Tell long-term causes from the event that set things off

Grade 10 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Timeline strip “France, 1775 to 1790” (each mark is 5 years). 1778: France signs an alliance with the American colonies (February 6). 1787: the royal government proposes new taxes and cuts, and bodies of nobles object. 1788: facing bankruptcy, Louis XVI calls the Estates-General. 1789: the Estates-General opens at Versailles (May 5); the Third Estate declares that it alone represents the nation (June 17). Card A (today): “Monarchy Falls”. Who made it: historians at the Liberty, Equality, Fraternity website (George Mason University and the City University of New York). For whom: students and teachers. Why: to explain how the French monarchy fell. Summary in our words, not a quotation: Long wars in the 1700s left the government spending more than it raised, and it borrowed to cover the gap. Reform plans in 1787 met objections that called for the Estates-General, and imminent bankruptcy then forced the king to call it. Many people saw nobles' privileges as unfair, and in 1789 bread cost more than at any other time that century. In June 1789 deputies of the Third Estate declared that they alone represented the nation. Context (what else was happening): Written today, from documents of 1787 to 1791. Limits (what this source cannot tell us): It is a summary by historians, not a source from 1789.

2. 1.

   Card A says many people saw nobles' privileges as unfair. Bo asks whether that belongs with the trigger or the long-term causes. Which choice is best?

   • The trigger: anger at unfair privileges is what made people act, so it set the crisis off
   • Neither: causes are decisions that leaders made, and a feeling among people is not a decision
   • The most important cause: card A lists it, so it must matter more than the debt does
   • Long-term causes: card A describes a view many people held over time, not one dated event

3. Use this

   Timeline strip “France, 1775 to 1790” (each mark is 5 years). 1778: France signs an alliance with the American colonies (February 6). 1787: the royal government proposes new taxes and cuts, and bodies of nobles object. 1788: facing bankruptcy, Louis XVI calls the Estates-General. 1789: the Estates-General opens at Versailles (May 5); the Third Estate declares that it alone represents the nation (June 17). Card A (today): “Monarchy Falls”. Who made it: historians at the Liberty, Equality, Fraternity website (George Mason University and the City University of New York). For whom: students and teachers. Why: to explain how the French monarchy fell. Summary in our words, not a quotation: Long wars in the 1700s left the government spending more than it raised, and it borrowed to cover the gap. Reform plans in 1787 met objections that called for the Estates-General, and imminent bankruptcy then forced the king to call it. Many people saw nobles' privileges as unfair, and in 1789 bread cost more than at any other time that century. In June 1789 deputies of the Third Estate declared that they alone represented the nation. Context (what else was happening): Written today, from documents of 1787 to 1791. Limits (what this source cannot tell us): It is a summary by historians, not a source from 1789. Card B (today): “Summoning of the Estates General, 1789”. Who made it: historians at the Palace of Versailles. For whom: visitors and readers today. Why: to tell the palace's history. Summary in our words, not a quotation: The Estates-General, called for the first time since 1614, opened at Versailles on May 5, 1789. About 1,200 deputies came. Its opening marked the start of the Revolution. Context (what else was happening): The royal court had lived at Versailles since 1682. Limits (what this source cannot tell us): It tells the story from the palace's point of view. Card C (today): “French Alliance, French Assistance, and European Diplomacy during the American Revolution”. Who made it: historians at the US Department of State, Office of the Historian. For whom: readers of US diplomatic history. Why: to explain French help to the colonies, 1778 to 1782. Summary in our words, not a quotation: France signed a Treaty of Alliance with the United States on February 6, 1778. Context (what else was happening): The colonies were at war with Britain. Limits (what this source cannot tell us): It is about diplomacy with the colonies, not about French government finances.

4. 2.

   Esme asks which strip event is a result of the king's call for the Estates-General, not a cause of it. Which choice fits cards A and B?

   • The nobles' objections of 1787: they led the king to call the Estates-General, so they came because of it
   • The Estates-General opens at Versailles on May 5, 1789, which card B says marked the Revolution's start
   • The 1778 alliance: card C dates it and a costly war follows, so the call must have caused it
   • The high bread prices of 1789: card A mentions them after the call, so the call must have caused them

