Revolutionary Riddles
What slogan captured the fiery spirit of the French Revolution's ideals?
Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
Bread, glorious bread! In 1789, why did the French go into full-blown panic over this basic staple?
Workers spent almost all their wages on bread
This British policy drew an imaginary line and told colonists to “stay put,” sparking outrage and expansionist frustration. What was it?
The Proclamation Line of 1763
He dreamed up the “separation of powers” and believed in a balanced government. Who was he?
Montesquieu
His philosophy of popular sovereignty lit the Declaration of Independence on fire with revolutionary ideas. Who was he?
John Locke
Which revolutionary document promises “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” sounding like a recipe for freedom?
Declaration of Independence
The guillotine claimed him, but his death marked the end of the Reign of Terror. Who was he?
Robespierre
Signed, sealed, and delivered in 1783, this document officially recognized the United States’ independence. What is it?
The Treaty of Paris
He boldly declared that every person has the right to “life, liberty, and property.” Whose words are these?
John Locke
This Enlightenment writer criticized corruption in church and state, writing with wit and passion. Who was he?
Voltaire
This explosive event involving a fortress marked the literal and symbolic start of the French Revolution. What was it?
What is the storming of the Bastille?
The Women’s March on Versailles wasn’t just about bread—it was a turning point in the French Revolution. How did this event connect the economic struggles of urban workers with the political demands of the Revolution, and what impact did it have on the monarchy?
The march highlighted the desperation caused by bread shortages and rising prices, forcing the king to relocate to Paris under pressure from ordinary citizens, symbolizing the monarchy’s loss of power to the revolutionary movement
The American colonies protested the Stamp Act with the rallying cry, “No taxation without representation!” How did Britain’s justification for the Act differ from the colonists’ interpretation?
Britain argued that Parliament represented all British subjects, while the colonists believed they needed direct representation to approve taxes
The “general will” was his big idea—uniting society under a shared, collective agreement. Who was this Enlightenment thinker?
Rousseau
Mary Wollstonecraft criticized Enlightenment thinkers for leaving women out of their visions of equality. How did her ideas challenge societal norms, and how were they received at the time?
She argued that women’s education was essential for societal progress
The French Revolution was fueled by cries for justice and reform, but how did events like the bread riots and rising prices force a link between the economic struggles of ordinary citizens and revolutionary politics?
The bread riots revealed the monarchy’s failure to meet basic needs, uniting economic desperation with calls for political change as citizens began demanding accountability and representation
The Third Estate was frustrated by their lack of political power in the Estates-General. How did the voting structure of the Estates-General reflect and reinforce France’s class inequalities?
Each estate had one vote, meaning the privileged First and Second Estates could outvote the much larger Third Estate despite its population
The Articles of Confederation were the first attempt at unifying the colonies into a nation. How did its failure demonstrate the tension between state sovereignty and the need for a strong central government?
States retained too much power, leading to issues like lack of federal taxation, inability to regulate trade, and weak responses to uprisings like Shays’ Rebellion
Montesquieu is famous for advocating separation of powers. How did his ideas influence the creation of the U.S. Constitution, particularly in its system of checks and balances?
His ideas inspired the division of government into executive, legislative, and judicial branches to prevent abuse of power
Beccaria’s writings on criminal justice transformed Enlightenment debates on governance. How did his ideas about punishment challenge traditional legal systems, and why were his principles seen as a threat to monarchies
Beccaria argued that punishment should focus on rehabilitation rather than retribution and opposed the death penalty, threatening monarchies that used harsh laws to maintain control
Many think the Revolution was just about freedom, but economic factors played a huge role. What role did British trade policies, like the Navigation Acts, have in sparking colonial rebellion?
They restricted colonial trade, forcing colonists to rely on Britain and limiting their economic independence
The Reign of Terror instilled fear across France, but its justification was to defend the Revolution. How did Robespierre argue that terror was a necessary tool for achieving “virtue,” and what was the result of this policy?
He claimed terror was essential to protect the Republic and enforce revolutionary ideals, but it led to mass executions and loss of public support
The American Revolution was not just about military battles—it was also an ideological war. How did Thomas Paine’s Common Sense convince ordinary colonists to support independence, and why was it considered a radical document at the time
It simplified complex Enlightenment ideas about self-governance and criticized monarchy as unnatural, appealing to common people and making revolutionary ideas accessible, which was radical in challenging traditional loyalty to the crown
Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.” How did this idea of freedom connect to his larger theory of the “social contract
Rousseau; He argued that individuals surrender some freedoms to create a collective general will that serves the common good.
The American Revolution didn’t just lead to independence—it reshaped ideas about governance. How did the inclusion of Enlightenment ideals in the U.S. Constitution differ from their application during the Revolution, and what contradictions arose from these principles?
The U.S. Constitution institutionalized Enlightenment ideals like checks and balances and federalism, but contradictions arose, such as slavery persisting despite claims of liberty and equality