Year 7 Revision Guide

Possible topics:
1. The Tudors
a. Henry VIII
i. Reformation
ii. Great Matter
b. Edward VI
i. Further changes in England
c. Mary I
i. Counter-reformation
ii. Reputation- Bloody Mary or Trailblazer
d. Elizabeth I
i. Middle Way
ii. Golden Age
iii. Spanish Armada
2. The English Civil War
a. Short-term/ long-term causes
b. Roundheads vs Cavaliers
c. New Model Army
3. The French Revolution
a. The Enlightenment
b. Causes
c. Events
d. France after the revolution

End of Year exam (75 mins):

● 20 Multiple choice questions

● 14 Short answer questions
● 8 Mark- second-order concepts question
● 8 Mark- source comparison question
How to answer a PEEL paragraph question…

PEEL stands for…

P- Point

E- Evidence

E- Explain

L- Link

What was the most significant cause of the English Civil War?

P- It can be argued that the most significant cause of the English Civil War was
Charles I’s marriage to the French Catholic princess Henrietta Maria.

E- I know this because the Parliamentarians, who were largely Catholic, were
extremely sceptical of Charles’ new marriage.

E- This is because the Parliamentarians believed that Charles I could be heavily

influenced by his wife and in turn make England Catholic again. In contrast,
Parliament wanted England to remain a Protestant country. The apparent religious
differences caused great conflict which would ultimately lead to war.

L- Therefore, it can be argued that Charles I’s marriage to Henrietta Maria was the
most significant cause of the English Civil War.
 The Tudors
Who were the Tudors?
Henry VIII’s father, Henry VII, was the founder of the Tudor dynasty. He took the
throne in 1485.

During Henry VII’s lifetime, two branches of the English royal family fell into conflict
with one another. They were fighting over who should take the English throne. This
period is known as the Wars of the Roses. Henry VII became king towards the end
of the Wars of the Roses.

Henry VII married Elizabeth of York and had a large family with her. Henry VII was
succeeded by his son, Henry VIII, and then by his grandchildren, Edward VI, Mary I
and Elizabeth I. The Tudors ruled from 1485 to 1603.

Henry’s Great Matter:

● Henry was never intended to become king. Instead, his elder brother Arthur
should have inherited the throne. In preparation for his role, Arthur had
married Catherine of Aragon in 1501. As daughter of the king and queen of
Spain, and a devout Catholic, she seemed like an ideal match. Unfortunately,
Arthur was struck down by illness and died. Henry became king instead, and
decided to marry Arthur’s widow, Catherine, in 1509.
● Initially, their marriage appears to have been relatively happy. However,
Catherine was not able to give Henry the male heir that he desired, although
she had given birth to a healthy baby girl – the future Mary I. By the 1520s, it
was clear that the queen was past childbearing age and Catherine fell out of
favour.
● Henry now began to look for ways to end his marriage to Catherine of Aragon,
in the hope that marriage to Anne Boleyn could provide him with the male heir
he wanted. Henry, who was a keen scholar of the Bible, used a section of the
Bible to justify his annulment demands. (Leviticus 20:16 – which states that “If
a man shall take his brother’s wife, it is an impurity…they shall be childless”).
● Henry told Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the pope’s representative in England
and one of the most powerful people in Henry’s court, to convince the pope of
his argument and persuade him to grant Henry’s annulment of his marriage to
Catherine. Henry argued that, as his marriage was not legal, he did not need
a divorce.
● Henry’s attempts to convince Pope Clement VII to grant him an annulment
could not have come at a worse time. In 1527, Rome had been invaded and
plundered by the troops of the Holy Roman Empire, and the pope was
essentially a prisoner of the emperor, Charles V – Catherine’s nephew. The
pope was hardly likely to grant Henry an annulment under such
circumstances.
● In 1529, Cardinal Wolsey held an inquiry to examine the legality of Henry’s
marriage before representatives of the pope. Catherine of Aragon made a
moving speech criticising Henry’s attempts to end their marriage, which so
embarrassed Henry that he stripped Wolsey of his power and accused him of
treason. Wolsey died before he could be executed.
● Henry then came under the influence of some of his advisers, including
Thomas Cromwell and Thomas Cranmer, the future Archbishop of
Canterbury. They persuaded the king to embrace the Protestant faith, reject
the pope and appoint himself as the head of a new, independent Church in
England. It is easy to see how taking control of the power and wealth of the
Church in England would have been very appealing to Henry.
● In 1534, parliament passed the Act of Supremacy which declared Henry as
the Supreme Head of the Church of England. Henry married Anne Boleyn and
ignored the protests of the pope.
Henry’s Break with Rome:

