Absolute Monarchy and Revolution Test Review

Which group made up the "Second Estate" under France's ancien regime?

• the clergy

• the nobility

• the middle class

• peasants and migrant workers

Answer explanation

The Second Estate comprised France's nobility, holding significant power and privilege before the French Revolution. They were exempt from most taxes, including the taille, a direct land tax, and had exclusive rights to hunt and bear swords. This class was not a monolith, ranging from the wealthy noblesse d'épée (nobility of the sword) to the poorer provincial nobles. Their immense land holdings and feudal rights often put them at odds with the Third Estate, who resented their inherited status and tax exemptions.

Which sentence best describes the scene depicted here?

• Charles V is converting to Catholicism.

• Charles V is uniting Spain into a single kingdom.

• Charles V is assuming rule over the Hapsburg Empire.

• Charles V is abdicating the throne

Answer explanation

Charles V's rise to power was a result of strategic dynastic marriages orchestrated by his grandparents. After the death of his grandfather, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, in 1519, Charles inherited the Habsburg monarchy. He was a natural candidate for the throne, but his election as emperor was not guaranteed. Charles secured the position by using his family's vast wealth from Spain to bribe the seven prince-electors, outcompeting his main rival, Francis I of France, to become Holy Roman Emperor.

Why was the Battle of Saratoga a turning point in the American Revolution?

• It was a major setback that forced the Americans to retreat

• It convinced the Continental Congress to declare independence.

• It forced the British to surrender, ending the war.

• It persuaded other nations to ally themselves with the American colonists.

Answer explanation

The Battle of Saratoga marked a critical turning point in the American Revolution. The victory, which resulted in the surrender of a large British army, shattered the myth of British invincibility and boosted American morale. Most importantly, it convinced France, a long-time rival of Britain, to formally ally with the United States. French military and financial support, including a powerful navy, proved vital to the American cause and ultimately secured the final victory at Yorktown.

Compare the goals of Louis XIV and Peter the Great as absolute monarchs.

Answer explanation

Both Louis XIV of France and Peter the Great of Russia aimed to strengthen their monarchies by centralizing power and reducing the influence of the nobility. They achieved this by forcing nobles to serve the state or live at court (Versailles for Louis, St. Petersburg for Peter). They also sought to modernize and expand their military forces (army and navy) to enhance their nations' international prestige and power. Additionally, both rulers imposed reforms to control the economy and church, solidifying their authority over all aspects of their respective realms.

How did Philip II influence the art of Spain's golden age?

• He was skilled at drawing and painting

• He gave work only to Spanish-born artists

• He ruled that all art depict religious subjects.

• He provided financial support to artists.

Answer explanation

Philip II significantly influenced Spain's Golden Age art by being a major patron who promoted religious and royal themes, reflecting his devout Catholicism and imperial power. He commissioned grand works that emphasized piety, monarchy, and Spain’s global dominance, fostering artists like El Greco and supporting the development of the Spanish Renaissance and Baroque styles. His reign helped shape a distinctive, dramatic artistic identity that underscored Spain’s cultural and political strength in the 16th century.

Read the statement by James I. How was this idea related to the Glorious Revolution?

"The state of Monarchy is the supremist thing upon earth; for kings are not only God's lieutenants upon Earth and sit upon God's throne, but even by God himself they are called gods.... Kings are justly called gods for that they exercise a manner or resemblance of Divine power upon earth... And to the King is due both the affection of the soul and the services of the body of his subjects. " --James I, to Parliament 1610

• Statements such as this one by James I were a direct cause of the Glorious Revolution.

• James I made this statement to express his opposition to the Glorious Revolution.

• Both the statement and the Glorious Revolution supported the idea of absolute monarchy.

• The Glorious Revolution was a rejection of ideas like those expressed by James I.

Answer explanation

The Glorious Revolution of 1688 was a peaceful overthrow of England’s King James II, replaced by William of Orange and his wife Mary. It established parliamentary supremacy over the monarchy, ensuring constitutional monarchy and limiting royal power. This revolution secured Protestant rule, prevented Catholic dominance, and led to the English Bill of Rights, which protected citizens’ rights and shaped modern democracy. It marked a turning point in balancing power between the monarchy and Parliament.

Explain why England moved toward limited monarchy as the 1600s approached while France did not.

Answer explanation

As the 1600s approached, England moved toward a limited monarchy due to conflicts between the monarchy and Parliament, religious tensions, and demands for political representation, culminating in events like the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution. In contrast, France under Louis XIV embraced absolute monarchy, centralizing power by weakening nobles and controlling the state without parliamentary checks, driven by a strong belief in divine right and the desire for a unified, powerful kingdom.

What is most likely the reason this engraving by Paul Revere of the Boston Massacre inflamed public opinion against the British?

• It shows the colonists were outnumbered.

• It shows that the colonists provoked the British soldiers.

• It shows the colonists firing on the soldiers.

• It shows the colonists as unarmed victims of an attack.

Answer explanation

Paul Revere’s engraving of the Boston Massacre dramatically inflamed public opinion by portraying British soldiers as aggressive and brutal, firing on peaceful, unarmed colonists. The image emphasized chaos and violence, stirring outrage and sympathy for the American cause. Widely circulated, it became powerful propaganda that fueled anti-British sentiment and united colonists against perceived tyranny, ultimately helping to spark revolutionary fervor and resistance leading up to the American Revolution.

This image illustrates a scene from a novel that satirizes

• romantic notions of knighthood and chivalry

• the concept of absolute monarchy

• the low position of Spanish peasants

• the wars of Phillip II

Answer explanation

Don Quixote by Cervantes is a novel about a man who, inspired by chivalric romances, becomes a knight-errant and embarks on absurd adventures. It satirizes the unrealistic ideals of medieval chivalry and the impracticality of living by outdated heroic codes. Through humor and irony, Cervantes critiques society’s romanticized notions of honor and heroism, highlighting the clash between illusion and reality while exploring human folly and the power of imagination.

"The only way to erect such a common power, as may be able to defend them from the invasion of foreigners ... is to confer all their power and strength upon one man, or upon one assembly of men, that may reduce all their wills, by plurality of voices, unto one will...."

This quote best reflects the philosophy of

• John Locke

• Jean-Jacques Rousseau

• Thomas Hobbes

• Voltaire

Answer explanation

Thomas Hobbes believed humans are naturally selfish and violent, requiring a strong, absolute authority to maintain order and prevent chaos. In his work Leviathan, he argued that people consent to a social contract, giving up some freedoms to a powerful sovereign who ensures peace and security. Hobbes viewed the state as essential to control human nature, rejecting the idea of divine right and emphasizing reason and self-preservation as foundations for government.