Age Of Absolutism And Enlightenment Flashcards
Huguenots
French Protestants
Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre
3,000 Huguenots were killed
Edict of Nantes
Granted religious toleration and other freedoms to Huguenots
Louis XIV
Inherited throne at 5 Disorder sweeps France after this Converted to Catholicism Advisor is Cardinal Mazarin "I am the state" Believed in his divine right to rule with absolute power Sun King
Sun King
Nickname for Louis XIV because everything revolved around him and he sort of dominated everything
Henry IV
Huguenot prince who inherited the throne
Did Edict of Nantes and restored order to France after the quarrel between Huguenots and Catholics
“I am the State”
Quote by Louis XIV
Something else
Intendants
Were appointed by Louis XIV
Collected taxes, recruited soldiers, and carried out policies
Jean-Baptiste Colbert
Louis XIV’s finance minister
Imposed mercantilist policies
High tariffs on imported goods
Mercantilism
Belief that colonies are necessary to supply countries with gold and silver
Versailles
Massive palace Louis XIV built during his reign
Symbolizes his royal power
Levée
King’s rising: daily grand ritual that emphasized his own importance
Louis manipulated the nobles into becoming his servants by making them want privileges instead of power (their peer was a threat to monarchy power)
Balance of power
Balance of military and economic power between European countries
Look up textbook definition
Thomas Hobbes
Wrote Leviathan Bad view of human nature Order is purpose of gov Absolute monarchy is the best Influenced Constitution with powerful executive branch
State of Nature
Situation without government, employed in social contract theory to justify political authority
John Locke
Wrote Two Treaties of Government
Good view of human nature
Gov needs to protect natural rights
People should have right to revolt, limited monarchy is the best
His ideas would influence important American Revolution leaders (Ben Franklin, Jefferson, Madison)
His idea of revolution would echo across Europe and Latin America
Natural Rights
Rights that belonged to everyone from birth, including life, liberty, and property
Philosophes
Means philosophers in French
People/writers/thinkers of the Enlightenment
Include Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Voltaire, Baron de Montesquieu, Denis Diderot, and Adam Smith
Rousseau
Wrote The Social Contract
People are born good but are corrupted by society
Gov should provide for general will
Thought majority rules
Influenced Thomas Paine and brought to mind voting/elections
Voltaire
Wrote Candide
New ideas: Freedom of Speech (1st amendment in Bill of Rights)
Real name: Francois-Marie Arouet
Baron de Montesquieu
Wrote The Spirit of the Laws
Good view of human nature
Gov prevents tyranny (which is a bad absolute monarchy)
Came up with 3 branches of gov, separation of powers, and checks and balances
Influenced US with his 3 branches and checks and balances: executive-president-veto; legislative-Congress-impeach President and override veto; judicial-Supreme Court-judicial review
Social contract
People give up their freedom for an organized society/protection
Diderot
Wrote Encyclopedia
Published ideas of enlightenment and like that spread across Atlantic to Americas
Laissez faire
Government should stay out of buissness affairs
Adam Smith
Wrote the Wealth of Nations
Good view of human nature
Government should protect protect liberties and stay out of business affairs
Leads to our free-market capitalism: few rules on trade
Laissez faire and invisible hand
Invisible hand
People can determine for themselves which products are and bad
Liberalism
Belief that government should be based on written Constitutions that stress equality and liberty
Censorship
Restricting access to ideas and information
Enlightened writes faced this when government and church authorities protected themselves with censorship to defend old order
Salons
Informal social gatherings were people spared ideas of Enlightenment
Madame Geoffrin’s salon was respected and brought together bright and talented people, including young Mozarr
Enlightened despots
Absolute rulers who used their power to bring about political and social change
Include Frederick the Great, Catharine the Great, and Joseph II
Frederick the Great
Exerted tight control over subjects and duty to work for common good
Openly praised Voltaires work
Reduced use of torture, more freedom of press, …
Catharine the Great
Empress of Russia
Read and praised Voltaire
Believed in equality and Liberty
Was not truly enlightened: when she heard of French Revolution, she backed away and changed her mind completely about enlightenment because she was afraid of Russia becoming like France
Joseph II
Eager student of Enlightenment and most enlightened of all leaders
Supported religious equality, ended censorship (by allowing a free press), sold church/monastery properties that weren’t being well-used
