Absolutism, SR & Enlightenment (CP TestRev) Terms and places only

Versailles

A grand palace built by Louis XIV of France that became the center of French government and a symbol of absolute monarchy and royal power.

Spanish Armada

A large Spanish naval fleet sent in 1588 to invade England; it was defeated by the English navy and storms, weakening Spain’s power.

Intendants

Royal officials in France appointed by the king to collect taxes, enforce laws, and manage provinces, strengthening royal control.

Edict of Nantes

A 1598 law issued by Henry IV of France granting religious toleration to Protestants (Huguenots).

Scientific Method

A systematic way of investigating scientific questions through observation, hypothesis, experimentation, and conclusion.

Thirty years war

A destructive 1618–1648 European war mainly over religion and power, involving many nations; ended with the Peace of Westphalia.

War of Spanish succession

A 1701–1714 war fought to determine who would inherit the Spanish throne; it prevented France and Spain from uniting.

Seven years war

A 1756–1763 global conflict involving Europe, North America, and Asia; Britain gained significant territory and power.

Czar

The title of the emperor of Russia, holding supreme authority (also spelled “tsar”).

St. Petersburg

A city founded by Peter the Great in Russia to serve as a modern capital and window to Western Europe.

The Restoration

The 1660 return of the English monarchy after the English Civil War, restoring King Charles II to the throne.

English civil war

A 1642–1651 conflict between the monarchy and Parliament that led to the execution of King Charles I.

Absolute Monarchy

A system of government where a ruler has total power and authority is not limited by laws or a constuition.

Constitutional

A government where a monarch’s power is limited by a constitution or laws, often with a parliame

Declaration of Independence

A 1776 document in which the American colonies declared freedom from Britain, stating that people have natural rights.

Heliocentric Theory

The idea that the sun is at the center of the universe and the planets revolve around it (supported by Copernicus).

Geocentric Theory

The belief that the Earth is at the center of the universe, with the sun and planets orbiting it.

Philosophe(s)

French Enlightenment thinkers who used reason to challenge traditional authority and promote reform.

Bill of Rights (England)

(1689): Limited the monarch’s power and protected parliamentary rights

Bill of Rights ( U.S.)

(1791): The first ten amendments to the Constitution, guaranteeing individual freedoms.

Divine Right

The belief that monarchs are chosen by God and are accountable only to Him.

Scientific Revolution

A period (1500s–1600s) of major scientific advances emphasizing observation, experimentation, and reason.

The Enlightenment

An intellectual movement emphasizing reason, natural law, liberty, and progress, influencing modern democracy.

Social Contract

The idea that governments exist to protect people’s rights, and citizens may overthrow governments that fail to do so.

Philip II (of Spain)

King of Spain (1556–1598) who ruled an extensive empire and strongly supported Catholicism; his reign marked the height of Spanish power and the defeat of the Spanish Armada.

Louis XIV (the Sun King)

King of France (1643–1715) who ruled as an absolute monarch, centralized power, built the Palace of Versailles, and famously declared “I am the state.”

James II (of England)

King of England whose Catholic faith and absolutist tendencies led to the Glorious Revolution and his removal from power.

Charles I (of England)

King executed after the English Civil War for ruling without Parliament and attempting absolute power.

Charles II (of England)

Restored monarch after Cromwell; supported constitutional monarchy and religious tolerance.

Huguenots

French Protestants (Calvinists) who faced persecution; granted tolerance by the Edict of Nantes, later revoked.

Henry IV (Henry of Navarre)

First Bourbon king of France; converted to Catholicism to rule and issued the Edict of Nantes granting religious tolerance to Huguenots.

Frederick II (Frederick the Great)

King of Prussia known for military expansion, religious tolerance, and support of Enlightenment ideas while maintaining strong royal authority.

Ivan the Terrible

First Tsar of Russia; centralized power through terror and violence, expanding Russian territory.

Peter the Great

Russian Tsar who westernized Russia, modernized the military, and founded St. Petersburg.

Joseph II

Holy Roman Emperor and Enlightened Despot who promoted religious tolerance, education, and legal reform.

Catherine the Great

Empress of Russia who expanded territory and promoted Enlightenment ideas but maintained serfdom.

William (William & Mary

Joint monarchs after the Glorious Revolution; accepted the English Bill of Rights, limiting royal power.

Francis Bacon

Early Scientific Revolution thinker who promoted empiricism and the scientific method based on observation.

Isaac Newton

Scientist who developed laws of motion and universal gravitation; symbolized reason and order in nature.

John Locke

Enlightenment philosopher who argued for natural rights (life, liberty, property) and government by consent.

Voltaire

French philosopher who criticized absolutism and supported freedom of speech and religious tolerance.

Montesquieu

Political philosopher who proposed separation of powers into three branches of government.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Philosopher who believed in the social contract and that government should reflect the general will of the people.

Denis Diderot

Editor of the Encyclopedia, which spread Enlightenment ideas across Europe.

Mary Wollstonecraft

Advocated for women’s rights and education; author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.

Galileo Galilei

Astronomer who supported heliocentrism and used the telescope; tried by the Catholic Church.

Cardinal Richelieu

was a French Catholic cardinal and statesman who served as chief minister to King Louis XIII. He strengthened the power of the French monarchy by limiting the influence of nobles and the Catholic Church, weakened the Habsburgs in Europe, and laid the foundations for absolute monarchy in France.