What happened to people who were not loyal to the King?

• In 1534, Henry VIII signed the Act of Supremacy that made him the Supreme
Head of the Church of England. What do you think might happen to members of
the clergy that didn’t agree with this?

• The Oath of Supremacy required any person taking public or church office in
England to swear allegiance to the monarch as Supreme Governor of the Church
of England. Failure to do so was to be treated as treasonable.

• Sir Thomas More opposed the King’s break from the Roman Catholic Church in
the English Reformation and refused to accept him as Supreme Head of the
Church of England. He was imprisoned in 1534 for his refusal to take the oath
and his refusal to accept the annulment of Henry’s marriage to Catherine of
Aragon. In 1535, he was tried for treason and beheaded.

The difference between Catholics and Protestants:

Catholic Church Protestant Church

Edward VI:
With Henry’s death in 1547, his son Edward became King Edward VI. Although the
new king was only nine years old, he was a devout Protestant and had strong ideas
about religion. His reforms went much further than those of his father, and began to
have more of an impact on ordinary people.

Key changes:
1. The appearance of churches became much plainer. Ornate screens, stained
glass windows and colourful images of saints were removed and destroyed
2. The Book of Common Prayer, published in 1549, became the first prayer book
to contain prayers and services exclusively in English
3. Clergymen were instructed to criticise the pope in church and to preach the
works of Martin Luther (the German theologian and religious reformer who
nailed his 95 point thesis to the door of Wittenberg Church)

Key continuities:
1. Religion was still not a matter of choice. The church or government still
dictated what people should believe
2. Religion was seen as such an important matter that the king and parliament
spent a long time debating religious matters
3. Most people still went to church regularly and most people still had strong
religious beliefs
4. People could still be horribly punished for challenging Church-approved
religious ideas
5. The church still had a lot of power. Religious figures served in the government
and helped to advise the king and run the country

Mary I:
Mary I was the first woman to rule England in her own right, she didn’t simply inherit
the throne. Despite her father and brother’s attempts to prevent her from ascending
to the throne, Mary had led the only successful revolt against the central government
in 16th-century England and was the only Tudor, aside from Henry VII, who had to
fight for the throne. Yet, history remembers this remarkable woman as “bloody”.

Key events:
● In 1554 she announced her intention to marry Prince Philip of Spain, the son
of Charles V. It was an unpopular choice for Protestants, who feared the
permanent loss of Henry’s reforms, and for those who suspected a Spanish
king would herald a continental takeover of England. Nevertheless, Mary
moved forward with her plan, persuading Parliament to assent after Charles
consented to leave Mary in full control and to keep the throne in English
hands if the union produced no heirs.
 ● Mary restored papal supremacy in England, abandoned the title of Supreme
Head of the Church, reintroduced Roman Catholic bishops and began the
reintroduction of monastic orders.
● Mary soon moved from simply reversing her father’s and Edward’s anti-
Catholic policies to actively persecuting Protestants. In 1555 she revived
England’s heresy laws and began burning offenders at the stake, starting with
her father’s longtime advisor Thomas Cranmer, the archbishop of Canterbury.
Almost 300 convicted heretics, mostly common citizens, were burned. Dozens
more died in prison, and some 800 fled to Protestant strongholds in Germany
and Geneva.

