Name: ___________________________________Period: __________Date: ______________

The French Revolution and Napoleon Bonaparte

I. Part: Short Answers (5 pts. each)

1. What grievances caused the American Revolution, and how did they reflect Enlightenment
attitudes? What impact did the conflict and its consequences have on Europe?

ANSWER: The Enlightenment influenced the American Revolution in numerous ways, with
core Enlightenment ideals including liberty, equality and justice leading the creation of
conditions for the American Revolution and the Constitution that followed. Many ideas and
concepts, including natural rights, freedom from oppression, and innovative ways of thinking
regarding government structure came directly from Enlightenment philosophers, and helped to
form firm foundations for colonialism and modern day America.

ANSWER: The American Enlightenment, a time of intellectual change in the 13 colonies

between 1714 and 1818, paved the way for many defining moments and events in the country's
history, including American Independence and the creation of the American Republic under the
United States Constitution of 1787, and the Bill of Rights in 1790.

10 & 30. Long and short-term causes of the French Revolution. / Two effects of the French
Revolution.

ANSWER: Long-term problems: Louis XV, Versailles, 7 yrs. war, Ancien Régime, the
Estates,
taxation, Enlightenment, Financial problems, political ideology- absolutism, Letters De Cachet

Short-term problems: calonne, Assembly of Notables, bad harvests, estates general, Tennis
Court Oath, revolt of the nobles, storming of the Bastille.

Long-term effects: conservation reaction, decline in French power, spread of Enlightenment

ideas, growth in nationalism, revolutions in Latin America.

Short-term effects: end of old regime, execution with other euro nations, reign of terror, rise of
Napoleon.

26. Explain how and why the Catholic Church was targeted for reform (de-Christianization).
ANSWER: The Roman Catholic Church was targeted for reform (de-Christianization)
because the Church was seen as part of the old order that was being torn down. Since the
Catholic Church was seen as an important pillar of the social and political system under the old
regime, de-Christianization occurred in the attempt to get rid of Catholic religion by destroying
Churches, prohibiting the use of the word “saint” from street names, encouraging priests to
marry and designating the cathedral of Notre Dame as the “Temple of Reason”.

II. Part: Short Essay (10 pts. each)

5. Constitution of 1789 – describe structure of government it created.

ANSWER: The structure of government that the constitution of 1789 created was the
separation of the powers of government, with checks and balances. The Constitution separates
the government into branches, each with the power to check the other branches. This separation
of powers provides a system of checks and balances so one part of the government does not have
all the power. The Constitution also created three branches, with the president as head of the
executive branch, Congress makes up the legislative branch, and the Supreme Court and other
federal courts make up the judicial branch.