Enlightenment thinkers and their ideas about rights and government

Grade 7 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Locke, Second Treatise (1690)

   Who made it: John Locke. When: published December 1689, dated 1690. Where: England. For whom: English readers. Why: to explain what government is for. Line 1 (Locke, Second Treatise of Government, chapter II, section 6; original English, Morley's 1884 printing, pp. 193–194): "The state of Nature has a law of Nature to govern it, which obliges every one, and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions…" Line 2 (Locke, Second Treatise of Government, chapter IX, section 123; original English, Morley's 1884 printing, p. 257): "…he seeks out and is willing to join in society with others who are already united, or have a mind to unite for the mutual preservation of their lives, liberties and estates, which I call by the general name — property." Source card "Montesquieu, The Spirit of Laws (1748)". Who made it: Montesquieu. When: 1748. Where: France. For whom: readers in Europe. Why: to explain how laws and liberty fit together. Line 3 (Montesquieu, The Spirit of Laws (1748), Book XI, chapter 6; English translation by Thomas Nugent (revised edition), 1900, p. 151): "When the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person, or in the same body of magistrates, there can be no liberty…" Line 4 (Montesquieu, The Spirit of Laws (1748), Book XI, chapter 6; English translation by Thomas Nugent (revised edition), 1900, p. 152): "Again, there is no liberty, if the judiciary power be not separated from the legislative and executive." Below the cards, from the US Constitution (1787): "All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States" (Article I); "The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America" (Article II); "The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court" (Article III). From the Declaration of Independence (1776): "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness".

2. 1.

   Which line says no one ought to harm another's life, health, liberty or possessions, Milo asks?

   • Line 1
   • Line 2
   • Line 3
   • Line 4
3. 2.

   Who wrote line 4, about the judiciary power, Pia asks?

   • Thomas Nugent, who translated it
   • John Locke, in his Second Treatise
   • Montesquieu
   • Rousseau, in The Social Contract
4. 3.

   In line 2, what does Locke mean by "property", Ren asks?

   • A king's palace
   • Lives, liberties and estates
   • Money kept in a bank
   • Land, and no other kind of thing
5. 4.

   In line 3, what is the "executive" power, Tala asks?

   • The power to print books
   • The power to judge cases in court
   • The power to make laws in an assembly
   • The power to carry out laws
6. 5.

   The Montesquieu lines are printed in a 1900 translation. When did Montesquieu first publish them, Zee asks?

   • 1690
   • 1748
   • 1750
   • 1900, when this printing came out
7. 6.

   Which part of the US Constitution below the cards puts lines 3 and 4 into practice, Ari asks?

   • The Declaration's "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"
   • Article I alone, giving Congress each power
   • Articles I, II and III
   • Line 1 of Locke's card
8. 7.

   Which words below the cards echo Locke's lines 1 and 2, Bo asks?

   • "vested in a Congress of the United States"
   • "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"
   • "The executive Power shall be vested in a President"
   • "one supreme Court"
9. 8.

   Which body holds the judicial power in the US Constitution, Esme asks?

   • Congress, which also makes the laws
   • The President, who also carries them out
   • One supreme Court
   • Each state's governor
10. 9.

    Jun's note says, "Montesquieu wanted one person to make and carry out the laws." Which fix is right?

    • Leave it: line 3 says so
    • Change it: he warned against uniting them
    • Change "laws" to "coins"
    • Change "Montesquieu" to "Nugent"
11. 10.

    Kira's note says, "Thomas Nugent wrote The Spirit of Laws." Which fix is right?

    • Leave it: his name is on the card
    • Change "Laws" to "Kings"
    • Change it: Nugent translated it
    • Change "Spirit" to "Treatise"