Multiple Choice Questions: The Enlightenment and

Revolutions
Choose the best answer for each question and mark
the corresponding
letter on
your scantron.
France.
This document
embodied
the75
points.

1. The Enlightenment influenced

revolutionary thought by
a. Encouraging the poor to take
up arms
b. Stressing the importance of
the monarchy
c. Designing a common
revolutionary strategy
d. Instilling a belief in the
natural rights of man
2. The Declaration of Independence
states, That whenever any form of
government becomes destructive of
these ends, it is the Right of the
People to alter or abolish it. These
words describe the enlightened idea of
a
a. Need to ensure a
representative government
b. Return to a society that has
no central authority
c. Social contract between
government and the people
d. Revolutionary intent to
overthrow the current
government

3. The American Revolution was

motivated by the Enlightened idea
a. Of a distinct class system
b. That all men are created
equal
c. Of the rightful rule of a
monarch
d. That government needs
central authority
4. The revolutionaries who wrote the
1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man
wanted liberty for the people of

Enlightenment idea that

a. The French Revolution was
justified
b. Reason should guide human
affairs
c. A constitutional monarchy
should exist
d. Hereditary and tradition
should guide government

5. He believed that every person was

born with a tabula rasa, or blank slate.
a. Locke
b. Voltaire
c. Montesquieu
d. Frederick the Great

6. Under Spanish rule, Latin American

society was strictly divided into a class
system determined by birth. Among
the aristocracy were individuals born
in Europe or ancestors of European
immigrants. This rigid social class
system contradicted the
Enlightenment idea of
a. A two class system
b. Equality among men
c. The importance of birth
order
d. Constitutional guarantee of
rights
7. The American Revolution and
French Revolution were similar in that
both
a. Were encouraged by
Enlightenment idea of
natural rights
b. Sought to limit the
participation of people in
government
c. Supported the theory of
divine right
d. Increased the influence of
religious institutions in
government

Multiple Choice Questions: The Enlightenment and

Revolutions
8. This class was unaffected by the
Enlightenment
a. Nobles
b. Bourgeoisie
c. Clergy
d. Lower class and peasants
The person of the king is sacred, and
to attack him in any way is an attack
on God itself. Kings represent the
Divine Majesty and have been
appointed to Him to carry out His
purposes. Serving God and respecting
kings are bound together.
- Bishop Jacques Bossuet
9. Which group directly challenged the
political philosophy expressed in this
statement?
a. Advocates of divine right
b. Writers of the Enlightenment
c. Absolute monarchs of
Europe
d. Leaders of the Catholic
Church
10. This philosophe separated the
government into three branches of
government and argued for separation
of powers.
a. Voltaire
b. Montesquieu
c. Locke
d. Diderot
11. John Wesley founded this form of
religion during the Enlightenment.
a. Catholicism
b. Methodism
c. Christianity
d. Buddhism
If man in the state of nature is free,
and lord of his own possessions, why
will he give up his freedom? The
answer is that right in the state of
nature are constantly exposed to
attack by others. Hence each man

joins in society to preserve his life,

liberty, and property. Whenever the
ruler endeavors to take away the
property of the people, or reduce
them to slaverythey are removed
from any further obedience and left
torise up with force and violence.
-John Locke,
The Second Treatise of
Government (1690)
12. The ideas expressed by Locke in
this passage helped inspire the
a. Theory of Divine Right
b. American Revolution
c. Separation of church and
state
d. Industrial Revolution
13. Enlightenment thinkers
contributed to changes in relationships
between citizens and governments
through their belief that
a. Most changes in government
are dangerous
b. Absolute monarchy is the
most effective form of
government
c. Governments are instituted
to protect citizens rights
d. Popular liberties should be
limited by the need for social
order
14. Which of the following identifies
one of the ways Enlightenment ideas
influenced the actions of colonial
leaders in Latin America?
a. They strengthened the
power of the Catholic Church
b. They shared their wealth
with the lower classes
c. They demanded selfgovernment from Spain and
Portugal
d. They abolished slavery
throughout Latin America
15. Colonists in North America
protested against the taxes imposed