Elizabeth I:

The Middle Way:

When Elizabeth had come to the throne in 1558 she sought a ‘middle way’ between
Catholics and Protestants. To ensure this the Elizabethan Religious Settlement of
1559 was deliberately vague and gave little mention of liturgy (the way religion
should be practised). This meant that as long as the people recognised Elizabeth’s
supremacy (authority) over the Church and at least followed the new prayer book
they were safe. It held the same structure as the Catholic Church in that bishops
retained responsibility for the organisation, administration and supervision of the
church and its clergy.

There was broad support for the new Settlement and very few refused to take the
oath of loyalty to the queen. By 1568 most people had accepted the new Church.
Elizabeth’s tolerant approach seemed to have worked on the whole, but it did not
keep everyone happy and she faced numerous threats. These intensified during the
1580s and there were a number of reasons for this.

● From 1568 Elizabeth’s cousin and rival, Mary, Queen of Scots was
imprisoned in England. She had been overthrown by the nobles of Scotland
and had escaped to England. Catholics saw Mary as the rightful queen of
England.
● In 1570 the Pope produced a Papal Bull of Excommunication that said that
Elizabeth was excommunicated (thrown out) of the Catholic Church and he
ordered Catholics not to obey her. This meant that by the 1580s Elizabeth
was under threat from the Catholic Church.
● From the mid 1570s newly trained Catholic priests began arriving in England
and from 1580 onwards the Pope sent specially trained priests called Jesuits
to aid them.
● In 1571 new Treason Acts were passed which made it an offence to deny
Elizabeth was the queen of England.
● In 1581 Parliament passed a new law against Catholics. Recusants (those
who refused to attend church) had to pay a bigger fine of £20 per month and
those who tried to encourage people to become Catholic could be accused of
treason.
● In 1584 William of Orange, the leader of the Dutch Protestants was murdered
by a Catholic. Parliament responded by passing the Bond of Association. This
stated that if Elizabeth was murdered, Parliament would make sure that the
murderers were punished along with anyone who had benefitted from
Elizabeth’s death.
● In 1585 war broke out between England and Spain. Parliament ordered all
Catholic priests to leave the country within 40 days. If they were found in
England after that time they would be executed.
● Elizabeth also faced threats from within England as a result of economic
problems. The increase in unemployment and homelessness led to an
increase in vagabonds (a person who wanders from place to place without a
home or job.) This presented an issue for Elizabeth as they were more likely
to commit other crimes, such as theft, on their travels.

The ‘Golden Age’:

Elizabeth I’s reign is popularly referred to as a “golden age,” it was a span of time
characterized by relative peace and prosperity and by a flowering of artistic, literary,
and intellectual culture to such a degree that it is sometimes designated as the
“English Renaissance.” We still study playwrights, like William Shakespeare, who
helped to propel the Elizabethan ‘Golden Age’.
The Spanish Armada:

