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World History Subject Test
173
ARCO
■ SAT II Subject Tests
w w w . p e t e r s o n s . c o m / a r c o
EXPLANATORY ANSWERS
1. The correct answer is (C). Neither Greece nor Rome produced a lasting religion. Christianity origi-
nated in the Mediterranean region during the Roman Empire but was not a product of the Roman
Empire. Although Greek and Roman culture influenced Christianity, Christianity did not become an
important historical force until after the decline of the Roman Empire. You can easily see the classical
influences in the other areas. The concept of democracy originated in Greece. French, Spanish, and
Italian are called Romance languages because they derive from Latin. Many public buildings are
erected in the classical style. And the philosophical tradition of Western Europe can be traced to
Socrates.
2. The correct answer is (C). The financial policies of Louis XVI helped to create one of the most
important conditions leading to the French Revolution. The financial excesses of his predecessors
left Louis XVI with an already impoverished treasury that the king’s policies further depleted. France
sent considerable aid to the American colonies to aid them in their fight against Great Britain, and
Louis XVI maintained an extravagant court at Versailles. Despite these burdens, Louis XVI refused
to tax those best able to pay, the privileged class.
By 1788, France was bankrupt. To address the financial crisis, Louis convened the French leg-
islature, the Estates-General, thereby admitting that the power of the monarchy alone was not enough
to solve the problem. The Estates-General was not exactly a democratic institution. The privileged
classes were represented by the First and Second Estates, while the unprivileged were represented by
the Third Estate. Each Estate, however, had one vote. Thus, the privileged Estates were able to out-
vote the Third Estate.
Leaders of the Third Estate demanded that the voting procedure be changed so that each
representative’s vote would count. When the king rejected this demand, the representatives of the
Third Estate declared themselves to be the National Assembly and in the famous “Tennis Court Oath”
pledged themselves to create a new constitution.