Multiple Choice Questions: The Enlightenment and

Revolutions
on them by the British following the
French and Indian War. What was the
main reason the colonists were upset
about these taxes?
a. Colonists believed that
because they lived so far
from Britain, they did not
have to pay taxes on
anything
b. Colonists were not
represented in the British
Parliament and for that
reason believed the taxes
were unjust
c. Colonists drank less tea than
people living in Britain, so
the tax was an unfair burden
on them
d. Colonists had already paid a
great deal to fund the British
effort in the French and
Indian War.
16. This type of ruler allowed religious
toleration, freedom of speech and the
press, rights to own private property
and nurtured the arts, sciences and
education. They also obeyed their own
laws and still maintained absolute
power.
a. Tyrant
b. Absolutist
c. Enlightened despot
d. President
17. The Declaration of the Rights of
Man and of the Citizen includes
several Enlightenment ideas. Which of
the following is not one of the
Enlightenment ideas incorporated into
the document?
a. Citizens should have a voice
in the decisions the
government makes on their
behalf
b. People give rights to their
governments to limit their
governments power

c. All citizens possess basic

human rights (ie. freedom of
speech)
d. People are incapable of
ruling themselves because
they are inherently
disorganized and chaotic

18. The application of science and

reason to understanding the world
resulted in the 1700s being known for
the
a. New Deal
b. Enlightenment
c. Progressive Movement
d. Reformation
19. The members of the Third Estate
took revolutionary action because they
a. Were suspicious of the liberal
ideas coming out of the
French legislature
b. Believed that a king should
rule by divine right, not the
will of the people
c. Disagreed with the ideas
behind the Declaration of the
Rights of Man and of the
Citizen
d. Had fewer rights, owned less
land and paid more taxes
than the wealthier members
of the French population
20. Which of these enlightened rulers
made enlightened reforms which
completely failed?
a. Frederick the Great
b. Joseph II
c. Catherine the Great
d. Louis XVI
21. Thomas Paines 1776 pamphlet,
Common Sense, is based on
Enlightenment ideas. Which of the

Multiple Choice Questions: The Enlightenment and

Revolutions
following ideas is the primary basis for
Common Sense?
a. Human society is
disorganized and chaotic,
and for that reason,
governments are required to
maintain order
b. People have the natural right
to rule themselves because
they are capable of using
their powers of reason to
understand their world
c. The scientific method can
unlock the mysteries in the
natural world
d. Government should operate
in separate branches: one to
write the laws, one to carry
them out, and one to
interpret them.
22. John Locke believed that the
government had an obligation to the
people it governed to protect their
natural rights. If the government failed
to do this, then the people had the
right to
a. Move to another country
b. Refuse to vote in the next
election
c. Overthrow the government
d. Continue to be persecuted
23. The discoveries of Isaac Newton
had a major influence on
Enlightenment thinkers. In what way
was this influence so significant?
a. Enlightenment thinkers
attempted to base their
philosophies on religious
tradition
b. Enlightenment thinkers
studied Newtons writings
about the freedom of human
beings and the proper role of
kings and governments
c. Enlightenment thinkers
employed Newtons scientific

method when exploring

questions about human
nature and the
responsibilities of the citizen
d. Enlightenment thinkers
looked to the works of
Copernicus and Galileo, as
Newton had, when seeking
answers about the nature of
art and religion

24. During the early Revolutionary

period, American colonists used many
methods to show their opposition to
British taxation. Which method did
they use to show their opposition to
taxes imposed by the British
government?
a. American colonists
boycotted British goods,
such as sugar and tea
b. American colonists carried
out a plan to overthrow King
George III
c. American colonists
demanded seats in
Parliament, which led to the
creation of the National
Assembly
d. Americans distributed copies
of the Declaration of the
Rights of Man and of the
Citizen among the 13
colonies
25. These are the three locations in
which the Seven Years War was
fought.
a. Europe, North America and
India
b. North America, South
America, and India

Multiple Choice Questions: The Enlightenment and

Revolutions
c. Europe, India, and Africa
d. India, Africa, and Japan

26. Montesquieu believed that to

prevent tyranny in government there
should be a separation of powers.
Which of the following best illustrates
this idea?
a. Absolute power in the
executive branch
b. Splitting power among three
or more countries
c. Total power in the legislative
branch
d. Dividing power among three
branches of government
27. Which of the following is not an
idea from the Enlightenment?
a. People have natural
rights
b. Problems can be
solved by using
reason
c. Kings ruled by divine
right
d. Government should
serve the people
28. The major contribution of the
Enlightenment philosophers was the
introduction of new ideas about
a. Government
b. Economics
c. Religion
d. Science
29. The new intellectual movement
that stressed reason and thought and
the power of an individual to solve
problems was the
a. Scientific Revolution
b. Enlightenment
c. Great Awakening
d. Geocentric theory