5. Use this

   Timeline strip “France, 1775 to 1790” (each mark is 5 years). 1778: France signs an alliance with the American colonies (February 6). 1787: the royal government proposes new taxes and cuts, and bodies of nobles object. 1788: facing bankruptcy, Louis XVI calls the Estates-General. 1789: the Estates-General opens at Versailles (May 5); the Third Estate declares that it alone represents the nation (June 17). Card A (today): “Monarchy Falls”. Who made it: historians at the Liberty, Equality, Fraternity website (George Mason University and the City University of New York). For whom: students and teachers. Why: to explain how the French monarchy fell. Summary in our words, not a quotation: Long wars in the 1700s left the government spending more than it raised, and it borrowed to cover the gap. Reform plans in 1787 met objections that called for the Estates-General, and imminent bankruptcy then forced the king to call it. Many people saw nobles' privileges as unfair, and in 1789 bread cost more than at any other time that century. In June 1789 deputies of the Third Estate declared that they alone represented the nation. Context (what else was happening): Written today, from documents of 1787 to 1791. Limits (what this source cannot tell us): It is a summary by historians, not a source from 1789. Card B (today): “Summoning of the Estates General, 1789”. Who made it: historians at the Palace of Versailles. For whom: visitors and readers today. Why: to tell the palace's history. Summary in our words, not a quotation: The Estates-General, called for the first time since 1614, opened at Versailles on May 5, 1789. About 1,200 deputies came. Its opening marked the start of the Revolution. Context (what else was happening): The royal court had lived at Versailles since 1682. Limits (what this source cannot tell us): It tells the story from the palace's point of view.

6. 3.

   Jun wants to know why the king called the Estates-General. Which choice names the card that helps most and what it leaves out?

   • Card A alone is enough, because historians writing today know the king's real reasons better than he did
   • Card B, because it is the palace's own account of the meeting and so the closest to the king's own decision
   • Either card, because both agree that the Estates-General led to the Revolution, which explains the call
   • Card A, which gives the bankruptcy; both cards were written today, so neither shows the king's own reasons

7. Use this

   Timeline strip “France, 1775 to 1790” (each mark is 5 years). 1778: France signs an alliance with the American colonies (February 6). 1787: the royal government proposes new taxes and cuts, and bodies of nobles object. 1788: facing bankruptcy, Louis XVI calls the Estates-General. 1789: the Estates-General opens at Versailles (May 5); the Third Estate declares that it alone represents the nation (June 17). Card B (today): “Summoning of the Estates General, 1789”. Who made it: historians at the Palace of Versailles. For whom: visitors and readers today. Why: to tell the palace's history. Summary in our words, not a quotation: The Estates-General, called for the first time since 1614, opened at Versailles on May 5, 1789. About 1,200 deputies came. Its opening marked the start of the Revolution. Context (what else was happening): The royal court had lived at Versailles since 1682. Limits (what this source cannot tell us): It tells the story from the palace's point of view.

8. 4.

   Card B was made by the Palace of Versailles for visitors. Kira asks what it can and cannot show about the start of the Revolution.

   • It shows how ordinary Parisians saw the meeting, because visitors to the palace come from many classes
   • It shows why the Revolution broke out, because the palace marks the opening as the Revolution's start
   • It shows when and where the meeting opened; it cannot show why the Revolution broke out
   • It shows nothing reliable, because a palace makes history for visitors and so cannot be trusted

9. Use this

   Timeline strip “France, 1775 to 1790” (each mark is 5 years). 1778: France signs an alliance with the American colonies (February 6). 1787: the royal government proposes new taxes and cuts, and bodies of nobles object. 1788: facing bankruptcy, Louis XVI calls the Estates-General. 1789: the Estates-General opens at Versailles (May 5); the Third Estate declares that it alone represents the nation (June 17). Card A (today): “Monarchy Falls”. Who made it: historians at the Liberty, Equality, Fraternity website (George Mason University and the City University of New York). For whom: students and teachers. Why: to explain how the French monarchy fell. Summary in our words, not a quotation: Long wars in the 1700s left the government spending more than it raised, and it borrowed to cover the gap. Reform plans in 1787 met objections that called for the Estates-General, and imminent bankruptcy then forced the king to call it. Many people saw nobles' privileges as unfair, and in 1789 bread cost more than at any other time that century. In June 1789 deputies of the Third Estate declared that they alone represented the nation. Context (what else was happening): Written today, from documents of 1787 to 1791. Limits (what this source cannot tell us): It is a summary by historians, not a source from 1789. Card C (today): “French Alliance, French Assistance, and European Diplomacy during the American Revolution”. Who made it: historians at the US Department of State, Office of the Historian. For whom: readers of US diplomatic history. Why: to explain French help to the colonies, 1778 to 1782. Summary in our words, not a quotation: France signed a Treaty of Alliance with the United States on February 6, 1778. Context (what else was happening): The colonies were at war with Britain. Limits (what this source cannot tell us): It is about diplomacy with the colonies, not about French government finances.

