Social Studies: The French Revolution: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity Worksheet

Question 1

Describe one political problem and one economic problem in France before the Revolution began in 1789.

Accepted Answer

One political problem was that King Louis XVI had absolute power and most people had little say in government. One economic problem was that France had serious debt, high food prices, and unfair taxes that mostly affected common people.

Question 2

The French motto was Liberty, Equality, Fraternity. Explain what each word meant to many revolutionaries.

Accepted Answer

Liberty meant freedom from unfair rule and unfair laws. Equality meant that people should have equal rights under the law. Fraternity meant brotherhood, unity, and loyalty among citizens.

Question 3

France was divided into three estates before the Revolution. Identify the three estates and explain which group carried the greatest tax burden.

Accepted Answer

The First Estate was the clergy, the Second Estate was the nobility, and the Third Estate included commoners such as peasants, workers, and the middle class. The Third Estate carried the greatest tax burden even though it had the least political power.

Question 4

Explain why the meeting of the Estates-General in 1789 was important.

Accepted Answer

The meeting of the Estates-General was important because it was called to solve France's financial crisis, but it revealed deep disagreement over voting and representation. This conflict helped lead the Third Estate to form the National Assembly.

Question 5

What was the Tennis Court Oath, and why did it matter?

Accepted Answer

The Tennis Court Oath was a promise by members of the National Assembly to keep meeting until France had a new constitution. It mattered because it showed that representatives of the people were challenging the king's absolute authority.

Question 6

Put these events in chronological order: Reign of Terror, Storming of the Bastille, Tennis Court Oath, execution of King Louis XVI.

Accepted Answer

The correct order is Tennis Court Oath, Storming of the Bastille, execution of King Louis XVI, and Reign of Terror.

Question 7

The Storming of the Bastille happened on July 14, 1789. Explain why this event became a symbol of the Revolution.

Accepted Answer

The Storming of the Bastille became a symbol of the Revolution because the prison represented royal power and oppression. When the people captured it, they showed that ordinary citizens could challenge the king's authority.

Question 8

Read this statement: The law is the expression of the general will. This idea appeared in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. Explain what it means in your own words.

Accepted Answer

The statement means that laws should be made to represent the people as a whole, not just a king or a privileged class. It connects to the revolutionary idea that citizens should have a voice in government.

Question 9

Name two rights or ideas found in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.

Accepted Answer

Two ideas found in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen are equality before the law and freedom of speech. The declaration also supported the idea that government should protect natural rights.

Question 10

Explain how Enlightenment ideas helped influence the French Revolution.

Accepted Answer

Enlightenment ideas helped influence the French Revolution by encouraging people to question absolute monarchy and social inequality. Thinkers such as Rousseau and Montesquieu promoted ideas about popular sovereignty, rights, and limits on government power.

Question 11

What was the Reign of Terror, and why did revolutionary leaders justify it?

Accepted Answer

The Reign of Terror was a period when the revolutionary government arrested and executed many people accused of being enemies of the Revolution. Leaders such as Robespierre justified it by arguing that harsh actions were needed to protect the Revolution from threats.

Question 12

Identify one way the French Revolution expanded rights and one way it failed to fully achieve equality.

Accepted Answer

The French Revolution expanded rights by ending many privileges of the nobility and declaring equality before the law. It failed to fully achieve equality because women, enslaved people in French colonies, and many poor citizens still did not receive equal rights or political power.

Question 13

Compare life for a noble and a peasant before the Revolution. Include one difference related to taxes or privilege.

Accepted Answer

A noble often had special privileges, owned land, and paid fewer taxes. A peasant usually had fewer rights, worked hard to survive, and paid many taxes or fees to the government, the church, and landowners.

Question 14

Create a cause and effect statement about high bread prices in France before the Revolution.

Accepted Answer

High bread prices caused anger and hunger among ordinary people, which increased support for protest and revolutionary change. Bread was a basic food, so shortages made the economic crisis feel urgent in daily life.

Question 15

Write a short paragraph explaining whether the French Revolution mostly supported or contradicted the motto Liberty, Equality, Fraternity. Use at least two examples.

Accepted Answer

A strong answer may explain that the French Revolution both supported and contradicted the motto. It supported liberty and equality by challenging absolute monarchy, ending many noble privileges, and declaring rights. It contradicted the motto during the Reign of Terror and by denying full equality to groups such as women and enslaved people.

Social Studies: The French Revolution: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity

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