30. The willingness of people to hand

over their rights to a ruler in exchange
for law and order in society was called
the
a. Scientific method
b. Magna Carta
c. Enlightenment
d. Social contract
31. The philosopher who believed that
all people are born free and equal,
with the rights to life, liberty, and
property was
a. John Locke
b. Thomas Hobbes
c. Galileo Galilei
d. Baron de Montesquieu
32. The group of social critics in
Enlightenment France were called
a. Satirists
b. Philosophes
c. Stoics
d. Revolutionaries
33. Upon whose ideas is our Bill of
Rights based?
a. Montesquieu
b. Locke
c. Hobbes
d. Voltaire
34. Brilliant French satirist who
frequently targeted the clergy,
aristocracy, and the government was
a. Thomas Hobbes
b. Baron de Montesquieu
c. Voltaire
d. John Locke
35. An influential French writer who
wrote that Power should be a check
to power was
a. Louis XIV
b. Voltaire
c. Thomas Hobbes
d. Baron de Montesquieu

Multiple Choice Questions: The Enlightenment and

Revolutions
36. French philosophe Jean Jacques
Rousseau believed that the best form
of government would be a
a. Direct democracy
b. Constitutional monarchy
c. Dictatorship
d. Republic
37. Womens contributions to the
Enlightenment included all of the
following EXCEPT
a. Urging women to enter
male-dominated fields
b. Writing about the
inequalities between men
and women
c. Running for office
d. Holding social gatherings
called salons for influential
people
38. Enlightenment philosophes such
as John Locke and Jean Jacques
Rousseau wrote that the relationship
between citizens and their
government was a social contract.
Which statement describes the impact
of the idea of government as social
contract on the French Revolution in
1789?
a. The king granted women the
right to vote
b. French citizens claimed their
natural rights
c. The king raised taxes to pay
off public debt
d. French citizens supported
the king against the nobles

39. This was the period under

Maximillien Robespierre when
revolutionary courts were set up to

prosecute enemies of the French

Revolution.
a. The Reign of Terror
b. The Directory
c. The Enlightenment
d. The National Assembly
40. This was the name for the lower
class that ran the Paris Commune.
a. Paris Communists
b. The Directory
c. The sans culottes
d. The philosophes
41. What
a.
b.
c.

is a coup detat?
A revolution
A salon
An overthrow of the
government
d. The Paris Commune

42. When power is shared between

the state and federal government it is
called what?
a. A federal system
b. A coup detat
c. Separate, but equal
d. Nationalism

43. What was one idea that the

leaders of the American Revolution
shared with Enlightenment thinkers?
a. Colonies exist to provide raw
materials and markets for
mother countries
b. The people have the right to
overthrow their government
if it abuses its powers
c. Governments may restrict
freedom of speech and of
the press during times of
crisis
d. Factories and businesses
should be owned by the
government rather than by
individuals

Multiple Choice Questions: The Enlightenment and

Revolutions
44. What action by the leaders of the
French Revolution demonstrates that
they were influenced by
Enlightenment ideas?
a. They called for the fall of the
absolute monarchy
b. They encouraged the
conquests of Napoleon
c. They fought to maintain
Frances colonial empire
d. They supported the
combination of church and
state

45. In exploring the relationship

between governments and people,
Thomas Hobbes argued that
governments resulted from a social
contract to maintain and orderly
society. John Locke, another
philosopher of the Enlightenment,
inspired American revolutionaries by
arguing that a new social contract
could be instituted under what
circumstance?
a. If a government failed to
compel obedience
b. If a government violated
peoples natural rights
c. If a government failed to
protect people from
economic inequality
d. If a government entered into
alliances with foreign
governments
46. Where was Marie Antoinette from?
a. France
b. Britain
c. Canada
d. Austria
47. This philosophe studied
government and devised the idea of a
separation of powers.

a.
b.
c.
d.