10. 5.

    Luz wants to use card C to explain the French government's debt. How far can card C help?

    • Far: it dates the war to 1778, so the debt in card A began there
    • Not far: it dates a treaty but says nothing about what the alliance cost France
    • Far: it is a US government page, so it carries official figures on French finances
    • Far: an ally of the colonies must have spent heavily, so card C explains the debt

11. Use this

    Timeline strip “France, 1775 to 1790” (each mark is 5 years). 1778: France signs an alliance with the American colonies (February 6). 1787: the royal government proposes new taxes and cuts, and bodies of nobles object. 1788: facing bankruptcy, Louis XVI calls the Estates-General. 1789: the Estates-General opens at Versailles (May 5); the Third Estate declares that it alone represents the nation (June 17). Card A (today): “Monarchy Falls”. Who made it: historians at the Liberty, Equality, Fraternity website (George Mason University and the City University of New York). For whom: students and teachers. Why: to explain how the French monarchy fell. Summary in our words, not a quotation: Long wars in the 1700s left the government spending more than it raised, and it borrowed to cover the gap. Reform plans in 1787 met objections that called for the Estates-General, and imminent bankruptcy then forced the king to call it. Many people saw nobles' privileges as unfair, and in 1789 bread cost more than at any other time that century. In June 1789 deputies of the Third Estate declared that they alone represented the nation. Context (what else was happening): Written today, from documents of 1787 to 1791. Limits (what this source cannot tell us): It is a summary by historians, not a source from 1789. Card B (today): “Summoning of the Estates General, 1789”. Who made it: historians at the Palace of Versailles. For whom: visitors and readers today. Why: to tell the palace's history. Summary in our words, not a quotation: The Estates-General, called for the first time since 1614, opened at Versailles on May 5, 1789. About 1,200 deputies came. Its opening marked the start of the Revolution. Context (what else was happening): The royal court had lived at Versailles since 1682. Limits (what this source cannot tell us): It tells the story from the palace's point of view.

12. 6.

    Milo uses cards A and B together. Which statement do the two cards support without claiming more than they show?

    • Bankruptcy was the single cause of the Revolution, because card A names it and card B names nothing else
    • The start of the Revolution forced the king into bankruptcy and then into calling the Estates-General in 1788
    • The Estates-General caused the Revolution, because its opening marked the start of the Revolution
    • Bankruptcy led the king to call the Estates-General, and its opening in 1789 marked the Revolution's start

13. Use this

    Timeline strip “France, 1775 to 1790” (each mark is 5 years). 1778: France signs an alliance with the American colonies (February 6). 1787: the royal government proposes new taxes and cuts, and bodies of nobles object. 1788: facing bankruptcy, Louis XVI calls the Estates-General. 1789: the Estates-General opens at Versailles (May 5); the Third Estate declares that it alone represents the nation (June 17). Card A (today): “Monarchy Falls”. Who made it: historians at the Liberty, Equality, Fraternity website (George Mason University and the City University of New York). For whom: students and teachers. Why: to explain how the French monarchy fell. Summary in our words, not a quotation: Long wars in the 1700s left the government spending more than it raised, and it borrowed to cover the gap. Reform plans in 1787 met objections that called for the Estates-General, and imminent bankruptcy then forced the king to call it. Many people saw nobles' privileges as unfair, and in 1789 bread cost more than at any other time that century. In June 1789 deputies of the Third Estate declared that they alone represented the nation. Context (what else was happening): Written today, from documents of 1787 to 1791. Limits (what this source cannot tell us): It is a summary by historians, not a source from 1789. Card C (today): “French Alliance, French Assistance, and European Diplomacy during the American Revolution”. Who made it: historians at the US Department of State, Office of the Historian. For whom: readers of US diplomatic history. Why: to explain French help to the colonies, 1778 to 1782. Summary in our words, not a quotation: France signed a Treaty of Alliance with the United States on February 6, 1778. Context (what else was happening): The colonies were at war with Britain. Limits (what this source cannot tell us): It is about diplomacy with the colonies, not about French government finances.

14. 7.

    Noah puts cards A and C side by side. Which claim do both cards together support?

