Ch. 18 - Unit 4b Economic & Social Changes in 1700s Flashcards
Natural Laws/Natural Rights
DEF: -Laws = body of laws/principles held derived from nature & binding on all human societies even in absence of written laws governing such matters
-Rights = rights which all ppl are entitled to, right 2 life, liberty & property; freedom of speech & religion, & equality b4 law
SIG: closely related 2 enlightenment –> absolute rulers = best hope of reforming society w/these principles
Enlightened Absolutism
DEF: abs. monarchy where ruler followed principles of enlightenment
SIG: distinguished from ordinary rulers, established path to modern nationhood
Balance of Power
DEF: distribution of power among several states such that no single nation can dominate or interfere w/interests of another
SIG: -large armies created 2 defend. states security & used in offensive purposes as well –> more 4 extending territories : Diplomacy!
Primogeniture
DEF: inheritance practice where eldest son receives all/largest share of parents’ estate
SIG: -oldest under attack b/c argued that all children need parent’s attention –> increase in breastfeeding, children’s toys
Agricultural Revolution
DEF: application of new agricultural techniques that allowed 4 large increases in productivity
SIG: -more farmland, increased crop yields per acre
-healthier & more abundant livestock
-improved climate
Enclosure Acts
DEF: Laws enacted in 18th cen. Britian, allowed large landowners to enclose old open fields, thereby combining many small farmers to become tenant farmers or wage laborers on large estates
SIG: -landlords could easily evict tenants
-Crop fields –> meadows (4 sheep & wool_
-new AG practices largely destroyed traditional patterns of English village life
Cottage Industry
DEF: system of textile manufacturing where spinners & weavers worked @ home in their cottages using raw materials supplied by capitalist entrepreneurs
Causes:Loss of Farmer’s Jobs, At home → produce quality textiles for a reasonable price
SIG: -family enterprise –> women & children could spin, men wove on looms
-Backbone of rural economy → rural development w/employment opportunities
Three Field System
DEF: Farmers split holdings into 3: autumn one third planted to wheat, barley, or rye,in the spring another third of land planted to oats, barley, & legumes to be harvested in late summer
-legumes (peas and beans) strengthened soil by nitrogen-fixing ability & improved human diet
Causes: Rainy weather, Crop Failure, Famine, Desire to have more food
Effect: Created a surplus of crops, increased pop., Economic prosperity, Strengthening Prosperity, Strengthening the soil, Less crop failure + famine because more food/higher food ratio
Crop Rotation
DEF: practice of planting different crops sequentially on the same plot of land
Causes: Poor Soil, Need of food, Pests in soil, Desire for better soil/foods of higher quality
Effect: Better soil, More nutrients / optimize nutrients in soil, Less pests + weeds, Biodiversity in farm
Seed Drill
Causes:Ineffective ways to sow seeds
-Horses stepped on plants during sowing, ruining plants
-Animals eating seeds + being dried up because they are too close to the sun (not covered by enough dirt)
-Desire for better sowing
Effect:-More effective way to sow; allowed for seeds in uniform rows
-Ensured seeds are safe from birds & animals
-Ensured seeds would not dry up
Selective Breeding
Causes: desire to produce better crops to feed & grow population
Effect: -Farm animals & crops increased dramatically in size and quality → better for ppl & market (growth!)
Enclosure Movement
Causes: to improve efficiency of Agricultural farming
Effect: -More Privately owned land
-Removal of rights from common ppl (many unemployed) → forced to move to urbanized cities to work → helped create a system that created a large workforce for the factories and mines (important to industrial rev.)
