British responses to the French Revolution
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how historians study pamphlets to understand reactions to the French Revolution in Britain.
Key learning points
- The French Revolution led to the execution of King Louis XVI and social upheaval in France.
- Burke and others feared that the French Revolution would inspire similar social upheaval across Europe.
- Pamphlets became popular at this time which historians use to understand British responses to the French Revolution.
- Wollstonecraft and Paine believed Britain should implement a written constitution like the French or US constitution.
- Pitt feared the unrest that the French Revolution was causing in Britain and brought in new laws to deal with this.
Keywords
Revolution - a revolution is the forcible overthrow of a government: a great or complete change
Status quo - the status quo is a term used to refer to the way things are or the existing way society is set up
Pamphlet - a pamphlet is a small booklet or leaflet written to argue for or against an idea
Upheaval - when there is a great change in society it is known as a social upheaval
Constitution - a constitution is a set of basic principles or laws that govern a nation
Common misconception
All contemporary British thinkers were complete supporters of the French Revolution.
Levels of support for the French Revolution amongst contemporary British thinkers varied.
Teacher tip
Help students to understand that the surge in pamphleteering in Britain at this time was driven by a combination of Enlightenment ideas and revolutionary fervour, and also made possible by the invention of the printing press during the preceding scientific revolution.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Put these time periods into the correct chronological order.
Q2.During the Scientific Revolution of the 1500s, which of these people challenged the teachings of the Church by explaining that the Earth revolved around the Sun, rather than the other way around?
Q3.Which of the following thinkers do we class as belonging to the Enlightenment movement of the 1700s?
Q4.Match the events with the year they took place
1793
1765
1804
Q5.What word is used to describe a country without a monarch?
Q6.What effect did revolutions that were happening all around the world have on monarchs in the 1700s and 1800s?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which laws were brought in by the British government due to discontent caused by the French Revolution?
Q2.Was Edmund Burke for or against the spread of French revolutionary radical ideas?
Q3.Match the British political thinker to the pamphlet that they wrote.
Revolution in France
A Vindication of the Rights of Man
Rights of Man
Q4.In what year did the French people execute their king, Louis XVI?
Q5.Which group in French society broke away from the Estates-General and launched the French Revolution in 1789?
Q6.Which of these British political thinkers wanted to encourage the spread of radical revolutionary ideas from France to Britain?
To help you plan your 8 history lesson on: British responses to the French Revolution, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 history lesson on: British responses to the French Revolution, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 history lessons from the The French Revolution: How did Europe respond to the French Revolution? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.