Final Essay = 30%
The final essay is due on Thursday, 23 July in tutorial and should be 2000 words long. I will not read beyond 2000 words. Choose one of the three questions below. Your task is to answer the question based on your analysis of the required readings of the course. You must draw on at least two of the required books. You may consult other scholarly secondary sources if you wish. If you do, you must choose books or journal articles that are of high academic quality and that are immediately relevant to your topic. You may not use, among other sources, encyclopedias, Western Civilization textbooks, or lectures or any other material posted on the internet. Follow the Guidelines for Written Assignments in the syllabus.
If you wish to devise your own essay question, you may do so. You must give me your question in writing in class by 11:30 on Tuesday, 30 June. It must be based on at least two of the assigned books for the course, and at least one of these books must be either James B. Collins, The State in Early Modern France or Dale K. Van Kley, The Religious Origins of the French Revolution: From Calvin to the Civil Constitution, 1560-1791. The essay question requires my authorization before you may proceed with it.
1. "In the short run, the French Wars of Religion resulted in the strengthening of the Bourbon monarchy, but their long-term effect was to destabilize the monarchy."
Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? Concentrate on the claim about the long-term effect on the monarchy.
2. To what extent did Louis XIV's monarchy contribute to the French Revolution? To answer this question you need first to determine if there was any connection between Louis XIV's monarchy and the Revolution. If you believe there was a connection, you need to assess the impact of Louis XIV's monarchy in the context of other factors that led to the Revolution. If you believe there was no connection, you need to prove this.
3. Was Jansenism's contribution to the French Revolution of primary or secondary importance? To answer this question you need to analyze the role of Jansenism in undermining the monarchy and to assess the impact of Jansenism in the context of other factors that led to the Revolution.
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