How Enlightenment ideas shaped the American and French revolutions

Grade 10 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Card A, John Locke, Second Treatise of Government, chapter II, section 6, 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…" Card B, the Declaration of Independence (1776), National Archives transcript: "…that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…" and "…deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…" and, among the grievances, "For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent". Card C, Montesquieu, The Spirit of Laws (1748), Book XI, chapter 6, Nugent's translation, 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…" Card D, a summary in our words, written today: Locke's Two Treatises of Government appeared in 1689 without his name, and its introduction was written after the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Montesquieu's Spirit of the Laws appeared in 1748. Fighting between colonists and British troops began at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. The Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4, 1776. The Constitution of 1787 divided power among three branches, and the Bill of Rights was ratified on December 15, 1791. Historians write that Montesquieu's ideas on separating powers had an enormous impact on the framers of the Constitution.

2. 1.

   Card A is Locke's own text. What is it better evidence for than card D, Ari asks?

   • When Locke's book appeared and whether his name was on it
   • Whether American colonists had read Locke before they declared independence
   • Why fighting began at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775
   • What Locke argued about equality and natural rights
3. 2.

   Card B quotes the Declaration of Independence. What is it better evidence for than card A, Bo asks?

   • What Locke thought about taxes imposed without consent
   • Which thinkers Jefferson had read before he drafted the Declaration
   • What the Declaration itself claimed about rights and consent
   • How many colonists agreed with the claims in the Declaration
4. 3.

   A student writes: 'Card C proves the framers divided power into three branches because of Montesquieu.' What does the evidence allow, Esme asks?

   • Card C fits the 1787 design, and D adds historians' view of impact, which is a judgment
   • It allows the claim if the framers named Montesquieu in the Constitution itself
   • It allows the claim in full, since card C names two powers that must not be united in one body
   • It allows nothing, since Montesquieu wrote in 1748 and the Constitution is from 1787
5. 4.

   What do cards C and D show together about Montesquieu and the Constitution, Kira asks?

   • The Constitution of 1787 came first, and Montesquieu's argument then explained it
   • Montesquieu argued for government by the consent of the governed, as the Declaration does
   • A 1748 argument for separating powers and a 1787 design that separates them
   • Montesquieu designed the three branches of the Constitution himself
6. 5.

   Card B lists 'Taxes on us without our Consent' as a grievance and says governments get powers from the consent of the governed. How are the two lines related, Luz asks?

   • The principle came from the grievance, so the idea of consent came after the taxes
   • The grievance contradicts the principle, since taxes are a normal power of any government
   • The two lines are unrelated, since one is a complaint and the other a theory
   • The grievance applies the principle of consent to a particular complaint about taxes
7. 6.

   A student says the Declaration of 1776 inspired Montesquieu's argument. What do the dates in card D show, Milo asks?

   • The dates cannot rule it out, since ideas can travel in both directions
   • Montesquieu wrote after the Constitution of 1787, so after the Declaration
   • Montesquieu's book appeared in 1748, 28 years before the Declaration
   • Montesquieu's book appeared in 1776, the same year, so the claim is possible
8. 7.

   For the American Revolution, which choice names the trigger and the long-term causes, Noah asks?

   • Lexington and Concord was a long-term cause, since it was the first event listed in card D
   • Taxes and ideas were long-term causes, and Lexington and Concord was the trigger
   • Locke's book of 1689 was the trigger, since it appeared before the other events
   • The Declaration of July 4, 1776 was the trigger, and the fighting was a long-term cause
9. 8.

   A student writes: 'Enlightenment ideas caused the American Revolution.' What do the cards allow, Ren asks?

   • Ideas caused it, since Locke's book came out first, in 1689
   • Ideas are in the Declaration but so are grievances, so ideas were one cause among others
   • Ideas were the sole cause, since the Declaration quotes ideas about rights
   • Ideas had nothing to do with it, since fighting began in April 1775 before the Declaration
10. 9.

    Locke's text says no one ought to harm another in 'life, health, liberty or possessions.' Which Declaration words match it most closely, and what differs, Tala asks?

    • 'Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness' matches two rights but swaps in happiness
    • 'The consent of the governed' matches 'health' in Locke's list, so the two lists are the same list
    • The Declaration lists the same four rights as Locke, in the same order
    • 'Taxes on us without our Consent' matches 'possessions', so the lists are the same
11. 10.

    A student writes: 'Montesquieu wanted three branches in the Constitution.' What do the dates in cards C and D allow, Zee asks?

    • He had no influence, since a book from 1748 cannot affect a document from 1787
    • He wrote it for the Constitution, since both name legislative and executive powers
    • He argued a principle in 1748, 39 years before the Constitution
    • He wrote in 1787 and helped to draft the Constitution, since card D says he had an impact