Multiple Choice
Identify the
choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement that
developed in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. Thinkers of this movement had been influenced by
the Scientific Revolution. They hoped to use reasoning instead of traditional beliefs to discover
natural laws that govern society.
One Enlightenment thinker was Thomas Hobbes. He believed that the best
form of government was absolute
monarchy. He said people should form a type of social contract with a ruler. They would
submit to a ruler to prevent disorder.
John Locke took a different view. He said all
people had natural rights. These were the rights to life, liberty, and property. He said
people form governments to protect these natural rights. He also said people have a right to rebel
against a government that does not protect their rights
French Enlightenment thinkers included
Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Baron de Montesquieu. Voltaire fought for tolerance,
freedom of religion, and free speech. Rousseau said the only legitimate government was one in
which the people chose what was best for the community.
Montesquieu believed that government
should be kept under control to protect people’s freedoms. He believed that could best be done
through a separation of powers. This meant dividing the government into branches that would
include a lawmaking body, an executive branch to carry out the laws, and courts to interpret
laws.
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1.
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On what continent did the
Enlightenment philosophy originate?
a. | Africa | c. | Europe | b. | The Middle East | d. | America |
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2.
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The Enlightenment was based
on
a. | scientific
reasoning | c. | political
democracy | b. | religious beliefs | d. | Communism |
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3.
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Why did Thomas Hobbes believe
that people should submit to the power of a king?
a. | The king would provide benefits for
the people. | c. | Kings got their
power from God. | b. | A strong king would provide social order. | d. | A strong king would be
democratic |
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4.
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Where do people get natural
rights from?
a. | The
king | c. | God or
nature | b. | Parliament | d. | The Environmental Protection
Agency |
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5.
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According to John Locke, which
is NOT a natural right that you are born with?
a. | right to
life | c. | right to an
education | b. | right to liberty | d. | right to property |
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6.
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When did John Locke believe
that people had the right to rebel against the government?
a. | When the government did not provide
enough social services | c. | When the
government failed to protect natural rights | b. | When the government went to
war | d. | People never have a right to rebel against their
government |
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7.
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Three of the philosophers below
were French Enlightenment thinkers. Which person was not from France?
a. | Jean-Jacques
Rousseau | c. | Baron de
Montesquieu | b. | Thomas Hobbs | d. | Voltaire |
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8.
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What idea did Baron de
Montesquieu have for keeping the government from becoming too powerful?
a. | Hold elections every two
years | c. | Eliminate the military so the
government would not have the power to persecute the people | b. | Divide the power of the government into three
branches. | d. | Give the people free
speech |
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The Beginning of Democracy
in America
Enlightenment
ideas had a strong impact on the colonists in Britain’s North American colonies. The colonists
helped Britain defeat France in the French and Indian War. The victory gave Britain all of North
America east of the Mississippi River. To help pay for the war, the British Parliament placed taxes
on the colonists. The colonists opposed these taxes because they were not represented in Parliament.
This was just one of a series of measures that the colonists thought violated their
rights.
Eventually, the colonists fought for independence in the American Revolution. They issued a Declaration of
Independence on July 4, 1776. After years of fighting, the British army surrendered in
1781.
In 1787, a group of American leaders met in Philadelphia. They met to set up a new plan
for governing the nation. Enlightenment ideas helped shape this plan. The U.S. Constitution included
a representative government, as advocated by Rousseau. This is a government in which citizens
elect representatives to make laws for them. The Constitution created a federal system. In
this system, the powers of government are divided between the federal government and state
governments. The Constitution also included a separation of powers between branches in the federal
government. This was based on the ideas of Montesquieu.
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9.
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Why did Americans oppose the
British taxes?
a. | America was not represented in the
British Parliament | c. | The Americans did
not like the British | b. | The taxes were too high | d. | The American economy was bad |
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10.
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Which Enlightenment ideas were
incorporated into the new American government?
a. | a federal system with power divided
between the states and national government | c. | representative government | b. | separation of powers between branches of
government | d. | all of
these |
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The French
Revolution
In the late
1780s, there was great unrest in France. The middle class was dissatisfied with Louis XVI’s
weak leadership. The Enlightenment raised questions about people’s rights. The economy was
failing, and the peasants were hungry and restless.
In 1789 the common people formed the
National Assembly. They felt that they were not represented in their government. Soon people from
other classes joined them. Peasants in Paris began an uprising to win democratic freedoms. This fight
is known as the French
Revolution.
The National Assembly made many reforms. It adopted the Declaration of the
Rights of Man and of the Citizen. This document guaranteed certain rights to all French people. The
Assembly also ended the feudal system and drafted a constitution that made France a limited monarchy.
The work of the Assembly did not last long, however. A radical lawmaking body took
charge. During this time, a Reign of Terror took place. Many people who were against the revolution
were killed for their beliefs. In 1799, a military leader, Napoleon Bonaparte, gained control. He
created a dictatorship. Democracy in France did not develop until the mid-1800s.
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11.
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Who was the king of France
during the French Revolution?
a. | George the
2nd | c. | Louis the
15th | b. | Louis the 16th | d. | Louis the 14th |
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12.
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What organization did the
French people create to give them more representation in the government?
a. | French
Assembly | c. | The Star
Chamber | b. | An executive branch of government | d. | A strong police department |
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13.
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What document did the French
create to guarantee the rights of the individual?
a. | Declaration of
Independence | c. | The Constitution
of the government | b. | Declaration of assured religious freedom | d. | Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the
Citizen |
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14.
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What was the result of the
French Revolution?
a. | A reign of terror with thousands of
beheadings | c. | An extreme radical
government | b. | A dictatorship udder Napoleon Bonaparte | d. | all of these were results of the French
Revolution |
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15.
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Rousseau believed that the only
government that was legitimate came from divine right.
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16.
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Baron de Montesquieu concluded
that government could best be kept under control if it were divided into three separate
branches.
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17.
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The American colonists resented
the taxes assessed against them by the British Parliament
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18.
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Before the present U.S.
Constitution was framed, the states were organized according to the Declaration of
Independence.
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19.
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In France, the commoners
abandoned the Estates General and formed a National Assembly.
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20.
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After the French Revolution,
Napoleon Bonaparte created a democracy.
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