Crash Course - The French Revolution

Which groups in French society under the Ancien Régime were exempt from paying taxes?

• Peasants and merchants.

• Soldiers and farmers.

• Nobles and the clergy.

• Artisans and laborers.

What was a major financial problem facing France in 1789?

• Excessive spending on public education.

• Deep debt from funding the American Revolution.

• Lack of trade routes with other European nations.

• High taxes imposed on the nobility and clergy.

What was the main goal of the Tennis Court Oath?

• To establish a new national sport for France.

• To agree not to give up until a French constitution was established.

• To demand the immediate execution of King Louis XVI.

• To form a military alliance with neighboring countries.

What three fundamental rights did the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen declare for every person?

• Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

• Freedom of speech, assembly, and religion.

• Liberty, property, and security.

• Equality, fraternity, and justice.

What sparked the Women’s March to Versailles?

• Military conflicts in the region.
• Royal decree on taxation.
• A new Constitution.

• Food shortages and high bread prices.

What was the primary goal of the Declaration of Pillnitz, issued by King William Frederick II of Prussia and another ruler?

• To establish a new French republic

• To restore the French monarchy

• To declare war on Austria

• To form an alliance against Great Britain

What was the ultimate fate of King Louis XVI after he was perceived as an enemy of the Revolution?

• He was exiled to a remote island

• He was restored to his full monarchical powers

• He was tried and executed by guillotine

• He became a constitutional monarch with limited powers

How did Dr. Joseph Guillotine, the inventor of the guillotine, envision its use?

• As a brutal form of public torture

• As a symbol of the monarchy's absolute power

• As an more equal and humane method of execution

• As a way to differentiate punishments based on social class

The French government was under the leadership of the ______ and Maximilien Robespierre, during what's now called "The Reign of Terror." The terror saw the guillotining of 16,000 enemies of the revolution.

• Committee of Public Safety
• Committee of Revolutionary Justice
• Directory of France
• National Assembly

What was the primary characteristic of the period known as the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution?

• A time of great economic growth and stability

• A period of political calm and national unity

• Widespread religious tolerance and freedom of speech

• Mass executions of perceived enemies of the Revolution