Absolutism
The political belief that one ruler should
hold all of the power within the
boundaries of a country
Absolutism
 Absolute Monarchs- kings or queens
who held all of the power within their
states’ boundaries
 Goal: control every aspect of society
Absolutism
 Divine Right- idea that God created the
monarchy and that the monarch acted
as God’s representative on Earth
What causes absolutism?
Long-term Causes
 Decline of feudalism
 Rise of cities and
support of middle
class
 Growth of national
kingdoms
 Loss of Church
authority
What causes absolutism?
Immediate Causes
 Religious and
territorial conflicts
 Buildup of armies
 Need for increased
taxes
 Revolts by peasants or
nobles
What are the effects of
absolutism?
Immediate Effects
 Regulation of religion
and society
 Larger courts
 Huge building projects
 New government
bureaucracies appointed
by the government
 Loss of power by nobility
and legislatures
What are the effects of
absolutism?
Long-term Effects
 Revolution in France
 Western European
influence in Russia
 English political
reforms that influence
U.S. democracy
European Absolute
Monarchs
Philip II (Spain)- Defender of Catholicism
Louis XIV (France)- “The Sun King,” lived a
lavish lifestyle
Ivan the Terrible (Russia)- Added lands to
Russia and a code of law, but later became
brutal
Peter the Great- Goal of westernization
Limits on the Monarchy
Event 1: English Civil War (1642-1649)
What: Royalists/Cavaliers (loyal to the king) versus
Roundheads (Puritan supporters of parliament) for
control
Limits on the Monarchy
Importance:
 First time a monarch is brought to trial for
treason, executed
 Oliver Cromwell (Puritan general) took power
and establishes a commonwealth (republican
form of government)
Limits on the Monarchy
Event 2: Restoration (1660- 1685 or 1688)
What: The English, Scottish, and Irish monarchies are
restored under Charles II after Cromwell’s death
Limits on the Monarchy
Importance: Parliament passes habeas corpus, the
right for every prisoner to be brought before a judge
to hear the charges against him
Limits on the Monarchy
Event 3: The Glorious Revolution (1688)
What: Bloodless overthrow of King James II, a
Catholic, by Protestant Parliament
Limits on the Monarchy
Importance: William of Orange, and his wife, Mary,
Protestant daughter of James, asked to rule England
 William and Mary work with Parliament to create
a Constitutional Monarchy- laws limit monarch’s
power
Scientific Revolution
A new way of thinking about the
world develops, based on
observation, and a willingness to
question assumptions
Scientific Revolution
 Old science- reliance on ancient
authorities, church teachings, common
sense to explain the physical world
Scientific Revolution
 New science- observation,
experimentation, and scientific reasoning
to gather knowledge and make
conclusions about the physical world
Scientific Revolution Ideas
 Heliocentric theory
challenges
geocentric theory
 Mathematics and
observation
 Scientific method
Enlightenment
Challenges many accepted ideas
about government and society
Enlightenment
 Old idea of government- monarch’s
rule is justified by divine right
Enlightenment
 New idea of governmentgovernment’s power comes from the
consent of the governed
Enlightenment Thinker:
Locke
Idea
Natural rights- life, liberty,
property
Impact
Fundamental to U.S.
Declaration of Independence
Enlightenment Thinker:
Montesquieu
Idea
Separation of powers
Impact
France, U.S., and Latin
American nations
constitutions
Enlightenment Thinker:
Beccaria
Idea
Abolishment of torture
Impact
Guaranteed in U.S. Bill of
Rights
Outlawed or reduced in
nations of Europe and Latin
America
Enlightenment Thinker:
Voltaire
Idea
Freedom of thought and
expression
Religious Freedom
Impact
Guaranteed in U.S. Bill of
Rights and French
Declaration of the Rights of
Man and Citizen
European monarchs reduce
or eliminate censorship and
religious persecution
Enlightenment Thinker:
Wollstonecraft
Idea
Women’s equality
Impact
Women’s rights groups form
in Europe and North America
Spread of Ideas
 Enlightenment ideas
appeal to thinkers and
artists across Europe
 Salons help spread
Enlightenment
thinking
Spread of Ideas
 Ideas spread to literate
middle class
 Enlightened Despots
attempt reforms
 Ideas sweep through
European society and to
colonial America
American Revolution
 Enlightenment ideas
influence colonists
 Britain taxes colonists
after French and Indian
War
American Revolution
 Colonists denounce taxation
without representation
 War begins in Lexington and
Concord
 Colonists declare
independence, defeat
Britain, and establish
republic
French Revolution
Long-Term Causes
 Social and economic
injustices of the Old
Regime
 Enlightenment ideasliberty and equality
 Example provided by
the American
Revolution
French Revolution
Immediate Causes
 Economic crisisfamine and
government debt
 Weak leadership
 Discontent of the
Third Estate
French Revolution- Events
 Symbol of
revolution: Fall of
the Bastille
 Creation of: the
National Assembly
French RevolutionDocuments
 Declaration of
the Rights of
Man and of the
Citizen
 New constitution
French RevolutionImmediate Effects
Immediate Effects
 End of the Old Regime
 Execution of the
monarch
 War with other
European nations
 Reign of Terror
 Rise of Napoleon
French RevolutionLong-Term Effects
Long-Term Effects
 Conservative reaction
 Congress of Vienna
 Decline in French power
 Spread of Enlightenment
ideas
 Growth of nationalism
 Revolutions in Latin
America
New Political Philosophies
 Conservative- argued for protecting the traditional
monarchies of Europe
 Who: usually wealthy property owners and nobility
New Political Philosophies
 Liberal- wanted to give more power to elected
parliaments
 Mostly middle-class business leaders and merchants
New Political Philosophies
 Radical- favored drastic change to extend
democracy to all people
Nationalism
Belief that people’s greatest loyalty should be
to a nation of people who share a common
culture and history
 Nation-state- when a nation has it’s own
independent government
Positive Results of
Nationalism
 People overcoming
differences for the
common good
 Overthrow of colonial rule
 Democratic governments
in nations throughout the
world
 Competition among
nations spurring scientific
and technological
advances
Negative Results of
Nationalism
 Forced assimilation of
minority cultures into a
nation’s majority cultures
 Ethnic cleansing
 Rise of extreme
nationalism movements
 Competition between
nations leading to warfare
Nationalist Movements in
Latin America
Haiti: Slave-led
South America:
Creole-led
Brazil: Royalty-led