(DBQs) Unit 4
1. The Scientific Revolution
Prompt:
To what extent did the Scientific Revolution (c. 1540–1700) challenge traditional authority and contribute to the development of modern scientific thought? In your response, consider the contributions of key figures such as Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton, and evaluate the impact of their discoveries on both the scientific community and society at large.
Documents:
2. The Enlightenment (Hobbes, Locke, Voltaire, Rousseau)
Prompt:
How did the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Voltaire, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau challenge traditional political and social structures? In your response, discuss how their philosophies influenced the development of modern political thought and the ideas behind revolution.
Documents:
3. Enlightened Absolutism and Reforms
Prompt:
To what extent did the policies of Enlightened Absolutists such as Frederick the Great, Catherine the Great, and Joseph II reflect the ideals of the Enlightenment? Analyze the reforms they enacted and assess whether these rulers truly embraced Enlightenment principles or merely used them to strengthen their own power.
Documents:
4. Conflict, Crisis, and Reaction in the Late 18th Century (c. 1648–c. 1815)
Prompt:
How did the political and economic crises of the late 18th century (c. 1648–1815), including the French Revolution, the American Revolution, and the rise of revolutionary movements, challenge the old social and political order in Europe? In your response, analyze the causes of these crises and the reactions they provoked from both revolutionary movements and established authorities.
Documents:
5. The Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment
Prompt:
To what extent did the Scientific Revolution lay the foundation for the intellectual developments of the Enlightenment? In your response, analyze the ways in which the ideas of the Scientific Revolution influenced Enlightenment thinkers and their views on reason, progress, and authority.
Documents:
6. Enlightenment and Revolutionary Ideals
Prompt:
In what ways did the ideals of the Enlightenment influence the French Revolution (1789) and other revolutionary movements in Europe? Evaluate how Enlightenment thinkers contributed to the revolution's rhetoric, political structure, and social reforms.
Documents:
These DBQs are designed to encourage analysis of historical contexts, engage with primary sources, and provide a comprehensive understanding of the topics related to the Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment, Enlightened Absolutism, and the social and political crises of the late 18th century.
1. The Scientific Revolution
Prompt:
To what extent did the Scientific Revolution (c. 1540–1700) challenge traditional authority and contribute to the development of modern scientific thought? In your response, consider the contributions of key figures such as Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton, and evaluate the impact of their discoveries on both the scientific community and society at large.
Documents:
- Excerpts from Copernicus' On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres
- Galileo's Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina
- Newton’s Principia Mathematica
- A Catholic Church statement on Galileo’s trial
- A 17th-century pamphlet criticizing new scientific methods
- A passage from Francis Bacon’s Novum Organum advocating for empirical observation
2. The Enlightenment (Hobbes, Locke, Voltaire, Rousseau)
Prompt:
How did the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Voltaire, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau challenge traditional political and social structures? In your response, discuss how their philosophies influenced the development of modern political thought and the ideas behind revolution.
Documents:
- Excerpt from Hobbes’ Leviathan
- Excerpt from Locke’s Second Treatise of Government
- Excerpt from Voltaire’s Candide
- Excerpt from Rousseau’s The Social Contract
- A 17th-century sermon on the divine right of kings
- A pamphlet advocating for Enlightenment reforms in Europe
3. Enlightened Absolutism and Reforms
Prompt:
To what extent did the policies of Enlightened Absolutists such as Frederick the Great, Catherine the Great, and Joseph II reflect the ideals of the Enlightenment? Analyze the reforms they enacted and assess whether these rulers truly embraced Enlightenment principles or merely used them to strengthen their own power.
Documents:
- Excerpt from Frederick the Great’s Instruction to His Judges
- Excerpt from Catherine the Great’s Nakaz (Instruction)
- Excerpt from Joseph II’s Edict of Toleration
- A letter between Catherine the Great and Voltaire
- A 18th-century critique of Joseph II's reforms
- A contemporary view on Frederick the Great’s military policies
4. Conflict, Crisis, and Reaction in the Late 18th Century (c. 1648–c. 1815)
Prompt:
How did the political and economic crises of the late 18th century (c. 1648–1815), including the French Revolution, the American Revolution, and the rise of revolutionary movements, challenge the old social and political order in Europe? In your response, analyze the causes of these crises and the reactions they provoked from both revolutionary movements and established authorities.
Documents:
- Excerpt from the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
- Excerpt from the US Declaration of Independence
- A letter from Louis XVI to his ministers before the French Revolution
- A pamphlet from the French Revolution calling for the end of the monarchy
- A conservative response to the French Revolution
- A contemporary account of the American Revolution’s impact on Europe
5. The Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment
Prompt:
To what extent did the Scientific Revolution lay the foundation for the intellectual developments of the Enlightenment? In your response, analyze the ways in which the ideas of the Scientific Revolution influenced Enlightenment thinkers and their views on reason, progress, and authority.
Documents:
- Excerpt from Newton’s Principia Mathematica
- Excerpt from John Locke’s Essay Concerning Human Understanding
- Excerpt from Voltaire’s Philosophical Dictionary
- A commentary on the Scientific Revolution from a 17th-century scholar
- A letter from a French philosopher discussing the Enlightenment’s connection to science
- A passage from Bacon’s The Advancement of Learning
6. Enlightenment and Revolutionary Ideals
Prompt:
In what ways did the ideals of the Enlightenment influence the French Revolution (1789) and other revolutionary movements in Europe? Evaluate how Enlightenment thinkers contributed to the revolution's rhetoric, political structure, and social reforms.
Documents:
- Excerpt from Rousseau’s The Social Contract
- Excerpt from the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
- A speech by Maximilien Robespierre during the French Revolution
- A passage from Voltaire’s Letters on England
- A letter from a French noble criticizing the revolution
- A pamphlet advocating for the abolition of feudal privileges
These DBQs are designed to encourage analysis of historical contexts, engage with primary sources, and provide a comprehensive understanding of the topics related to the Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment, Enlightened Absolutism, and the social and political crises of the late 18th century.