Enlightenment & Political Thought
-Enlightenment thinkers proposed new (radical) ideas about political leadership: Equality, Toleration, Common good, Separate branches of government, Monarchs ruled based on ability; not divine right, Natural laws & rights→ applied to all
-People needed a strong leader to preserve these rights/ideas, Monarchs should be enlightened: Property rights, Religious toleration, Foster arts, science, and education, Must obey the law & enforce them equally for all subjects
–> Only strong monarchs would be able to do this
France (not very enlightened, despite being center of Enlightenment)
-Louis XIV left country in massive debt, heavily focused on foreign affairs
-Rule of regents makes progress: Ends foreign involvement, Focuses on domestic affairs & production
-Louis XV lazy & allows to be influenced by others
-Louis XVI→ we’ll come back to you in Unit 5
England (Constitutional Monarchy)
-Parliament continues to gain more power over King
-Parliament dominated by wealthy landowners→ able to influence policy in their favor
-“Pocket boroughs”: reps in parliament usually gained power by bribing powerful people in boroughs for their “votes”
The Netherlands
-Lose power
-Internal division over leadership; involvement of Prussia
Prussia (almost enlightened–Frederick II)
-Successful kings: Frederick William I & Frederick II
-Federick William | : Established strong army & bureaucracy, 4th largest army in Europe (13th largest population), Strict adherence to law & supervision of bureaucracy (efficient), Junker nobility closely tied to military (loyal to king)
-Frederick II: intellectual, willing to use some enlightened reforms, Bureacratic Reform (Cameralism - yes monarchy BUT no power hungry state, use power for betterment of ppl!), (uniform law code, religious toleration, etc), Used science & new ideas to help people (potatoes!), expanded territory (seized Habsburg territory of Silesia in war of Austrian Succession which doubled Prussia’s pop. & increased its power)
Austria (the most enlightened–Joseph II)
-Emerged as great state (Vienna)
-Multi-ethnic empire
-Maria Theresa centralized rule→ unwilling to offer many reforms
-Joseph II did institute several reforms: abolished serfdom, equality under law (increased freedom of press), no death penalty, strictures on power of Catholic Church, religious toleration (Edict of Toleration - religious freedom for Jews & other religious minorities)
-instituted these reforms w/o consulting nobility or clergy –> domestic turmoil
Russia (attempted enlightenment–Catherine II)
-Peter III murdered by faction of nobles (lead by Catherine?)
-Catherine II (The Great) assumes throne, Said she wanted enlightenment ideas (wanted to continue Peter the Great’s westernization of Russia) & kinda tried: Patron of science and education, limited religious toleration (& outlawed torture), Territorial Expansion, Called for new law code and questioned several institutions, but ultimately needed support of nobles and palace guard and reforms were very limited
–>Worsening conditions for peasants
Poor Poland :(
-Example of why strong monarchy was needed: Polish king was elected by nobles & forced to accept restrictions on power (small army)
-Austria, Prussia, and Russia rivalry = no more Poland: need to maintain balance of power & avoid war –> so will take from Poland
-1772, loses ~30% of land: Austria takes Galicia (ag), Russia takes eastern (and dominates the rest), Prussia takes East Prussia (valuable)
-1793, most losses: Russia & Prussia take more
-1795, all gone: Attempted to revolt, but crushed by Austria, Prussia, and Russia
Mediterranean States
-Bourbon rule rejuvenated Spain
-Centralized institutions of state, unified state institutions
-Economic Reforms
-Catholic Church under control
-landed aristocracy w/power still
Scandanavian States
-Swedish nobility gained control of public life & reduced monarchy 2 puppet status –> division of nobility (pro-french & pro-Russian) = Gustavus |||; eliminated torture, freedom of speech, religion, & press, economic reforms –> nobility lost powers & killed king
War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714)
-Charles II (Spain) died without heir: Upset balance of power, Bourbon=French, Habsburgs also believe they have claim (Charles)
-Named Philip of Anjou (Bourbon) hier
-Conflict over succession to the throne
-France & Spain v Grand Alliance (England, Dutch, Austria)
-Treaty of Utrecht (1713) ends conflict: Philip V (Bourbon) takes throne
But must guarantee that France & Spain are separate
War of Austrian Succession (1740-48)
-Charles IV (Austria) daughter Maria Theresa to be heir –> Charles IV worried European powers wouldn’t respect his daughter on throne so he made them all agree to the “Pragmatic Sanction”–just to respect her leadership
-Prussia didn’t respect Pragmatic Sanction
-Alliances create larger European war (France & Prussia v Austria & GB)
-Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle returned all lands
-Prussia seized control of Selisia from Austria–this makes Austria really mad and Prussia refused to return it after the treaty which would lead to increased tensions between the two countries and more war
7 Years’ War (1756-1763)
-EU conflict–mostly central EU: Prussia v. everyone else–Prussia (huge army) able to hold on, Peter III assumes throne in Russia–> admires Frederick and pulls out troops, leads to stalemate & Prussia success, Austria recognizes Prussia control of silesia
-India conflict: Brit V France. Supported opposing native princes, really about asserting control & who has bigger empire, Brit won, Treaty of Paris 1763 French withdraw from India
-North America (known as French & Indian War in American history): French alliance w/Indians, natives saw French as less of a threat than Brit, William Pitt the Elder believed defeated France was only way to secure Brit empire & focused efforts on North America, Success in Naval battles cut off French supply, Ultimate victory after storming Quebec, French had to give up lots of territory in Treaty of Paris (1763) –> Lost Canada & lands east of Mississippi to Brit, Spain (France ally) forced to give up Spanish Florida, France give Louisiana territory to Spain (this is back under French control eventually and then bought by Pres. Jefferson in early 1800).
