DBQ Practice MWH
French Revolution
This question is designed to test your ability to work with historical documents. As you analyze
each document take into account both the sources of the document and the point of view that
maybe presented in the document
This document-based question consists of two parts. In part A you are to read each document
and answer the question or questions that follow it. In part B you are to write a brief response
on the information in the documents and your knowledge of the French Revolution. The brief
response will include:
Introduction paragraph with strong thesis statement, three topic sentences supported with
bullet points of information instead of full sentences.
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.
Prompt
Using information from the documents provided and your knowledge of Modern World History
to write a well-organized response in which you:
Discuss the political, economic, and social causes of the French Revolution.
Discuss means “to make observations about something using facts, reasoning, and argument;
to present in some detail”
Be sure to:
- Address all parts of the task by analyzing interpreting all the documents.
- Incorporate information from the documents in the body of your response
- Incorporate relevant outside knowledge throughout the response
- Construct strong topic sentences that could support several detailed sentences below.
- Provide bullet points of information (documents/outside knowledge) below each topic
sentence.
- Introduction paragraph with strong thesis statement that doesn’t merely repeat the
prompt but establishes the theme and provides a framework to the response.
DBQ Practice: French Revolution
Name__________________________P._____
Introduction:___________________________________________________________________
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Topic Sentence
#1:___________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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Topic Sentence
#2:___________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Topic Sentence
#3:___________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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Part A
Short-Answer Questions
Directions: Analyze the documents and answer the short-answer questions that follow each
document in your notebooks.
Document 1
. . . Powers of the king.—The King, Louis XVI, was absolute. He ruled by the divine right theory
which held that he had received his power to govern from God and was therefore responsible to God
alone. He appointed all civil officials and military officers. He made and enforced the laws. He could
declare war and make peace. He levied taxes and spent the people’s money as he saw fit. He
controlled the expression of thought by a strict censorship of speech and press. By means of lettres
de cachet (sealed letters which were really blank warrants for arrest) he could arbitrarily imprison
anyone without trial for an indefinite period. He lived in his magnificent palace at Versailles,
completely oblivious to the rising tide of popular discontent. . . .
Source: Friedman & Foner, A Genetic Approach to Modern European History,
College Entrance Book Co., 1938
1. According to this document by Friedman & Foner, what is one cause of the French Revolution?
Document 2 French Revolution
Date
Ruling Government
1789–
1791
National Assembly
Changes
• Constitutional monarchy established
• Feudalism abolished
• Declaration of the Rights of Man and the
Citizen adopted
1791–
Legislative Assembly
Constitutional monarchy undermined
1792
• Mob forced king to flee to the safety of
the Legislative Assembly
• War declared against Austria and Prussia
1792–
The First Republic and
• France declared a Republic (Sept. 1792)
1795
The Convention
• France ruled by Committee of Public
Safety
• Radicals (Jacobins) overcame moderates
(Girondins)
• Terror used to execute “enemies of the
regime”
• Robespierre executed
1795–
The Directory
Five directors ruled as executive
1799
• Coups d’état attempted by radical and
conservative forces
• Napoleon overthrew the government in a
coup d’état (Nov. 1799)
2. Based on this chart, identify two political changes that occurred during the French
Revolution.
Document 3
3. Based on the information in these graphs, identify one cause of the French Revolution.
Document 4
Excerpt from the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (1789).
1. Men are born and remain free and equal in rights; social distinctions can be established only
for the common benefit.
2. The aim of every political association is the conservation of the imprescriptible rights of man;
these rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression….
4. Liberty consists in being able to do anything that does not harm another person..
10. No one may be disturbed because of his opinions, even religious, provided that their public
demonstration does not disturb the public order established by law.
11. The free communication of thoughts and opinions is one of the most precious rights of man:
every citizen can therefore freely speak, write, print…
16. Any society in which guarantees of rights are not assured nor the separation of powers
determined has no constitution.
4. According to this document, what are the natural rights of man?
DBQ Construction:
Intro Paragraph:
The introduction to your DBQ is recommended to have the following format:
Sentence 1: Grand Statement about the topic/time period.
• This will “open up” and set the scene for your reader.
Sentence 2: Narrow the topic a bit.
• Include a statement that gets readers closer to the topic of your DBQ.
Sentence 3: Thesis statement.
• This should clearly state your opinion/argument on the prompt.
• You want to come across as being sophisticated
• IF YOU WANT TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF:
– Try to include the word ‘although’ or ‘however’
– In doing that, you have to recognize the antithesis and then demonstrate it is
not correct
Sentence 4: Plan of Attack
• List the 3 main areas you will use as the “evidence” in your body paragraphs.