French Revolution & Enlightenment

… Nor is there liberty if the power of judging is not separate from legislative power and from executive power. If it were joined to legislative power, the power over the life and liberty of the citizens would be arbitrary, for the judge would be the legislator. If it were joined to executive power, the judge could have the force of an oppressor.…

—Montesquieu, The Spirit of the Laws

In this passage, Montesquieu references

• enlightened despotism

• a policy of mercantilism

• a separation of powers

• a social contract

… Nor is there liberty if the power of judging is not separate from legislative power and from executive power. If it were joined to legislative power, the power over the life and liberty of the citizens would be arbitrary, for the judge would be the legislator. If it were joined to executive power, the judge could have the force of an oppressor.…

—Montesquieu, The Spirit of the Laws

One historical development that resulted from the ideas expressed here was the

• End of Feudalism

• French Revolution

• Glorious Revolution

• Cultural Revolution

… Nor is there liberty if the power of judging is not separate from legislative power and from executive power. If it were joined to legislative power, the power over the life and liberty of the citizens would be arbitrary, for the judge would be the legislator. If it were joined to executive power, the judge could have the force of an oppressor.…

—Montesquieu, The Spirit of the Laws

Which document did this passage most heavily influence?

• Edict of 1635 Ordering the Closing of Japan

• Communist Manifesto

• Declaration of Rights of Man and the Citizen

• Magna Carta

This drawing illustrates conditions that contributed primarily to the beginning of the

• Protestant Reformation

• French Revolution

• Napoleonic Wars

• European Renaissance

What is the point of view of the author of this drawing?

• One group paid heavy taxes that supported the other two groups.

• Hard work, prayer, and a good example allowed for a stable government in France.

• Peasants and professionals in this society were gaining political and economic power.

• French society emphasized the importance of natural law and social equality.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen—1789

Approved by the National Assembly of France, August 26, 1789

Articles:

1. Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.

2. The aim of all political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible [inalienable] rights of man. These rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression. . . .

4. Liberty consists in the freedom to do everything which injures no one else; hence the exercise of the natural rights of each man has no limits except those which assure to the other members of the society the enjoyment of the same rights. These limits can only be determined by law. . . .

Which of the following individuals most strongly influenced the ideas in the excerpt of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen above?

• Louis XIV

• Montesquieu

• John Locke

• Thomas Hobbes

Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen—1789

Approved by the National Assembly of France, August 26, 1789

Articles:

1. Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.

2. The aim of all political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible [inalienable] rights of man. These rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression. . . .

4. Liberty consists in the freedom to do everything which injures no one else; hence the exercise of the natural rights of each man has no limits except those which assure to the other members of the society the enjoyment of the same rights. These limits can only be determined by law. . . .

Which of the following states the point of view of the authors of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen?

• A government should make laws to protect the natural rights of its citizens.

• Absolute monarchy is a form of government that guarantees the rights of citizens.

• Property is a more valuable natural right than security.

• A government should limit people's freedom to ensure they are safe.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen—1789

Approved by the National Assembly of France, August 26, 1789

Articles:

1. Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.

2. The aim of all political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible [inalienable] rights of man. These rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression. . . .

4. Liberty consists in the freedom to do everything which injures no one else; hence the exercise of the natural rights of each man has no limits except those which assure to the other members of the society the enjoyment of the same rights. These limits can only be determined by law. . . .

Identify the best use of this document for a historian.

• To determine the actions taken by Louis XVI during his rule of France

• To study how Louis XVI granted natural rights to French citizens

• To evaluate how free and equal the people of France were after the French Revolution

• To understand the hopes of representatives in the National Assembly of France

Based on this map, identify a political impact of Napoleon’s conquests in Europe

• The French empire directly or indirectly controlled most of western Europe

• The French empire lost colonies

• France controlled Sicily

• Napoleon’s empire grew through peaceful treaties with neighboring powers.

The image above is a section of a satirical etching created in Paris, 1791 and depicts Louis XVI as Gargantua, a giant from a series of 16th century stories, engaging in a ritual called the “grand couvert” during which the royal family ate their dinner in front of members of the public which Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette sometimes did during their reign.

Explain the historical circumstances that led to the creation of the image depicted above.