Key Terms of Age of Absolutism - Unit 3

Age of Absolutism

The Age of Absolutism (roughly 16th to 18th centuries) was a period when several European monarchs held complete, or absolute, power over their kingdoms.

absolute monarchs

Kings or queens who held all the power within their states' boundaries. Their goal was to control every aspect of society, believing that only a strong, central ruler could overcome the chaos of the past.

divine right of kings

The idea that monarchs are God's representatives on Earth and are therefore answerable only to God. This religious justification provided the foundation for absolute monarchs to claim their authority and demand unquestioning obedience from their subjects.

Louis XIV

(1638–1715) The most famous example of an absolute monarch, often called the "Sun King." He ruled France for 72 years. He famously declared, "L'état, moi" ("I am the state"). He built the immense Palace of Versailles and governed without calling the Estates-General (France's parliament), establishing complete control over the military, finances, and culture of France.

Enlightenment

The Enlightenment (or Age of Reason) was an intellectual movement in 18th-century Europe that emphasized reason, individualism, and challenged traditional authority in politics, religion, and philosophy.

Rationalism

The belief that reason is the chief source of knowledge and the only sure guide to truth. Enlightenment thinkers applied this concept to human affairs, government, and society, believing that everything could be logically explained and improved upon.

social contract

A central idea in Enlightenment political theory. It is the agreement by which people give up some of their rights to a strong ruler or government in exchange for law and order, security, and the benefits of society. Different philosophers had different interpretations of this contract.

Thomas Hobbes

(1588–1679) An English philosopher who wrote Leviathan. He believed that humans were naturally selfish and wicked and that without government, life would be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."He advocated for a strong central government, an absolute monarch, based on a Social Contract where people give up all rights to the ruler for total security.

John Locke

(1632–1704) An English philosopher who argued that people are born with natural rights—the right to life, liberty, and property. He believed the purpose of government was to protect these rights and that a government's power comes from the consent of the governed. If a government fails to protect these rights, the people have a right to overthrow it. His ideas greatly influenced the American Revolution.

Voltaire

(1694–1778) A brilliant and prolific French writer who often used satire and wit. He was a champion of fundamental rights, most notably freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the separation of church and state. He often fought against prejudice, intolerance, and arbitrary government power.

Montesquieu

(1689–1755) A French writer who devoted himself to the study of political liberty. He proposed the idea of Separation of Powers—dividing the authority of the government among different branches (legislative, executive, judicial)—so that no single group or person could gain total power. This concept became the basis of the U.S. Constitution

Rousaeau

(1712–1778) A Swiss-born French philosopher who strongly advocated for freedom and equality. He argued that the only legitimate government was one freely formed by the people and guided by the "General Will" of society—a direct democracy. He expanded on the Social Contract, arguing that it was an agreement among free individuals to create a society and a government.

Mary Wollstonecraft

(1759–1797) An English writer and early advocate for women's rights. She argued in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman that women, like men, needed education to become virtuous and useful. She challenged the prevailing view that women's education should be secondary to men's, thus launching the movement for equal rights.

3 Estates

3 Estates: The three large social classes of France under the Ancien Régime (OldRegime) before the revolution:

1. First Estate: The Clergy (less than 1% of the population, owned 10% of the

land, paid few taxes).

2. Second Estate: The Nobility (about 2% of the population, owned 20% of the

land, virtually tax-exempt).

3. Third Estate: The Everyone Else (about 97% of the population, including

peasants, workers, and the bourgeoisie—merchants and professionals). They

bore almost all the tax burden

Louis XVI

(1754–1793) The King of France during the revolution. His weak leadership and failure to address France's severe economic and political problems led to the revolution. He was eventually tried for treason and executed by guillotine in 1793.

Marie Antoinette

(1755–1793) The Austrian-born Queen of France, wife of Louis XVI. She became highly unpopular due to her perceived extravagance, gambling, and foreign birth, earning her the nickname "Madame Deficit." She was executed shortly after her husband.

Estates General

An assembly of representatives from all Three Estates of French society. It had not met for 175 years until King Louis XVI was forced to call a meeting in 1789 to approve new taxes.

Storming of the Bastille

A symbolic act of the French Revolution on July 14, 1789, when a mob of Parisians attacked and seized control of the Bastille, a medieval fortress used as a prison and armory. This event is regarded as the start of the French Revolution.

Declaration of the Right of Man and Citizen

A revolutionary document adopted in August 1789 by the National Assembly. It guaranteed citizens equal justice, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. It stated that "men are born and remain free and equal in rights."

Robespierre

(1758–1794) A radical Jacobin leader who became the head of the Committee of Public Safety. He governed France during the most extreme phase of the revolution, known as The Reign of Terror.

The Reight of Terror

The period from 1793 to 1794 when Robespierre governed France as a dictator and implemented policies to eliminate enemies of the revolution. Thousands of people, many of whom were ordinary citizens, were executed by guillotine.

guillotine

A machine designed for beheading people quickly and "humanely." It became the primary instrument of execution during The Reign of Terror and symbolized the swift, violent justice of the revolution.

Napoleon Bonaparte

(1769–1821) A brilliant French general who seized power in 1799, ended the revolutionary period, and crowned himself Emperor in 1804. He conquered much of Europe before his final defeat in 1815.

Congress of Vienna

A series of meetings in 1814–1815, after Napoleon's defeat, in which European leaders sought to restore the balance of power, legitimacy (the return of hereditary monarchs), and lasting peace in Europe.

Toussaint L’overture

(c. 1743–1803) A formerly enslaved Haitian man who rose to become a skilled general and diplomat. He led the enslaved people of the French colony of Saint-Domingue (Haiti) in the Haitian Revolution, the only successful slave revolt in history.

Haitian Revolution

(1791–1804) A successful anti-slavery and anti-colonial insurrection by self-liberated enslaved people against French rule in the colony of Saint-Domingue, leading to the establishment of Haiti as the first free black republic in the world.

Simon Bolivar

(1783–1830) A wealthy Venezuelan Creole general known as the "Liberator" (El Libertador). He successfully led numerous independence movements against Spanish rule, liberating Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.

Manuel de Hidalgo

(1753–1811) A poor but educated priest who is known as the father of Mexican independence. In 1810, he issued Grito de Dolores ("Cry of Dolores") calling for rebellion against the Spanish, sparking the struggle for Mexican independence.

Vanezuela

A South American nation that achieved independence from Spain in 1821 through the efforts of Simón Bolívar.

Mexico

A North American nation that began its long war for independence from Spain in 1810, led initially by Manuel de Hidalgo, finally achieving independence in 1821.

Pensulares

People who were born in Spain (the Iberian Peninsula) but lived in the colonies. They were at the top of the social pyramid, holding the most political and military power.

Creoles

Colonists who were born in Latin America, but whose parents were Spanish. They were below the Peninsulares but led the independence movements as they were educated, wealthy, and resented the Peninsulares' political control.

Mestizos

People of mixed Spanish and Native American ancestry. They were a significant part of the population but held few rights and less social status.

Mulattos

People of mixed African and European ancestry. They were also near the bottom of the social hierarchy, often facing discrimination and fewer economic opportunities.