Unit 5--Reading and Writing Workshop
Revolutions (c. 1750–1900)
Theme: Political, Social, and Intellectual Transformation
Workshop Focus: The Enlightenment, Atlantic Revolutions, and global reform movements
Session 1 – SAQ Practice: Enlightenment and Revolution
Part A – Standard SAQ (No Documents)
Prompt:
Answer all parts using your knowledge of world history from 1750–1900.
a) Identify and explain ONE intellectual or cultural movement that inspired political revolutions during this period.
b) Identify and explain ONE way revolutions led to new political or social structures.
c) Identify and explain ONE way revolutions influenced reform movements beyond Europe and the Americas.
Group Activity – “Revolutionary Idea Exchange”
Excerpt A – John Locke, Two Treatises of Government (1690):
“Men being, as has been said, by nature, all free, equal, and independent, no one can be… subjected to the political power of another, without his own consent.”
🔗 Project Gutenberg – Two Treatises of Government
Discussion:
How did Locke’s principles justify the overthrow of monarchies and the founding of new governments during the 18th century?
Part B – Stimulus-Based SAQ
Stimulus:
Excerpt B – The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (France, 1789):
“Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions can be founded only upon the general good.”
🔗 Avalon Project – Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (1789)
Prompt:
a) Identify and explain ONE political value expressed in the excerpt.
b) Identify and explain ONE way this reflects Enlightenment thought.
c) Identify and explain ONE global movement or revolution influenced by these ideas.
Group Discussion:
Teams analyze the source’s purpose, audience, and historical context and discuss how revolutionary language spread globally.
Session 2 – LEQ Practice: Transformation and Continuity
Prompt:
Evaluate the extent to which political revolutions between 1750 and 1900 transformed societies.
Rubric Alignment (6 pts)
“The age of chivalry is gone. That of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded; and the glory of Europe is extinguished forever.”
🔗 Project Gutenberg – Reflections on the Revolution in France
Group Activity – “Extent Debate: Reform or Ruin?”
Session 3 – DBQ Practice: Revolutionary Ideals Across the Globe
Prompt:
Evaluate the extent to which revolutionary ideals of 1750–1900 transformed political and social systems globally.
Documents and Excerpts
Document 1 – The Declaration of Independence (U.S., 1776)
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…”
🔗 U.S. National Archives – Declaration of Independence
Document 2 – Toussaint Louverture, Constitution of Haiti (1801)
“There cannot exist slaves on this territory, servitude is forever abolished. All men are born, live, and die free and French.”
🔗 Fordham Internet History Sourcebook – Haitian Constitution, 1801
Document 3 – Simón Bolívar, Letter from Jamaica (1815)
“We are no longer Europeans, we are not Indians, but a new race midway between the legitimate owners of the land and the Spanish usurpers.”
🔗 Fordham Internet History Sourcebook – Bolívar, Letter from Jamaica
Document 4 – Olympe de Gouges, Declaration of the Rights of Woman (1791)
“Woman is born free and lives equal to man in her rights. Social distinctions can be based only on the common utility.”
🔗 Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution
Group Activity – “Revolutionary Congress”
Session 4 – Reflection and Synthesis: The Global Reach of Revolution
Excerpt D – Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792):
“I do not wish them [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.”
🔗 Project Gutenberg – A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Group Activity – “Reform Ripple Timeline”
In a paragraph (150–200 words), evaluate:
“The revolutionary age created new political ideals but left social inequalities largely intact.”
Use at least two examples from this workshop to support your argument.
Group Roles (For All Sessions)
Workshop Deliverables
Revolutions (c. 1750–1900)
Theme: Political, Social, and Intellectual Transformation
Workshop Focus: The Enlightenment, Atlantic Revolutions, and global reform movements
Session 1 – SAQ Practice: Enlightenment and Revolution
Part A – Standard SAQ (No Documents)
Prompt:
Answer all parts using your knowledge of world history from 1750–1900.
a) Identify and explain ONE intellectual or cultural movement that inspired political revolutions during this period.
b) Identify and explain ONE way revolutions led to new political or social structures.
c) Identify and explain ONE way revolutions influenced reform movements beyond Europe and the Americas.
Group Activity – “Revolutionary Idea Exchange”
- Form groups of four and assign roles:
- Philosopher – summarizes one Enlightenment thinker’s core idea (e.g., Locke, Rousseau, Voltaire).
- Reformer – explains how that idea shaped revolutionaries’ goals.
- Historian – connects the movement to a specific revolution.
- Journalist – writes a 2–3 sentence summary linking ideas to outcomes.
- Each group shares its “Intellectual Chain Reaction” poster showing how thought → revolution → reform.
Excerpt A – John Locke, Two Treatises of Government (1690):
“Men being, as has been said, by nature, all free, equal, and independent, no one can be… subjected to the political power of another, without his own consent.”
