Absolute kings and limited monarchy: Louis XIV and the English Bill of Rights

Grade 7 Social Studies Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   The Bill of Rights, 1689

   Who made it: England's Parliament; accepted by William III and Mary II. When: 1689 (royal assent 16 December 1689). Where: London, England. For whom: the people of England and its monarchs. Why: to set limits on the monarch's power. Line 1 (p. 77 of C. Grant Robertson's 1904 printing, original spelling): "That it is the Right of the Subjects to Petition the King and all Commitments and Prosecutions for such Petitioning are Illegall." Line 2 (p. 78 of C. Grant Robertson's 1904 printing, original spelling): "…Parlyaments ought to be held frequently." Below the cards, from the US Constitution: the First Amendment (1791) protects "the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances", and Article I (1787) says "The Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year" (Section 4). Source card "Louis XIV: what historians say today". Who made it: historians writing today. When: today. Where: France. For whom: readers today. Why: to sum up what research has found. Summary in our words, not a quotation: Louis XIV, the "Sun King", was King of France from 1643 to 1715: 72 years and 110 days, the longest reign of any monarch of a sovereign country. He ruled as an absolute monarch. From 1682 the court lived at the Palace of Versailles, and he weakened the nobles by having many of them live there.

2. 1.

   Which line protects the right to petition the king, Jun asks?

   • Line 2
   • The Louis XIV card
   • Line 1
   • Neither line
3. 2.

   Which line says parliaments ought to be held frequently, Kira asks?

   • Both lines
   • Line 2
   • The Louis XIV card
   • Line 1
4. 3.

   Which part of the US Constitution below the cards matches line 1, Milo asks?

   • The king may punish people who petition
   • Congress may collect taxes
   • Congress must meet once a year
   • The First Amendment's right to petition
5. 4.

   Which part of the US Constitution below the cards matches line 2, Noah asks?

   • The right to petition the government
   • Congress meets when a king wishes
   • Congress meets just once in about ten years
   • Congress meets at least once every year
6. 5.

   Why would frequent parliaments limit a monarch, Pia asks?

   • Meetings gave the monarch more power
   • Parliament would stop making laws
   • The monarch could ignore Parliament for years
   • Parliament could check the monarch often
7. 6.

   How did Louis XIV's rule differ from rule under the Bill of Rights, Ren asks?

   • Louis was limited; English monarchs were absolute
   • Both were limited by the Bill of Rights
   • Louis was absolute; English monarchs were limited
   • There was no difference
8. 7.

   Which sentence about the Bill of Rights and the United States is careful, Tala asks?

   • It had nothing to do with the US
   • Americans wrote it in 1689
   • It was one of the models for the US Bill of Rights
   • The US copied it word for word
9. 8.

   After the Bill of Rights, did England still have a monarch, Zee asks?

   • Yes, but the monarch's power was limited
   • No: Louis XIV ruled England
   • Yes, with absolute power
   • No: the monarchy ended
10. 9.

    Ari's note says, "Under the Bill of Rights, petitioning the king was a crime." Which fix is right?

    • Change "king" to "palace"
    • Change it: petitioning was a right
    • Leave it: petitions were banned by the king
    • Change "crime" to "tax"
11. 10.

    Bo's note says, "The First Amendment came before the English Bill of Rights." Which fix is right?

    • Change "First" to "Last"
    • Change it: the English Bill came first, in 1689
    • Change "English" to "French"
    • Leave it: the amendment is older