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

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

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

   Luz reads the word petition in line 1. What is a petition?

   • A tax on trade
   • A written request to a ruler
   • A law that the king makes on his own
   • A royal palace with gardens
5. 4.

   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
6. 5.

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

   • Congress meets when a king wishes
   • Congress meets at least once every year
   • The right to petition the government
   • Congress meets just once in about ten years
7. 6.

   Why would frequent parliaments limit a monarch, Pia asks?

   • The monarch could ignore Parliament for years
   • Parliament could check the monarch often
   • Meetings gave the monarch more power
   • Parliament would stop making laws
8. 7.

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

   • There was no difference
   • Both were limited by the Bill of Rights
   • Louis was absolute; English monarchs were limited
   • Louis was limited; English monarchs were absolute
9. 8.

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

   • It was one of the models for the US Bill of Rights
   • It had nothing to do with the US
   • Americans wrote it in 1689
   • The US copied it word for word
10. 9.

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

    • Yes, with absolute power
    • No: Louis XIV ruled England
    • No: the monarchy ended
    • Yes, but the monarch's power was limited
11. 10.

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

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