🔗 Project Gutenberg – Two Treatises of Government
Discussion:
How did Locke’s principles justify the overthrow of monarchies and the founding of new governments during the 18th century?
Part B – Stimulus-Based SAQ
Stimulus:
Excerpt B – The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (France, 1789):
“Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions can be founded only upon the general good.”
🔗 Avalon Project – Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (1789)
Prompt:
a) Identify and explain ONE political value expressed in the excerpt.
b) Identify and explain ONE way this reflects Enlightenment thought.
c) Identify and explain ONE global movement or revolution influenced by these ideas.
Group Discussion:
Teams analyze the source’s purpose, audience, and historical context and discuss how revolutionary language spread globally.
Session 2 – LEQ Practice: Transformation and Continuity
Prompt:
Evaluate the extent to which political revolutions between 1750 and 1900 transformed societies.
Rubric Alignment (6 pts)
- Thesis/Claim (1)
- Contextualization (1)
- Evidence (2)
- Analysis & Reasoning (2)
- Contextualizer: Describes the Enlightenment and Atlantic Revolutions as catalysts for change.
- Thesis Builder: Crafts a defensible “extent” argument.
- Evidence Collector: Supplies examples (e.g., American, French, Haitian, Latin American Revolutions).
- Analyst: Explains continuities such as gender and class inequality.
“The age of chivalry is gone. That of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded; and the glory of Europe is extinguished forever.”
🔗 Project Gutenberg – Reflections on the Revolution in France
Group Activity – “Extent Debate: Reform or Ruin?”
- Divide the class into two sides:
- Side A: Revolutions transformed societies by establishing new rights and representative institutions.
- Side B: Revolutions perpetuated inequality and instability.
- Use historical evidence and quotations (Locke, Burke, Wollstonecraft) to support arguments.
- Each group writes a thesis and concluding statement evaluating the extent of transformation.
Session 3 – DBQ Practice: Revolutionary Ideals Across the Globe
Prompt:
Evaluate the extent to which revolutionary ideals of 1750–1900 transformed political and social systems globally.
Documents and Excerpts
Document 1 – The Declaration of Independence (U.S., 1776)
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…”
🔗 U.S. National Archives – Declaration of Independence
Document 2 – Toussaint Louverture, Constitution of Haiti (1801)
“There cannot exist slaves on this territory, servitude is forever abolished. All men are born, live, and die free and French.”
🔗 Fordham Internet History Sourcebook – Haitian Constitution, 1801
Document 3 – Simón Bolívar, Letter from Jamaica (1815)
“We are no longer Europeans, we are not Indians, but a new race midway between the legitimate owners of the land and the Spanish usurpers.”
🔗 Fordham Internet History Sourcebook – Bolívar, Letter from Jamaica
Document 4 – Olympe de Gouges, Declaration of the Rights of Woman (1791)
“Woman is born free and lives equal to man in her rights. Social distinctions can be based only on the common utility.”
🔗 Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution
Group Activity – “Revolutionary Congress”
- Assign each group one document to analyze using HIPP (Historical Context, Intended Audience, Purpose, POV).
- Rotate and present findings to the “congress” (class).
- As a class, group documents thematically:
- Political Rights & Independence: Jefferson, Bolívar
- Social & Legal Equality: Louverture, de Gouges
- Write a shared thesis statement addressing the prompt.
- Add outside evidence (e.g., Abolition of Slavery in Britain, Meiji Reforms, Taiping Rebellion).
- Discuss complexity: “Revolutions promised equality but often failed to deliver full social transformation.”
Session 4 – Reflection and Synthesis: The Global Reach of Revolution
Excerpt D – Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792):
“I do not wish them [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.”
🔗 Project Gutenberg – A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Group Activity – “Reform Ripple Timeline”
- Each group builds a timeline (1750–1900) marking revolutions and reform movements inspired by Enlightenment thought.
- Annotate each event with one quote from the readings and one symbol of change (e.g., liberty cap, abolitionist seal, suffrage banner).
- Present timelines in chronological order to visualize the spread of revolutionary ideals.
In a paragraph (150–200 words), evaluate:
“The revolutionary age created new political ideals but left social inequalities largely intact.”
Use at least two examples from this workshop to support your argument.
Group Roles (For All Sessions)
- Content Expert: Provides factual evidence.
- Connector: Links ideas to AP Themes (GOV, ECO, SOC, ENV).
- Writer: Drafts the group’s responses.
- Reviewer: Checks for reasoning and rubric alignment.
Workshop Deliverables
- SAQ Packet (Standard + Stimulus)
- LEQ Outline (Thesis, Context, Evidence, Complexity)
- DBQ Organizer (Documents, Sourcing, Outside Evidence)
- Revolutionary Timeline & Reflection Paragraph