● The Spanish Armada was one part of a planned invasion of England by King
Philip II of Spain.
● Launched in 1588 the Spanish Armada was made up of roughly 150 ships
and 18,000 men. At the time, it was the largest fleet ever seen in Europe and
Philip II of Spain considered it invincible.
● In 1588, Philip II intended to sail with his navy and army, a total of around
30,000 men, up the English Channel to link up with the forces led by the Duke
of Parma in the Spanish Netherlands. From there they would invade England,
bring the country under Catholic rule, and secure Spain's position as the
superpower of Western Europe.
● Beacons were lit as soon as the Armada was sighted off the English coast,
informing London and Elizabeth of the imminent invasion.
● According to legend, Francis Drake was first told of the sighting of the Armada
while playing bowls on Plymouth Hoe. He is said to have answered that ‘there
is plenty of time to finish the game and beat the Spaniards’ - but there is no
reliable evidence for this.
● The English ships were longer, lower and faster than their Spanish rivals. The
decks fore and aft had been lowered to give greater stability, and this meant
more guns could be carried to fire lethal broadsides. The ships were also
more manoeuvrable than the heavy Spanish vessels.
● On 27 July 1588, after the Armada had anchored off Calais, the English
decided to send in eight 'fireships'.
● These were vessels packed with flammable material, deliberately set alight
and left to drift towards enemy ships.
● At midnight, the fire ships approached the Spanish Armada. The Spanish cut
their anchor cables ready for flight, but in the darkness many ships collided
with each other. While none of the Spanish ships were set on fire, the Armada
was left scattered and disorganised.
● Next morning, there was the fiercest fighting of the whole Armada campaign
during the Battle of Gravelines. By evening, the wind was strong and the
Spanish expected a further attack at dawn, but as both sides were out of
ammunition none came.
● That afternoon the wind changed and the Spanish ships were blown off the
sandbanks towards the North Sea. With no support from the Duke of Parma
and their anchorage lost, Medina Sidonia's main aim was to bring the remains
of the Armada back to Spain.
● Many ships were wrecked off the rocky coasts of Scotland and Ireland. Of the
150 ships that set out, only 65 returned to Lisbon. The following year, Philip
sent another smaller fleet of about 100 ships. This too ran into stormy weather
off Cornwall and was blown back to Spain.
The English Civil War

Overview

In 1642, thousands of Englishmen went to war. But they weren’t about to fight the
French, the Spanish or any other foreign army. They went to fight other English
people. England was at war with itself. We call this a civil war.

On one side were the Stuart King Charles I and his followers, known as the
Royalists. On the other side were the men of Parliament and their followers, knowns
as the Parliamentarians. For many years, Parliament had worked with the monarch,
but now they were at war against the king. Parliament was meant to make laws,
discuss wars and raise taxes. However, James I, and then his son Charles I, began
to argue regularly with Parliament. They thought that Parliament was there to serve
them… but Parliament thought differently. It thought that the monarch was there to
serve his/her country. The argument ended in war.

Causes

● Divine Right of Kings - Charles believed that he was chosen by god to rule
England. Because of this he believed that nobody should infringe on his
power and he didn’t have to listen to anyone, including his parliament.
● Ship Tax - Charles reintroduced Ship Tax in England. Ship Tax involved
taxing the British public so they could be defended from an invasion at sea.
This tax was supposed to be charged during war time, however, Charles
needed to raise money for wars overseas and charged this tax year round. He
even charged people that didn’t leave by the sea and didn’t need defending
from a naval invasion!
● 11 Years Tyranny - The Personal Rule (also known as the Eleven Years'
Tyranny) was the period in England from 1629 to 1640 when King Charles I
ruled as an autocratic absolute monarch without recourse to Parliament.
Charles claimed that he was entitled to do this under the royal prerogative and
that he had a divine right.
● Henrietta Maria - She was a Spanish princess that married Charles I.
However, she was a Catholic… Under Charles’ reign the country's official
religion was Protestantism. Many people were concerned that Henrietta Maria
was secretly trying to change the country back to Catholic alongside Charles.
● The New Prayer Book - Charles instructed Archbishop Laud to introduce a
new prayer book in Scotland with lots of Catholic elements. This angered the
 Scottish greatly and further supported the idea that Charles was trying to
make the country more Catholic.

All of the above events/issues caused tension between Charles and his parliament
and dragged Britain closer to a Civil War.

The War Itself

The Civil War broke out in 1642 when Charles raised his royal standard.
Roundheads/Parliamentarians - These are the people that fought on the side of
Parliament.
Cavaliers/Royalists - These are the people that fought for King Charles.

The armies
The richer gentlemen on each side went into battle on horseback. The cavalry, as
soldiers on horseback are known, worse steel breastplates over their leather coats.
They tried to break through the enemy lines by firing their pistols and cutting men
down with their swords.

