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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   Why would frequent parliaments limit a monarch, Pia asks?

   • Parliament could check the monarch often
   • The monarch could ignore Parliament for years
   • Parliament would stop making laws
   • Meetings gave the monarch more power
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
   • Louis was absolute; English monarchs were limited
   • Both were limited by the Bill of Rights
   • 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
   • The US copied it word for word
   • It was one of the models for the US Bill of Rights
   • Americans wrote it in 1689
9. 8.

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

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

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

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

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

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