Constitutional government
Government whose power is defined and limited by law
Parliament
Two houses: House of Commons and House of Lords
4 main roles: check and challenge work of gov, make and change laws, debate important issues of the day, check and approve gov spending
House of Commons
Publicly elected
Leader: Prime Minister
Made up of common people (in the past)
House of Lords
In past: born into, composed of nobles and lords
Now: complements work of House of Commons, public recommends individuals for appointment
Leader: monarch (King or Queen)
George I
Spoke no English
Cabinet evolved under him
Relied on leaders of Parliament to help him
German
George II
Still didn’t speak English
Relied on Cabinet
Cabinet
Handful of Parliamentary advisors who met in small room called Cabinet
Helped and advised George I and II
Tory
Aristocrats who wanted to preserve old tradition; they supported royal powers and a dominant Anglican Church
Whigs
Backed policies of Glorious Revolution
We’re more likely to support urban business interests and religious toleration, and favor Parliament over the crown
Prime minster
Leads Cabinet and House of Commons
Eventually the chief of British gov and power exceeds the monarch’s
Robert Walpole
First Prime Minister, although technically it wasn’t very official
Molded Cabinet into unified body by requiring all members to agree on major issues
He’s a Whig too
United Kingdom of Great Britain
Long name for a small county
Anyway, it’s England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland all together
George III
60-year region, born in England Spoke English! Was eager to recover powers of the crown Wanted to end Whig domination Insisted on his leadership being recognized His policies would prove disastrous Americans rebelled against him
American Revolution
Inspired by Enlightenment
During George III’s reign
Physiocrats
People who believed that the wealth of nations was derived solely from the value of land agriculture/development and that agricultural products should be highly priced
Baroque
Art in the age of Louis XIV
IT WAS GRAND, ORNATE, AND FULL OF EXCITEMENT, JUST LIKE THIS TEXT
Gloried historic battles or lives of saints
Rococo
Moved away from religion More light, elegant, and charming, like pastels and flowers Philosphes criticized it for its superficiality but middle and upper class liked it
Neo-classicism
Clear and serious; down-to-earth
Was brought back with Greek and Roman styles
Robinson Crusoe
Book about man stranded on an island
Spread ideas of Enlightenment discreetly
Oligarchy
Ruling power belongs to a few people
Contrast mercantilism with laissez faire affaires
Mercantilism relies on colonies to supply gold and silver and involves government, while laissez faire allows businesses to operate without government interference and people can determine for themselves which products are good and bad.
Who are enlightened despots, what does the term mean, and what did they do to earn that title?
Enlightened despots are absolute rulers who used their power to bring about political and social change. Frederick II, Catharine the Great, and Joseph II were all enlightened despots.
See other flash cards for more details
Describe Britain’s Parliament. How does one become a member of each house? How is the Prime Minister selected? Why was a Cabinet created? Describe the different relationships that George I, II, III each has with their Cabinets.
For the House of Commons, one must be public ally elected; for the House of Lords, one must be recommended by public for appointment. The Prime minister is the leader of the political party that wins an overall majority in the House of Commons. A Cabinet was created to help George I understand English and advise him during his reign. George I and II used the Cabinet for understanding and advice. George III wanted to restore royal power and neglected and tried to end the Cabinet.
Thought they were English and French, how did each of the Enlightenment thinkers contribute to the new United States government?
Hobbes: influenced Constitution with powerful executive branch
Locke: influenced important people like Franklin, Jefferson and Madison. Also, idea of right to Revolution
Rousseau: voting & elections
Voltaire: freedom of speech (first amendment)
Montesquieu: branches of gov and checks and balances
Diderot: spreads enlightenment ideas to US through Encyclopedia
Smith: free-market capitalism (economy)
In what ways was Louis XIV an absolute monarch?
Estates general did not check power Had intendants Built very strong army "I am the state" Colbert builds France's finances Manipulating nobles to do serve him
How did Louis XIV manage to bankrupt France?
Spent a lot of money on wars that he mostly loses and gets nothing out of
Persecuted Huguenots, the most hard-working people, so this was a serious blow to French economy
