Absolutism, Scientific Revolution, and Enlightenment
Chapters 5 and 6 of the textbook
Part I: Terms and Names
For these you should know both who or what it is and why each is important. I highly recommend making flash cards for
this part.
Philip II
Constitutional monarchy
Divine right
William and Mary
Peter the Great
Separation of powers
English Civil War
Jean Jacques Rousseau
Oliver Cromwell
Mary Wollstonecraft
Glorious Revolution
Edward Jenner
Absolute monarch
Montesquieu
Louis XIV
Boyars
Intendant
Thomas Hobbes
Maria Theresa
Social contract
John Locke
Restoration
Natural rights
Federick the Great
Westernization
Habeas Corpus
Enlightenment
Johannes Kepler
Nicolas Copernicus
Francis Bacon
Geocentric and Heliocentric theories
Scientific Method
Galileo
Thirty Years’ War
Isaac Newton
Peace of Westphalia
William Harvey
Voltaire
Part 2: Concepts to Know
You will have some (not all of these) short answer questions on the test. To prepare, you should be able
to answer all of these questions.
1. What is absolutism? Give examples from two countries in Europe of absolutism.
2. What methods did Europe’s monarchs use to limit the power of the nobles? Why did they want
to do this?
3. What was the Thirty Years’ war about? What were the causes, the participants, the outcome?
4. Why was the Peace of Westphalia important?
5. How was Russia different from Western Europe? How did Peter the Great change Russia?
6. Describe the causes, the participants, and outcome of the English Civil War.
7. What is the scientific method? How did it differ from methods used in medieval times?
8. What is the Age of Enlightenment and what was the focus of it?
9. Why did the Scientific Revolution occur?
10. Why was the scientific revolution a “revolution”?
11. List four new instruments that came into use during the Scientific Revolution.
12. How did the ideas of Hobbes and Locke differ?
13. How did the ideas of the Scientific Revolution affect the Enlightenment?
14. What form of literature emerged as part of the Enlightenment?
15. Compare and contrast the English and French governments of the late 1600s. Think about the
power of the ruler, organization of the government, and any limitations of government power.
Part 3: Map
Know the Map of Europe at the beginning of the section in your notebooks