    • France made an alliance in 1778 and long wars left the government in debt; the cards link them no further
    • Wars began the debt in 1778, because the alliance comes first on the strip and card A speaks of wars
    • The nobles objected to the alliance, because card A mentions their objections and card C mentions the alliance
    • The 1778 alliance caused the bankruptcy, because card A blames wars and card C dates one of those wars

15. Use this

    Timeline strip “France, 1775 to 1790” (each mark is 5 years). 1778: France signs an alliance with the American colonies (February 6). 1787: the royal government proposes new taxes and cuts, and bodies of nobles object. 1788: facing bankruptcy, Louis XVI calls the Estates-General. 1789: the Estates-General opens at Versailles (May 5); the Third Estate declares that it alone represents the nation (June 17). Card A (today): “Monarchy Falls”. Who made it: historians at the Liberty, Equality, Fraternity website (George Mason University and the City University of New York). For whom: students and teachers. Why: to explain how the French monarchy fell. Summary in our words, not a quotation: Long wars in the 1700s left the government spending more than it raised, and it borrowed to cover the gap. Reform plans in 1787 met objections that called for the Estates-General, and imminent bankruptcy then forced the king to call it. Many people saw nobles' privileges as unfair, and in 1789 bread cost more than at any other time that century. In June 1789 deputies of the Third Estate declared that they alone represented the nation. Context (what else was happening): Written today, from documents of 1787 to 1791. Limits (what this source cannot tell us): It is a summary by historians, not a source from 1789. Card B (today): “Summoning of the Estates General, 1789”. Who made it: historians at the Palace of Versailles. For whom: visitors and readers today. Why: to tell the palace's history. Summary in our words, not a quotation: The Estates-General, called for the first time since 1614, opened at Versailles on May 5, 1789. About 1,200 deputies came. Its opening marked the start of the Revolution. Context (what else was happening): The royal court had lived at Versailles since 1682. Limits (what this source cannot tell us): It tells the story from the palace's point of view.

16. 8.

    Card B dates the start of the Revolution to May 5, 1789. Card A stresses June 17. Pia asks how to read the two together.

    • Card A is better, because it describes what the deputies did while card B describes just a palace ceremony
    • They mark different moments: card B counts the meeting's opening, card A the Third Estate's claim to power
    • One card must be wrong, because a revolution has one starting day and the two cards give two different ones
    • Card B is better, because the palace holds the records of the meeting and so knows the true start
17. 9.

    On the strip the nobles object in 1787 and the king calls the Estates-General in 1788. Ren says the objections led to the call. What does card A add?

    • Card A reverses it: the king's call came first and so led the nobles to object to the tax plans
    • Card B supports the link, since it says the meeting followed the call and so confirms the order
    • Yes: card A says the objections called for the Estates-General, so here the order reflects a cause
    • Nothing: coming first does not show a cause, so the link is just a guess drawn from the dates in the strip

18. Use this

    Timeline strip “France, 1775 to 1790” (each mark is 5 years). 1778: France signs an alliance with the American colonies (February 6). 1787: the royal government proposes new taxes and cuts, and bodies of nobles object. 1788: facing bankruptcy, Louis XVI calls the Estates-General. 1789: the Estates-General opens at Versailles (May 5); the Third Estate declares that it alone represents the nation (June 17). Card A (today): “Monarchy Falls”. Who made it: historians at the Liberty, Equality, Fraternity website (George Mason University and the City University of New York). For whom: students and teachers. Why: to explain how the French monarchy fell. Summary in our words, not a quotation: Long wars in the 1700s left the government spending more than it raised, and it borrowed to cover the gap. Reform plans in 1787 met objections that called for the Estates-General, and imminent bankruptcy then forced the king to call it. Many people saw nobles' privileges as unfair, and in 1789 bread cost more than at any other time that century. In June 1789 deputies of the Third Estate declared that they alone represented the nation. Context (what else was happening): Written today, from documents of 1787 to 1791. Limits (what this source cannot tell us): It is a summary by historians, not a source from 1789. Card C (today): “French Alliance, French Assistance, and European Diplomacy during the American Revolution”. Who made it: historians at the US Department of State, Office of the Historian. For whom: readers of US diplomatic history. Why: to explain French help to the colonies, 1778 to 1782. Summary in our words, not a quotation: France signed a Treaty of Alliance with the United States on February 6, 1778. Context (what else was happening): The colonies were at war with Britain. Limits (what this source cannot tell us): It is about diplomacy with the colonies, not about French government finances.

19. 10.

    The strip puts the alliance in 1778 and the call in 1788. Zee wonders if one led to the other. What do cards A and C allow?

    • A link is likely, because about ten years is a normal delay between a costly war and a debt crisis
    • No link is possible, because two events ten years apart cannot be related to each other in any way
    • A link is shown, because the alliance came first and card A blames wars for the government's debt
    • No link is shown; one would need evidence, such as French accounts of what the American war cost