D.A.
V SCHOOL, PALLIKARANAI, CHENNAI
CLASS 9 -SOCIAL SCIENCE
HISTORY-THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
WORKSHEET
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
1. Which event is considered the starting point of the French Revolution?
a. Storming of the Bastille
b. Execution of Louis XVI
c. Execution of Maximilian Robespierre
d. American Revolution
2. The society of estates in France was part of the ___________ system.
3. The third estate in France was primarily made up of ____________ group.
a. Nobles
b. Clergy
c. Commoners
d. Royals
4. The declaration of rights of man and citizen was primarily concerned with
which principle?
a. Divine rights of the monarch
b. Hereditary privileges
c. Equality before the law
d. Colonial expansion
5. The National assembly was formed by primarily by representatives of
________ estate.
6. The Fortress-prison in Paris stormed by revolutionaries on 14th July 1789,
symbolizing the despotic power of the king-
7. ____________ is the author of Two treatises of government.
8. __________________ proposed the division of power within the government
between legislative.
9. A period from 1793 to 1794 characterized by extreme violence and the
execution of enemies of the revolution-
10. Arrange the events in chronological order.
a. France became a republic.
b. Louis XVI accorded recognition to the National assembly.
c. Fall of directory rules paved the way for the rise of a military dictator
Napoleon Bonaparte.
1
d. Louis XVI called for a meeting of the estate general.
e. Execution of Maximilian Robespierre.
f. Storming of Fortress prison Bastille.
11. The declaration of the Rights of man and citizen picture was painted by the
artist ________ in 1790.
12.
i. ii.
a. Identify the political symbols.
b. What do they symbolize?
13. Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated at __________ in 1815.
14. _________ and ________ are two examples of individuals who responded to
the ideas coming from revolutionary France.
15. The painting of Marat addressing people was painted by ____________.
16. The picture “The patriotic fat reducing press” is an example of ____________
that came in to effect after the storming of Bastille.
17. The triangular slave trade happened between _________ ____________ and
_________.
18. _____________ was one of the most important of the politically active women in
revolutionary France.
19. State true or false: Robespierre’s opinion about liberty and that of
revolutionary journalist Camille Desmoulins were same.
20. The newly elected assembly in 1792 was called as ____________.
I. ASSERTION AND REASONING:
CHOOSE ANY ONE OPTION:
a. Both A and R are true R is the correct explanation of A.
b. Both A and R are true R is not the correct explanation of A.
c. A is true R is false.
d. A is false R is true.
1. A: Peasants were obliged to render services to the lord – to work in his house
and fields – to serve in the army or to participate in building roads.
2
R: The society of estates was part of the feudal system that dated back to the
Middle Ages.
2. A: All those whom he saw as being ‘enemies’ of the republic – ex-nobles and
clergy, members of other political parties, even members of his own party who
did not agree with his methods – were arrested, imprisoned and then tried by
a revolutionary tribunal.
R: Robespierre followed a policy of severe control and punishment. He
believed that to establish and consolidate democracy, Government may rely
on terror.
3. A: During the Reign of Terror, Women got their right to vote and participate in
political activities.
R: From the very beginning women were active participants in the events
which brought about so many important changes in French society.
4. A: Napoleon armies came to be viewed everywhere as an invading force.
R: He set out to conquer neighbouring European countries, dispossessing
dynasties and creating kingdoms where he placed members of his family.
5. A: Tithe is the tax to be paid directly to the state.
R: One tenth of the agricultural produce should be paid to the church.
6. A: Freedom of the press meant that only supportive views of the revolution
could be published.
R: The abolition of censorship allowed for opposing views of events to be
expressed.
II. CASE STUDY:
1. An Englishman, Arthur Young, travelled through France during the years from
1787 to 1789 and wrote detailed descriptions of his journeys. He often
commented on what he saw. ‘He who decides to be served and waited upon
by slaves, ill-treated slaves at that, must be fully aware that by doing so he is
placing his property and his life in a situation which is very different from that
he would be in, had he chosen the services of free and well-treated men. And
he who chooses to dine to the accompaniment of his victims’ groans, should
not complain if during a riot his daughter gets kidnapped or his son’s throat is
slit.’
a. Whom does Arthur Young mean when he speaks of slaves?
b. What dangers does he sense in the situation of 1787?
c. Who is he criticising?
2. The revolutionary journalist Jean-Paul Marat commented in his newspaper
L’Ami du peuple (The friend of the people) on the Constitution drafted by the
National Assembly: ‘The task of representing the people has been given to the
3
rich … the lot of the poor and oppressed will never be improved by peaceful
means alone. Here we have absolute proof of how wealth influences the law.
Yet laws will last only as long as the people agree to obey them. And when
they have managed to cast off the yoke of the aristocrats, they will do the
same to the other owners of wealth.’
a. Why did Marat comment that ‘the task of representing people has been
given to rich’?
b. Did Marat’s prediction ‘when they have managed to cast off the yoke of
the aristocrats, they will do the same to the owners of wealth’ come
true?
******************************************************************