Voltaire
John Locke
Montesquieu
Rousseau

48. Many Latin American nations

gained their independence early in the
19th century. The relationship between
the people and their government
changed. Slavery existed under
colonial governments, but some of the
new nations, such as Haiti, did not
permit slavery. The abolition of slavery
was based on Enlightenment ideas of
a. Liberty as a natural rights of
man
b. Separation of government
powers
c. Personal rights as less
important than civil order
d. The authority of absolute
monarchs
49. Natural law was a fundamental
idea of the Enlightenment.
Which concept is an application of
natural law to the governments role in
the economic lives of its citizens?
a. Free markets based on
supply and demand
b. Government control to
achieve a favorable balance
of trade
c. Agriculture based on tenant
farming and serfdom
d. Lower taxes on the most
privileged groups in society
50. Enlightenment philosophes such
as John Locke and Jean Jacques
Rousseau challenged the idea of the
divine right of kings. They wrote about
a governments obligations to uphold
peoples rights and how the
government should be based on the
consent of the governed.

Multiple Choice Questions: The Enlightenment and

Revolutions
These new ideas encouraged people
to
a. Remain firm in their support
of absolute monarchs
b. Look for leaders who would
exercise dictatorial powers
c. Engage in revolutions to
establish democratic
governments
d. Call for church leaders to
create theocracies and
replace the monarchies.
51. ______________________ is the only
system of government in which
monarchy is the only source of power
a. Absolutism
b. Dictatorship
c. Democracy
d. Commonwealth

52. In Latin American society, this

class of people are the most important
and have the most rights.
a. Creoles
b. Mestizos
c. Mulattos
d. Peninsulares
53. During the Enlightenment, a
number of writers explored the
relationship between governments
and the people they governed. For
example, Rousseau wrote The Social
Contract, in which he examined ideas
about majority will and the common
good.
How did these ideas influence the
American and French Revolutions?
a. They encouraged loyalty to
established governments

b. They supported movements

for social and political
change
c. They encouraged the
formation of American and
French constitutional
monarchies
d. They supported the efforts of
governments to maintain
control over their subjects

54. According to the concept of

absolutism
a. there is no absolute authority
in society
b. people have absolute power in
government
c. people have the right to
overthrow absolute
monarchies
d. authority had absolute power
and could not be disobeyed
55. Enlightened thinkers believed
society was governed by
a. religion
b. a social contract
c. scientific inquiry
d. political philosophers
56. Isaac Newton was a
mathematician and a scientist.
Newtons discovery of the laws of
motion and universal gravitation
helped to advance the scientific
revolution of the time. Newton and
other enlightened thinkers believed
truth could be found through
a. the study of philosophy
b. the application of reason
c. strict obedience to authority
d. the study of religious
doctrines

Multiple Choice Questions: The Enlightenment and

Revolutions

57. Earth-centered theory of the

universe
a. geocentric theory
b. heliocentric theory
c. scientific method
d. Aristotles Theory
58. A new way of thinking about the
natural world based on careful
observation and a willingness to
question accepted beliefs
a. geocentric theory
b. heliocentric theory
c. scientific method
d. Scientific Revolution
59. A logical procedure for gathering
and testing scientific data.
a. geocentric theory
b. heliocentric theory
c. scientific method
d. Scientific Revolution
60. Russian empress who was
considered an enlightened despot
a. Catherine the Great
b. Mary Wollstonecraft
c. Votaire
d. Queen Elizabeth I
61. Which of the ideas does not
belong?
a. natural rights
b. checks and balances
c. social contract
d. Bill of Rights
62. In social gatherings called
___________, wealthy hostesses of Paris
helped spread the ideas of the
Enlightenment to educated Europeans.
a. salons
b. sans culottes
c. philosophes
d. neoclassical

63. Early proponent of womens rights

a. Voltaire
b. Montesquieu
c. Mary Wollstonecraft
d. Catherine the Great
64. Intellectual movement that
stressed reason and thought and the
power of individuals to solve problems
a. individualism
b. Enlightenment
c. Intellectualism
d. Salons
65. Thomas Hobbes called the
agreement by which people create a
government the ___________
a. salon
b. Enlightenment
c. checks and balances
d. social contract