Unit VIII: Chapter 20- The Cataclysm of Revolution, 1789-1800

AP FRQ Essays:

• How and to what extent did Enlightenment ideas about religion and society shape the policies of the French Revolution in the period 1789 to 1799? (2003 A)

Other Potential Essays:

• How did the ideas of the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror reflect the wishes of the Enlightenment?
• The French Revolution was a truly successful class revolt in which the lower classes seized the natural rights they deserved.  Support or refute.
• Discuss the impact of enlightenment ideals on the French Revolution.
• Discuss the role of women in the French Revolution.  How do their actions and treatment reflect the historical context.
• Identify the major social groups in Fracnce on the eve of the 1789 Revolution.  Assess the extent to which their aspirations were achieved in the period from the meeting of the Estates General (May 1789) to the declaration of the Republic (September 1792).
• Identify and describe the key causes of French Revolution, going back to the reign of Louis XIV.
• “Political leaders committed to radical or extremist goals often exert authoritarian control in the name of higher values."  Support or refute this statement with reference to the policies and actions of Robespierre during the French Revolution.
• “The essential cause of the French Rev. was the collision between a powerful, rising bourgeoisie and an entrenched aristocracy defending its privileges."  Assess the validity of the statement as an explanation of the events from 1788-1792.