7 Years’ War (1756-1763)
-Balance of Power in Europe & around globe (colonial/imperial power)
-New diplomatic rivalries: GB v France, Austria v Prussia
-New alliances: France & Austria (& Russia), GB & Prussia
-First World War ?? : Europe, India, North America
18th Century Wars - Significance
-Importance of maintaining balance of power: Shifting alliances and diplomatic ties
-Large standing armies
-Social hierarchy reinforced in army structure: Use of mercenaries to keep farmers farming
-Not as destructive: Not ideological, Taxes used to raise army, maintain civilian resources in order to get taxes
Agricultural Revolution (England)
-Largely debated by historians
-Increase in food production: Better techniques, new crops, larger farms; Decreased cost of food (profits), leads to legislation to protect land owners
-Displaced smaller farmers, forced to be wage laborers
-Little Ice age Ends right before—> population grows & better resources
Economic Changes
-Finance: Gold & silver shortage, papernotes used instead (credit)
-Trade:Growth of commercial capitalism, mercantilist policies present –> colonies seen as valuable sources of raw material for finished goods & increase in overseas trade, growth of towns, cities, industries, & workers 4 trade
-Industry: Textiles, created in cottage industry, Entrepreneurs would “put out” raw materials to cottages where families worked to turn into goods, sold by entrepreneurs & reinvested, Replaced by mechanized methods, end of century (more during IR)
-Consumers : People had money to buy stuff! New home goods, show off wealth, Growth of towns & cities
-Slavery : Most economic changes dependent on slavery
Population Growth
-Consistent population growth across Europe
-Causes = Decline of little ice age=improved climate=better crops & health=fewer deaths & longer life expectancy, End of plague, Increased marriage rates (England)
Family
-Still cling to traditional ideas/values, some changes
-Children
*By mid/late century, childhood seen as distinct phase in human development (influenced by Rousseu!)
*Primogeniture ended
*TOYS!
*Breastfeeding encouraged for all
*Infanticide (avoid economic burden of kids)
-Marriage & Birthrates :
*Marriages often still planned by parents for economic/status reasons
*Expected to create independent household
*Later marriages (natural birth control, lots of illegitimate children)
*Increase use of birth control methods to limit # of children (increased survival rates=big families not as important)
Social Structure
-Traditional estates/houses remained - not able to change status due to economic standing:
*Enlightenment ideas challenge traditional structure
*Growing middle class & economic changes challenge structure
-Peasants: 85%, rural, poor conditions (Some “free peasants” & others serfs, village @ center of life)
-Nobility: 2-3%, unique lifestyle & privileges:
*Dominated society (not homogeneous, some leased land others used labor of serfs, some served states some didn’t)
*Important roles in government or military
*Threatened by new economic changes & emergence of moneyed middle class
*Clung to privacy in country estates (bedrooms) (Gregorian style, domesticity, comfort, delight + Male –> female influence)
*Separate from peasants & farms, enclosed “parks
Jewish Enlightenment: Haskalah
-their (philosophers) argument = widespread religious intolerance unfitting for enlightened atmosphere in Europe
-Joseph || most fully embraced call for Jewish freedom (let them serve in military, enter higher education, abolishing distinguishing symbols Jews had to wear)
-Frederick & Catherine the Great, despite impulses towards religious toleration, rejected any easing of anti-Jewish policies in their states