Ordinary people on each side joined either the pikemen or the musketeers.
Soldiers without horses were known as infantry or foot soldiers. As you couldn’t tell
who your enemy was by their appearance or language, both sides wore brightly
coloured strips of cloth. The Royalists wore red sashes and the Parliamentarians
wore yellow.

The Pikemen
These men were tough! The pikeman’s job was to stand at the front of the whole
army with a pike – a 5m-long pole tipped with steel. As the enemy approached, they
dug one end into the ground and pointed the other at the charging enemy’s horses.
They wore heavy armour and also carried a sword.

The Musketeers
A musket was a big clumsy gun. It was so heavy that musketeers needed a stick to
rest it on! The gun was fired by using a ‘match’ (a piece of burning rope) to light the
gunpowder that had been poured into the barrel. Hopefully, a ball or shot would fly
out and travel up to 400m. It was a slow, complicated and very dangerous job –
there was always a change of accidentally blowing a finger off. One Royalist
musketeer said, ‘We seem to bury more finger and thumbs than we do men.’

Parliament's army was not of a high standard and this cost them battles within the
war. They went on to create the ‘New Model Army’.

Thomas Fairfax - The leader of the ‘New Model Army’

Oliver Cromwell - The leader of the cavalry
The New Model Army was a group of trained professionals unlike any other army
Britain had seen before. Usually armies were ran by the wealthy and poorly trained,
not the New Model Army!

All the training and discipline paid off at the Battles of Marston Moor (1644) and
Naseby (1645). Both were major victories for Parliament and, at Naseby, the king’s
army was all but destroyed by a series of complicated moves and brave attacks by
Cromwell’s men.

On 5 May 1646, Charles realised he had no defence against Parliament's troops. He

went to Scotland and surrendered, hoping he would be safe there. But the Scots sold
him to Parliament for a massive £400,000!

Charles was brought to London for peace talks but soon escaped and managed to
persuade the Scots to support him. Soon, more fighting broke out (this is sometimes
called the ‘Second Civil War’), but it didn’t last long. The king’s troops (who had been
joined by Scottish soldiers) were beaten in August 1648 and the king was recaptured
and brought to London (again).

The Consequences of the War

Charles lost the war and was put on trial in England.

Charles disagreed with the trial because, as he believed, the courts of England are
the ‘King’s Courts’, and how can a king be tried in his own court.

Charles believed the system of the trial was corrupt and refused to remove his hat in
the courtroom as a sign of disrespect.

Charles was sentenced to be executed at 12 noon on Tuesday 30 January 1649. It

was a cold January day and Charles wore two shirts because he didn’t want to start
shivering from the cold. He didn’t want the public to think that he was trembling with
fear.
Practice Questions

Can you answer the following questions from memory?

What are 3 causes of the English Civil War?

-___________________________________________________________________

-___________________________________________________________________

-___________________________________________________________________

What was the name given to Parliament's changed army?

_______________________________________________________

Which country did Charles ally with when he lost the war?

_______________________________________________________

What was Charles’ punishment for treason?

_____________________________________
Extension Tasks:

Source Question - How far does Source B support Source A in suggesting that
Charles was solely to blame for the outbreak of the Civil War? (8 Marks)

Source A: Charles’ actions and decisions as king played a significant role in

escalating tensions and ultimately leading to the outbreak of the conflict. Charles'
attempts to assert his absolute authority, his disregard for Parliament, and his
imposition of unpopular policies all contributed to the growing discontent among the
people and the eventual eruption of hostilities. His unwillingness to compromise and
his failure to effectively manage the political and religious divisions within the country
further exacerbated the situation, making him a central figure in the events that
unfolded during the Civil War.

