AP European History: Chapter 15 – Project #1
The Greatest Absolute Monarch of the 17th Century!
1
Background:
Besides a pro-longed and bloody 30 Years’ War, the seventeenth century in Europe is
also associated with the rise of absolute monarchs who believed that their rule is based on the
divine-right. These absolutist rulers and their backers tried to centralize the administration of
their domains, diminish the influence of powerful nobles internally, and expand their political
reach throughout Europe. For this project, you will create a persuasive presentation designed
to convince your audience that your group’s monarch should be considered the best absolute
monarch of the seventeenth century.
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Important Details:
The class will be divided into five groups and assigned a European monarch.
Each group must research major “absolutist” accomplishments of the assigned
king. Each group should also research various events, developments, etc. that
weakened each monarch’s practice of absolutism.
Each presentation should include background historic information about your
monarch and/or country that he represents (major historic developments in your
country in the century or so before your group’s monarch came to power, family
“connections” of your group’s king, and circumstances under which he came to power).
Each group’s presentation should emphasize policies, laws, strategies, and legacies of
your group’s monarch that promoted absolutism. Your ultimate goal is to convince
the audience that the king assigned to your group should be rightfully considered
the greatest absolutist monarch of the seventeenth century.
Project presentations for this assignment will consist of two rounds. In the first round
each group will deliver their persuasive presentations. In the second round, each
group will have a chance to question any other group’s claim by presenting a
counter – argument that could potentially detract from the accomplishments of the
kings assigned to other groups. Each group will be expected to respond to any of their
monarch’s detractors.
https://mrcaseyhistory.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/screen-shot-2014-05-20-at-5-03-24-pm.png
Group 1:
Group 2:
Louis XIV
(France)
r.1643-1715
Peter the Great
(Russia)
r.1682-1725
Diana
Aamer
Carlos
David
Conor
Matthew
Meghan
Ryan
Alex
Michael
Period 5: Groups
Group 3:
Group 4:
Frederick
William, The
Great Elector of
Prussia
r.1640-1688
Luke
Amanda
Lente
Grace
George
Group 5:
Leopold I
(Austria/HRE)
r.1658-1705
Charles I
(England)
r.1625-1649
Isabelle
Jack
Julia
John
Matea
Ethan
Ege
Azalea
Bez
Anna
Some Helpful Websites For Your Research:
Louis XIV (France)
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/france-in-the-seventeenth-century/
http://www.historydoctor.net/Advanced%20Placement%20European%20History/Not
es/absolutism_in_france.htm
http://en.chateauversailles.fr/history/versailles-during-the-centuries/living-at-thecourt/a-day-in-the-life-of-louis-xiv
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/348968/Louis-XIV
http://faculty.ucc.edu/egh-damerow/louis_xiv.htm
Peter the Great (Russia)
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/peter_the_great.htm
http://russiapedia.rt.com/prominent-russians/the-romanov-dynasty/peter-i/
http://www.indepthinfo.com/history/peter-modernization.htm
http://oyc.yale.edu/history/hist-202/lecture-4
Frederick William, The Great Elector of Prussia
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/frederick-william-the-great-elector/frederickwilliam/
http://www.uni-mannheim.de/mateo/camenaref/cmh/cmh521.html
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/218038/Frederick-William
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Frederick_William.aspx
http://biography.yourdictionary.com/frederick-william
Leopold I (Austria / the Holy Roman Empire)
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/336625/Leopold-I
http://www.habsburger.net/en/chapter/leopold-i-tuerkenpoldl
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_I,_Holy_Roman_Emperor
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Leopold_I_%28Holy_Roman_Empire%29.aspx
Charles I (England)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/civil_war_revolution/personality_charles_01.s
html
http://www.britroyals.com/kings.asp?id=charles1
http://bcw-project.org/biography/charles-the-first
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/stuart-england/charles-i/
http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp00840/king-charles-i (<-Portraits of Charles I
http://www.royal.gov.uk/historyofthemonarchy/kingsandqueensoftheunitedkingdo
m/thestuarts/charlesi.aspx
Grading Rubric
Group Members: __________________
_____________________
______________________
___________________
Description of criteria:
(1) Convincingly absolutist!
 Includes an extensive number of absolutist policies,
strategies, laws, and legacies of the assigned
monarch
 Includes effects of the monarch’s policies on
domestic as well as international developments of
that time
(2) Background and “big picture”
 Includes information on the historic background of
the monarch and his dynasty / road to power
 Includes overview of historic developments in
Western Europe at that time (contextualization!!!)
(3) Convincing PRESENTATION!
 Presents clear arguments in favor of
considering your group’s king as the
greatest absolutist monarch of the 17th cen.
 Visuals/slides serve as an outline of your
presentation and are relevant and
engaging (must include map(s), portrait(s),
and laws/reforms)
 Delivery is well-organized, logical, and
persuasive
 Inquiries from other groups questioning
your monarchs are addressed competently
and with the right “spin.”
(4) Questions for other groups
 At least one historically accurate and
legitimate question is prepared and
addressed to each of the other groups after
their presentations. (Minimum of 4 Qs total!)
(5) Planning process / delivery details
 Preparation for the project in class was
productive / accomplished in a cooperative manner
 Each group member actively participated in
planning as well as delivery of the project
 Copy of questions for other groups – presented
prior to the start of the presentations
 One grading rubric is submitted prior to the
presentation
Overall Score:
_________________
Possible
Points:
0-25
0-25
0-28
0-12
0-10
0-100
Points
Earned: