Absolute Monarchies & Age of
Reason
Chapter 20 pages 500-503
Chapter 21 Sections 1, 2, 4, and 5
Chapter 22 Sections 1, 2, and 3
Essential Questions
What effect did the Commercial Revolution have on people’s standard of living?
What are some of the economic freedoms and new opportunities that emerged during the commercial revolution?
What discoveries and breakthroughs led to the Scientific Revolution?
How did the Scientific Revolution impact scientific thinking?
What is absolutism and where did it take place?
How was Louis XIV a model of absolutism?
What is Enlightenment, and how did it affect western societies?
Who are the Enlightenment thinkers? And how did they challenge old beliefs and ways of thinking?
Prezi Words
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Commercial Revolution
Mercantilism
Free Enterprise (Capitalism)
Scientific Revolution
Scientific Method
Divine Right
Absolutism
Enlightened Despotism
English Bill of Rights
Constitutional Monarchy
Enlightenment
The Commercial Revolution
• Mercantilism – Rulers increased their power by
amassing gold and silver through conquest, taxes,
trade, and obtain colonies
• Colonies – Spain, Holland, Portugal, France, and
England developed overseas empires
• Free Enterprise (Capitalism) – Merchants
developed new methods to finance large
business ventures. They used borrowing and
joint-stock companies to raise the large amounts
of capital needed for these ventures.
• The emergence of the middle class.
Origins of the Scientific Revolution
• Nicholas Copernicus – Polish scientist who
took careful measurements, concluded that
the Earth orbited around the sun
• Galileo Galilei – Astronomer, made
improvements to the telescope, supporter of
Copernicus’ theory
Changed Ways of Thinking
• Scientific Method – New ways of scientific investigation
• Rejection of traditional teachings of the Church
• Robert Boyle - Pioneered the use of the scientific method
in chemistry, proposed that the physical world is made up
of smaller primary particles that are joined together in
different ways, and developed Boyle’s Law which explains
how the volume, temperature, and pressure of gas affect
each other.
• Sir Isaac Newton - Developed the single theory of motionthe law of universal gravitation, which states that every
object in the universe attracts every other object. The
degree of attraction depends on the mass of the objects
and the distance between them. He wrote the book
Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, one of the
most important books written.
History Maker: Copernicus
Causes of the Scientific Revolution
• Renaissance discovery of new classical
manuscripts leads scholars to question
accepted knowledge.
• Exploration broadens European horizons.
• Printing press spreads ideas.
• Discoveries of Copernicus and other scientists
challenge accepted thinking.
Impact of Scientific Revolution
• Copernicus - Heliocentric Theory
• Eratosthenes - Calculated the earth’s true size
• Galileo - Discovered the law of the pendulum,
law of gravity, laws of motion and built a
telescope to look at the stars
Absolutism
• A monarch’s total control over his subjects.
• Louis XIV is a model for other absolute monarchs.
– His will was law. “I am the state.”
– He interfered with economic and religious lives of his
subjects.
– He established standards for industry.
– Forced nobles to spend most of their time at the
Palace of Versailles.
– Established a strong national army.
• Other absolute monarchs: Peter the Great,
Catherine the Great, and Henry VIII.
English Civil War 1642-1649
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Conflict between king and parliament.
Charles I was tried and executed.
Civil war was led by Oliver Cromwell.
Under the principle of the “rule of law”
established by the Magna Carta, King did not
have consent to act alone.
• Ultimately the monarch was restored.
Glorious Revolution 1688 - 1689
• James II converted to Catholicism, fled to
France in fear of his life.
• William and Mary agreed to a Constitutional
Monarch and the English Bill of Rights which
established Parliament’s supremacy over the
king.
Absolute Monarchs in Europe
European Monarchs Claim Divine Right to Rule
Absolutely
Long Term Causes
Immediate Effects
• Decline of feudalism
• Rise of cities and growth of
middle class
• Growth of national kingdoms
• Loss of Church authority
Immediate Causes
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Religious and territorial conflicts
Buildup of armies
Need for increased taxes
Revolts by peasants or nobles
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Regulation of religion and society
Large courts
Huge building projects
New government bureaucracies
Loss of power by nobility and
legislatures
Long-term Effects
• Revolution in France
• Western European influences on
Russia
• English political reforms that
influence U.S. democracy
Concepts of the Enlightenment
1. Reason – thinkers believed truth could be
discovered through logical thinking
2. Nature – it is good and reasonable, they are
just there
3. Happiness – if you lived by nature’s laws you
would find happiness
4. Progress – society and humankind could
perfected
5. Liberty – believed society could be set free
Enlightenment Thinkers
• Thomas Hobbes – Wrote Leviathan in which he argued
that mankind was, by nature, selfish and wicked and
that people had to give up their rights to a strong ruler,
through a social contract.
