Unit 2 – French Revolution DBQ TEST
Historical Context: The French Revolution (1789–1814), which included Napoleon’s reign, is considered a major turning
point in world history. This revolution led to major changes in France and other nations and regions of the world.
Task: Using at least 5 documents, write a well organized essay in which your 3 body paragraphs:
 Discuss at least 2 causes of the French Revolution.
 Discuss at least 2 effects of the French Revolution.
 Evaluate whether the changes that resulted from the revolution resolved the problems that caused it. (Take a
position!)
 EXTRA CREDIT: include OUTSIDE information pertaining to effects of the French Revolution as they relate to
European or Latin American Revolutions.
 IMPORTANT: Underline your thesis and all Concrete Detail.
_____
_________________
TEST REVIEW: After reading each document, answer the questions that follow on the Document Deconstruction
handout. For each document, record concrete detail under either Cause, Effect, or Resolution of the problems. Then, plan
out your essay using the DBQ Organizer provided. Place both of these documents in your Portfolio as your test review.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Document 1: The following quotes come from Enlightenment thinkers from the 17th century:
“I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.” –Voltaire
“All mankind... being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or
possessions.” -John Locke
“Man is born free, and everywhere he is in shackles.” -Jean Jacques Rousseau
“Slavery to monarchs and ministers, which the world will be long freeing itself from, and whose deadly
grasp stops the progress of the human mind, is not yet abolished.” -Mary Wollstonecraft


1A. How do these quotes summarize the new ideas about government from the 18th century?
1B. How did the Enlightenment encourage change?
Document 2: This excerpt is from John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government.
‘Men being…by nature are free, equal, and independent, no one can be…subjected to the political power
of another without his own consent…To protect natural rights governments are established…Since men
hope to preserve their property by establishing a government, they will not want that government to
destroy their objectives. When legislators try to destroy or take away the property of the people, or try to
reduce them to slavery, they put themselves into a state of war with the people who can then refuse to
obey the laws.’

2A. According to the author, what is the purpose of government?
Document 3: This excerpt is adapted from Travels in France by Arthur Young.
In the south of France there is a taille [tax on the land and its produce]. There is an injustice in levying the
amount each person must pay. Lands held by the nobility are taxed very little. Lands held by the
commoners are taxed very heavily…
September 5, 1788: The poor people seem very poor indeed. The children are terribly ragged.
June 10, 1789: The lack of bread is terrible. Stories arrive every moment from provinces of riots…The price
of bread has risen above people’s ability to pay. This causes great misery.
July 1789:…I was joined by a poor woman who complained of the hard times. “The tailles and feudal dues
[rents owed to the landlords] are crushing us,” she said.

1
3A. Identify three issues/problems in France from 1787-1789.
Document 4:

4A. Identify the three figures in the
cartoon in relation to French society
(1st, 2nd, and 3rd estates)

4B. What do you think the rock
represents?

4C. What is the cartoonist trying to
suggest about social hierarchy of
French society in the 18th century?
Cobb & Jones (1988) Voices of the French Revolution p. 39
Document 5:
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
Approved by the National Assembly of France, August 26, 1789
The representatives of the French people, organized as a National Assembly…recognizes and
proclaims…the following rights of man and of the citizen.
Articles:
1. Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the
general good.
2. The aim of all political association is the preservation of the natural…rights of man. These rights are
liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression…
13. A common contribution is essential for the maintenance of the public forces and for the cost of
administration. This should be equitably distributed among all the citizens in proportion to their means.

5A. How did the French National Assembly attempt to deal with the problems that caused the French Revolution?
Document 6:
2
Execution_robespierre,_saint_just....jpg (750 × 460 pixel, file size: 133 KB, MIME

6A. What do the
flag and the
guillotine symbolize
in this painting of
the French
Revolution?

