Practice a College Board-style Short Answer Question on Conflict, Crisis, and Reaction in the Late 18th Century. Write your response, then reveal the model answer to see exactly what earns each point.
Short Answer Question · Unit 5 · Conflict, Crisis, and Reaction in the Late 18th Century
"Men are born and remain free and equal in rights... The aim of all political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man; these rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression... Law is the expression of the general will. All citizens have the right to take part, personally or through their representatives, in its formation... No one shall be disquieted on account of his opinions, even religious, provided their manifestation does not disturb the public order established by law."
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, adopted by the French National Assembly, August 1789
A
Using the excerpt, identify ONE specific claim the document makes about the basis of legitimate political authority.
✓ Model answer (earns the point)
The Declaration claims that all men are "born and remain free and equal in rights," and that "law is the expression of the general will," meaning legitimate political authority rests on the consent and participation of citizens rather than on the divine right of a monarch.
Why it scores: Identifies a specific claim from the text (natural equality, or law as the expression of the general will/popular sovereignty) rather than a vague statement like "the French wanted rights."
B
Explain ONE way that the radical phase of the French Revolution (1793–1794) departed from the principles expressed in the excerpt.
✓ Model answer (earns the point)
During the Reign of Terror, the Committee of Public Safety under Robespierre executed tens of thousands of people suspected of counter-revolutionary sympathies, often without genuine due process — directly contradicting the Declaration's guarantees of security and resistance to oppression for all citizens, and replacing the rule of law with revolutionary terror.
Why it scores: Names a specific development from the radical phase (the Terror, Robespierre, the Committee of Public Safety) and explains specifically how it conflicted with the document's stated principles, rather than vaguely stating "the Revolution got violent."
C
Explain ONE way that Napoleon Bonaparte's rule both preserved and departed from the principles expressed in the excerpt.
✓ Model answer (earns the point)
Napoleon's Napoleonic Code (1804) preserved the Declaration's principle of legal equality by abolishing feudal privilege and applying the same laws to all male citizens. However, Napoleon's decision to crown himself emperor and rule as an autocrat directly contradicted the Declaration's vision of law as the expression of the people's general will, since political power once again rested in a single hereditary ruler rather than in popular consent.
Why it scores: Names a specific Napoleonic policy or action (Napoleonic Code, becoming emperor) and explains specifically how it both reflected and contradicted the excerpt's principles, rather than just asserting "Napoleon changed France" without explanation.
How to score points on AP European History SAQs
Answer exactly what's asked. "Identify" needs a name or fact only. "Explain" needs a claim PLUS supporting reasoning — don't skip the "why" or "how."
Use the stimulus, but don't just summarize it. Strong SAQ responses connect the source to outside historical knowledge, not just restate what the excerpt says.
Be specific, not general. Name specific events and figures (the Reign of Terror, Robespierre, the Napoleonic Code) rather than vague references to "the Revolution" or "changes in France."
Keep each part short and focused. 2–3 sentences per part is usually enough — SAQs reward precision over length.
Connect cause to effect. Don't just describe a development; explain why it mattered or how it connects to the question's claim.