shaped his outlook on the world?
What inspired Washington to participate in the Revolution, and how did he contribute to
the cause for independence?

Option 4: Bill of the Rights of the United States vs. The Declaration of the Rights of Men
Compare and contrast the U.S. Bill of the Rights and the French Declaration of the Rights
of Men. What role did these documents have in their respective revolutions? What ideals
do both documents have in common? In what ways do these documents possess differing
ideals?

Option 5: Abbé Sieyes: "What is the Third Estate?"
Based on this document, what contribution does the Third Estate make to French society?
How is that contribution acknowledged (or not acknowledged) by the other estates? For
Sieyes, what role should the Third Estate play in French society?

Option 6: In Our Time: Edmund Burke
Based on this podcast, describe the life, career, and political views of Edmund Burke.
How did Burke perceive the American and French Revolutions? In what ways did he
sympathize with the American Revolution, but fear the French Revolution? How did
others respond to Burke’s view, and what influence did he have on British history?

Option 7: Films on Demand: The French Revolution
Based on this film, explain the major events behind the French Revolution. What factors
and events contributed to the Revolution, and how did the Revolution transform France?
What caused the Revolution spiral into war, terror, and violence?

Option 8: In Our Time: The Impact of the French Revolution.
Based on this podcast, describe the impact of the French Revolution on Europe. How did
Europeans perceive this revolution? In what ways did the revolutionary spirit of France
transform European government, art, and culture?

Option 9: Maximilien Robespierre, "Terror and Virtue." Internet Modern History
Sourcebook.
Based on this document, describe Robespierre’s arguments on why violence is a
legitimate tool of politics. What justifications does Robespierre provide for the use of
force against political enemies? What role does virtue play in Robespierre’s arguments?
For Robespierre, how are terror and virtue linked?

Option 10: The Code Noir. Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity: Exploring the French
Revolution. Center for Media and New History, George Mason University.
Based on this edict from King Louis XIV in 1865, what kind of society did France want
for its American colonies (including Haiti)? How did the Code Noir deal with Jews,
Protestants, and especially African slaves? What precisely are slaves allowed or not
allowed to do, and what punishments would the face for transgression? Do slaves have
any privileges or protections under this edict?

Option 11: Egalité for All: Toussaint Louverture and the Haitian Revolution. PBS
Videos.
Based on this film, describe the life of Toussaint Louverture and his role in the Haitian
Revolution. What type of society was Haiti before the revolution? What impact did the
French Revolution have on Haiti? What status did Louverture have in Haitian society
before the revolution, and what type of leadership did he provide as the revolution
unfolded?