6B. What do you
think the artist was
trying to “say”?
Document 7: Except from the London Times January 25, 1793
EXECUTION of LOUIS XVI
KING OF THE FRENCH
By an express which arrived yesterday morning from Messrs. Fector and Co. at Dover, we learn the
following particulars of the King's execution:
…The greatest tranquility prevailed in every street through which the procession passed. About half
past nine, the King arrived at the place of execution, which was in the Place de Louis XV. between the
pedestal which formerly supported the statue of his grandfather, and the promenade of the Elysian
Fields. Louis mounted the scaffold with composure, and that modest intrepidity peculiar to oppressed
innocence, the trumpets sounding and drums beating during the whole time. He made a sign of wishing
to harangue [criticize] the multitude, when the drums ceased, and Louis spoke these few words. “I die
innocent; I pardon my enemies; I only sanctioned upon compulsion the Civil Constitution of the
Clergy...” He was proceeding, but the beating of the drums drowned his voice. His executioners then
laid hold of him, and an instant after, his head was separated from his body; this was about a quarter
past ten o'clock.
After the execution, the people threw their hats up in the air, and cried out Vive la Nation! Some of them
endeavoured to seize the body, but it was removed by a strong guard to the Temple, and the lifeless
remains of the King were exempted from those outrages which his Majesty had experienced during his
life.

7A. What is the extent to which problems were solved by executing the king of France?
Document 8
The Emperor
“To have good
soldiers, a nation
must always be at
war.”



8A. Who is the ruler? What do the paintings tell you about him?
8B. Explain the meaning of the quotation. What is this ruler’s goal?
Document 9: excerpt from World History: Patterns of Interaction, page 594
“The great powers affirmed the principal of legitimacy-agreeing that as many as possible of the rulers
whom Napoleon had driven from their thrones should be restored to power. In France, the brother of
Louis XVI (16th) returned to power as king. He wisely adopted a constitution and ruled as a
constitutional monarch.”

3
9A. According to this document, what kind of government did France end up with after the revolution?
French Revolution DBQ
Name _____________________ Per _____
Task: Using at least 5 documents, write a well organized essay in which your 3 body paragraphs:
 Discuss at least 2 causes of the French Revolution.
 Discuss at least 2 effects of the French Revolution.
 Evaluate whether the changes that resulted from the revolution resolved the problems that caused it. (Take a
position!)
 EXTRA CREDIT, include OUTSIDE information pertaining to effects of the French Revolution as they relate to
European or Latin American Revolutions.
 IMPORTANT: Underline your thesis and all Concrete Detail.
DBQ Essay Assessment Rubric
10/9
INTRODUCTION – Provides
background information on the topic.
Thesis is evident, well written, and
sets up the essay
BODY – CD/DOCS - Evidence is
paraphrased or quoted, detailed,
correctly labeled, and clearly supports
the prompt and the thesis
BODY – COMMENTARY fully
explains the Concrete Detail and
clearly supports the prompt and the
thesis
CONCLUSION – Summarizes essay
and rewords the thesis statement
TRANSITIONS – Uses transition
words; essay is easily readable
EXTRA CREDIT - provides
accurate commentary (no CD
necessary) relating to the effects of the
French Revolution on future European
and/or Latin American Revolutions.
Total _______/10
Comments:
4
8/7
Introduction has a satisfactory thesis,
but is missing background
information
6/5
Introduction of topic has minimal
information or there is no evident
thesis
Evidence is somewhat detailed;
paraphrasing or quoting is attempted
but not clear; docs are not correctly
labeled
CM somewhat explains the CD;
support of thesis and prompt is vague
Docs do not support the thesis or the
prompt. Docs are quoted directly; less
than 5 docs are used
Summary is satisfactory; thesis is
restated but not reworded
Transitions are used in some
paragraphs, but not all
Summary of topic has minimal
information; no thesis
Transitions are attempted, but do not
maintain flow; difficult to read
CM does not support the CD, the
prompt, or the thesis