• John Locke – Wrote Treatises on Government in which
he argued that all people are born free and equal with
three natural rights – life, liberty, and property and that
the purpose of government was to protect these rights.
• Voltaire – poked fun at traditional authority in society,
government, and the church. His views on religious
toleration and intellectual freedom influenced the
leaders of the American and French Revolutions.
Enlightenment Thinkers continued
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau – believed a government should
express the “general will” of the people. His book, The
Social Contract, helped to inspire the democratic ideals of
the French Revolution.
• Baron de Montesquieu – argued for a separation of powers
in government as a check against tyranny. His book, The
Spirit of Laws, encouraged the development of a system of
balances later in the U.S. Constitution.
• William Blackstone – A British jurist, he gave the first
university lectures on English common law. His classic
Commentaries on the Laws of England is best known
description of the doctrines of English law; it became the
basis of university legal education in England and North
America.
Monarchs and Enlightened Thinkers
• Describe the accomplishments or beliefs of
the following people.
– King Louis XIV
– Peter the Great
– Thomas Hobbes
– John Locke
– Baron De Montesquieu
– Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Commercial Revolution
• Mercantilism – Rulers increased their power by
amassing gold and silver through conquest, taxes,
trade, and obtain colonies
• Colonies – Spain, Holland, Portugal, France, and
England developed overseas empires
• Free Enterprise (Capitalism)
– Merchants developed new methods to finance large
business ventures.
– They used borrowing and joint-stock companies to
raise the large amounts of capital needed for these
ventures.
Absolute Monarchy
• Factors leading to growth of royal power:
• A Caste Study in Absolute Monarchy – King
Louis XIV of France:
– His will was law
– He permitted no criticism of his rule.
– He permitted criticism of his rule.
– Built Versailles Palace to house nobles.
– Developed a large and powerful army.
Limited Monarchy in England
• Traditional checks on English king’s power:
– Magna Carta (1215) limited kings’ power.
– English Parliament (legislature).
• Henry VIII and Elizabeth I ruled with Parliament.
• James I favored divine right. His son Charles, tried to rule
without Parliament.
• English Civil War – Parliament defeated and executed
Charles I in 1649.
• Glorious Revolution – James II was overthrown.
• English Bill of Rights – Stated supremacy of Parliament and
the rights of subjects.
• John Locke – justified Glorious Revolution. He stated that
subjects have a right to rebel against an oppressive
government.
• William Blackstone – Summarized English law.
Scientific Revolution
• Changed ways of thinking
– New ways of scientific investigation (scientific
method)
– Rejected traditional teachings of the Church
– Robert Boyle – Investigated gases
– Isaac Newton – Laws of gravity
Enlightenment
• Applied human reason to society
– Questioned role of Catholic Church
– Rejected traditional teachings of the Church
– Opposed hereditary privileges
– Sought to reform society
• Leading Enlightenment thinkers:
– Voltaire
– Baron de Montesquieu
– Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Long Term Causes
•Decline in feudalism
•Rise of cities and growth of the middle class
•Growth of national kingdoms
•Loss of Church authority
Immediate Causes
•Religious and territorial conflicts
•Building of armies
•Need for increased taxes
•Revolts by peasants no nobles
European Monarchs
claim divine right to
rule absolutely
Immediate Effects
•Regulation of religion and society
•Larger courts
•Huge building projects
•New government bureaucracies
•Loss of power by nobility and legislatures
Long-Term Effects
•Revolution if France
•Western European influence on Russia
•English political reforms that influence U.S. democracy
Absolute Monarchies and the Age of Reason
Commercial
Revolution
Age of Kings
Scientific
Revolution
Enlightenment
Mercantilism – gold
and sliver
Increased trade
Join stock companies
Helped enriched life
Increased standard
of living
Introduced new
products
Free enterprise
system
Growth of royal
power
Weakened nobility
Absolute monarchy
- Thomas Hobbes
- King’s will was law
- Peter the Great
- Divine Right –
Louis XIV
Limited Monarchy in
England
- John Locke –
social contract
- English Bill of
Rights
- English Civil War
- Glorious
Revolution –
James II
Scientific method
Isaac Newton –
experiments on
Gravity
Robert Boyle –
experiments on gases
Questioned
traditional institutions
Enlightened despots
- Voltaire
- Montesquieu
- Rousseau
Applied human
reason to society
- Catherine the
Great
- Frederick the
Great