Source B: The outbreak of the English Civil War can be attributed to both Charles I
and Parliament. Charles I's belief in the divine right of kings and his attempts to rule
without Parliament's consent created tension and resentment among the people. On
the other hand, Parliament's refusal to grant Charles the necessary funds and its
own power struggles with the king exacerbated the situation. Both sides were
unwilling to compromise, leading to a breakdown in communication and ultimately to
the outbreak of the English Civil War.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

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The French Revolution

Overview

The French Revolution was an event in world history that began in 1789 and ended in the
late 1790s with the ascent of Napoleon Bonaparte. During this period, French citizens
radically altered their political landscape, uprooting centuries-old institutions such as the
monarchy and the feudal system.

Causes

Economic - The 3rd Estate (peasants) were the only estate that were taxed despite earning
the least amount of money. Many people in France were incredibly poor despite working
very hard, and were subjected to watching the 1st and 2nd Estate thrive.
France had also aided the 13 Colonies in their War of Independence against Britain, a war
that nearly bankrupted France.

Actions of Louis XVI - Louis engaged in parties with his wife and the nobility of Europe in
fancy palaces whilst many French people worked back breaking work in order to be able to
eat. He flaunted his wealth and brought France to the brink of economic ruin!
Louis lived in the Palace of Versailles far away from France's troubled cities and was
blissfully unaware of the growing resentment.

Marie Antionette - She was Louis XVI’s wife and had extravagant spending habits which
angered the poorer population of France. Furthermore, she was Austrian. Many people saw
Austrians as the enemy and believed Marie was attempting to destroy France.

Social Issues - The peasants in society were known as the 3rd Estate and considered the
lowest people in society.
As Europe progressed through the Enlightenment many enlightened thinkers such as
Thomas Jefferson criticised the idea of monarchy and led the lower classes of society to
consider that they are not beneath the nobility and in fact all men are born equal.
The Revolution Itself

The Estates General - This contained members of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Estate and could be
called by Louis in times of crisis. France was in a financial crisis! The Estates General was
called to help Louis, however, when the 3rd Estate attempted to use this opportunity to try
and improve their position in society they were locked out of the meeting place.

This angered the 3rd Estate and they met at a tennis court and
swore the Tennis Court Oath. The members present promised
not to leave until they had created a new constitution for
France and formed the National Assembly.

The National Assembly created a new set of rules for France:

1. Equal Representation: All of the Estates would have equal representation in the
French Government, now called the National Assembly.

2. Fair taxes: The Third Estate called for a fairer tax system that would distribute taxes
more equally among all citizens in France.

3. End of the Ancien Regéme: They wanted to end the privileges that the nobility had
with things like landownership and tax exemptions.

4. Protection of Individual Rights: They wanted to protect things like freedom of speech
and to have equal protection under the law as well as the right to participate in
politics.

5. Issues of Poverty: They wanted to introduce new measures to try and get rid of
widespread poverty. This included improving living and working conditions too.
While Louis XVI agreed to allow the National Assembly to create a
constitution, he did several things to stop the Assembly achieving its
goals. Louis XVI dismissed his finance minister, Jacques Necker, in
1789. Necker was one of Louis only advisers who supported the
Assembly's goals, and his removal sent a clear message that the king
was not truly interested in losing power and working toward a
democratic France. On the same day as he removed Necker, Louis
XVI summoned soldiers to his palace at Versailles, which the French
people saw as a sign that he was planning to remove the National
Assembly by force.

Early on July 14, rioters started demanding that the soldiers inside the Bastille surrender the
weapons and release the seven prisoners who were still held inside. Negotiations between
the commoners and soldiers failed, and violence broke out as the commoners attempted to
enter the building. The soldiers inside the prison were overwhelmed, and by mid-afternoon
the fortress was surrendered to the mob. The soldiers defending the Bastille were dragged
through the filth in the streets of Paris and some were beheaded by the mob.

Following the struggle, the New French Constitution was put in place. These were the key
points:

1. Create an Assembly: To listen to the people of France and make fairer laws that
the king can then support.

2. Limit the power of the King: In the new constitution the King stayed as the head of
the country but he had to share power with the Legislative Assembly.

3. Taxation: The constitution set out a system where tax was based on how much
money people owned and included members of the 1st and 2nd Estate.

