Identify one cause and one effect of the French Revolution.

• A. Cause: economic inequality and debt; Effect: abolition of monarchy and rise of secular nationalism.
• B. Cause: victory in war; Effect: return to feudalism.
• C. Cause: discovery of America; Effect: industrialization.
• D. Cause: outbreak of plague; Effect: isolationism.

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is how a major social and economic crisis can trigger a political upheaval and lead to sweeping changes in government and national identity. The strongest choice points to economic inequality and government debt as the driving forces behind the French Revolution, with the corresponding effect being the abolition of the monarchy and the rise of secular nationalism. In late 18th‑century France, the burden of taxes and debt fell largely on the Third Estate, while the First and Second Estates enjoyed privilege, and bread shortages pushed ordinary people toward tipping points of anger. Add Enlightenment ideas about rights and government accountability, and you have a powerful mix that motivates a radical rethinking of authority and society. The abolition of the monarchy occurred as revolutionary forces took control, leading to a republic and new civic ideals that emphasized citizenship and secular laws over hereditary rule or church authority. Nationalism grew as people began to identify as French citizens with shared rights and duties, rather than as subjects of a king or loyal to regional powers. The other options don’t fit because they don’t reflect the actual causes or outcomes connected to the French Revolution—military victories don’t produce a return to feudalism, discovering the Americas isn’t a direct driver of industrialization, and plague would not logically drive isolationist policies in this historical context.