UNIT 1

UNIT 1- 18^th CENTURY: THE ANCIEN REGIME

Exercises

A. SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT

A.1- Are these statements about absolute monarchy, constitutional monarchy or republicanism?

            a) It was the system of government in the United Provinces.

            b) Power is shared between the monarch and parliament

            c) It was the system of government of the Ancien Régime.

            d) The monarch makes the laws and controls the courts.

            e) It was the system of government established in Great Britain after the Glorious Revolution.

            f) There was no monarch.

A-2- In which of the three systems did the bourgeoisie have:

a)      The most power?

b)      The least power?

B. THE THREE ESTATES

Look at the picture on the right and answer the questions: B.1- Identify which figure represents each of the three estates. B.2- Which figure is working hardest? B.3- What does this represent? B.4- Complete the table with ticks to summarise the position of the different members of the third estate:                Peasants Urban workers Bourgeoisie They had no political rights They had to pay high taxes Many lived in extreme poverty They thought that their situation was unfair

B.5   Why do you think that rich members of the third estate wanted to buy titles? Choose the correct answer:

- Because they were a rich people.

- Because they had much less political power.

- Because they had to pay far more taxes.

- Because they had much more political power.

- Because they wanted to marry for love.

B.6 Relate:

a) Philip V                                          - France

b) Louis XVI                                     - Great Britain

c) William of Orange                         - Spain

B.7 Questions:

a) Which estate(s) paid the most taxes?

b) Which estate(s) had the most political power?

c) What types of people were in the third estate?  Which were there more of?

d) Which estate do you think members of the low clergy came from before joining the clergy?

C. ECONOMY

C.1 Question

Why was there relatively little domestic trade in the Ancien Regime?

C.2 Relate:

Economic Liberalism              - Accumulation precious metals like gold and silver.

Mercantilism                          - Agriculture

Physiocracy                            - Triangular Trade