4. Protect Individual Rights: The constitution included rights like freedom of speech
and protection against unfair taxation.

Conclusion and Consequences of the Revolution

The Flight to Varennes - In June 1791, Louis XVI and his family fled
Versailles to Varennes. He fled because people in France were still
unhappy, even after the new constitution. They continued to face high
levels of poverty, high taxes, food shortages and unemployment.

The king was hoping to escape to safety in what is now modern-day

Belgium. Here he was hoping to rally support from other countries to
help fight back against the revolution.
To escape Louis and his family had disguised themselves and travelled under false names.
But they were recognized by a postmaster who alerted the authorities in Varennes. They
were then escorted back to Paris under guard.

Louis was brought before the National Convention and accused of treason.

Both Louis and Marie were executed by a guillotine for the crime of treason.

The Reign of Terror - A very dark time during the French Revolution and led to the death of
thousands of people. It took place from 1793-1794 and saw the Committee of Public Safety,
led by Maximilien Robespierre, use the guillotine to execute thousands of ‘enemies of the
revolution’.

Enemies of the revolution were made of the following:

• Individuals who were perceived as loyal to the monarchy.

• Anyone who went against the ideals of liberty, equality and brotherhood.
• Those suspected of plotting against the revolutionary government or engaged in
‘espionage’ (spying).

• Those caught up in conspiracy theories and rumours.

• People from privileged backgrounds, like aristocrats, were targeted because of their
connection to the old regime.

Practice Questions

Who was the King of France during the revolution?

_________________________________________

Where did the King and Queen of France live?

________________________________________

What were the four categories of causes of the French Revolution?

-_________________________________

-_________________________________

-_________________________________

-_________________________________

Using the categories identified above, can you highlight which ones are considered in each
of the sources below as causes of the French Revolution? HINT - It may be more than one!

Source A - The French Revolution was a significant event in history that was caused by a
multitude of factors. One of the main causes was the social and economic inequality that
existed in France at the time. The majority of the population, which consisted of the Third
Estate, was burdened with heavy taxes and faced extreme poverty, while the nobility and
clergy enjoyed privileges and exemptions. This stark contrast in living conditions created a
sense of resentment and frustration among the common people, leading to a desire for
change.

Source A suggests
____________________________________________________________ is/are a cause
of the French Revolution.

Source B - Another factor that contributed to the French Revolution was the influence of
Enlightenment ideas. Philosophers like Voltaire, Rousseau, and Montesquieu advocated for
concepts such as equality, liberty, and the separation of powers. Their writings and ideas
spread throughout France, challenging the traditional authority of the monarchy and inspiring
people to question the existing social and political structures.

Source B suggests
____________________________________________________________ is/are a cause
of the French Revolution.

Source C - Additionally, the financial crisis faced by the French government played a crucial
role in triggering the revolution. France was heavily in debt due to its involvement in costly
wars, including the American Revolution. The monarchy attempted to address this issue by
imposing more taxes on the already burdened Third Estate, which further fueled the
discontent among the common people.

Source C suggests
____________________________________________________________ is/are a cause
of the French Revolution.

Source D - The influence of the American Revolution and the success of the American
colonies in gaining independence also had an impact on the French Revolution. The French
people witnessed how a group of colonists could overthrow a powerful empire and establish
a democratic system. This inspired them to believe that they too could challenge the
monarchy and fight for their rights and freedoms.

Source D suggests
____________________________________________________________ is/are a cause
of the French Revolution.

Source E - Lastly, the political incompetence and extravagance of King Louis XVI and his
queen, Marie Antoinette, contributed to the growing discontent among the French
population. The lavish lifestyle of the royal family, coupled with their inability to address the
pressing issues faced by the country, further fueled the anger and frustration of the people.

Source E suggests
____________________________________________________________ is/are a cause
of the French Revolution.

Exam Style Question:

Explain two consequences of the French Revolution. (8 Marks)