AP Review

18: TOPIC: THE AGE OF ABSOLUTISM

I. The Age of Absolutism (1600s-1700s)

The Age of Absolutism was the period in European history when nations were governed (ruled) by absolute monarchs.

The term “monarch” means “king.” Absolute monarchs were kings who had total control over the nations that they ruled.

Key characteristics/features of absolute monarchs:

Absolute monarchs centralized political control, which means that they did not share 
power with anyone else.

Absolute monarchs believed in Divine Right, which was the idea that kings received 
their power to rule directly from God.

Absolute monarchs believed that their power was unlimited. They made laws without 
the consent (approval) of the people.

Some important absolute monarchs include:

Peter the Great- He was the absolute monarch of Russia. He also westernized Russia, which means that he imitated the customs and traditions of countries in Western Europe in order to strengthen his nation.

Louis XIV- He was the absolute monarch of France.

Philip II- He was the absolute monarch of Spain.

Henry VIII- He was the absolute monarch of England.

Suleiman the Magnificent- He was the absolute monarch of the Ottoman Empire.

NOTE: In addition to knowing that these men were absolute monarchs, the Regents 
also wants you to know that Peter the Great, Louis XIV, and Suleiman the Magnificent helped expand (enlarge) the territory of their nations by taking over neighboring lands.

19: TOPIC: THE INTELLECTUAL REVOLUTIONS OF EUROPE

I. Scientific Revolution (1500s-1600s)

The Scientific Revolution was a sudden and dramatic change in how people viewed the world.

During the Scientific Revolution, science and reason (logic) were used to explain how the world 
worked. People no longer turned only to the Bible and the Catholic Church for answers.

Key people of the Scientific Revolution:

Copernicus- Astronomer who developed the Heliocentric Theory- The idea that the planets revolve around the sun.

Galileo Galilei- Astronomer who proved that Copernicus was correct. He was put on trial by the Catholic Church because his ideas contradicted (went against) its teachings.

Sir Isaac Newton- Mathematician and astronomer who developed calculus and the theory of gravity.

Johannes Kepler- Astronomer who helped discover how planets move.

Descartes- Mathematician, scientist, and philosopher.

Key effects (results) of the Scientific Revolution:

It resulted in the spread of new ideas throughout Europe.

It challenged the traditional authority (power) of the Catholic Church since European 
scientists proved that many Church teachings were incorrect.

The new ideas of this period directly led to the Enlightenment (SEE NEXT TOPIC).

II. The Enlightenment (1700s)

The Enlightenment was the period in European history when reason (logic) was used to understand and improve society. In fact, the Enlightenment is often called “The Age of Reason.”

Key ideas of the Enlightenment:

Enlightenment philosophers believed that society could be improved by using reason 
(logic) and natural law (universal rules that are always true).

Enlightenment philosophers believed that governments receive their authority (power) 
from the people (NOT from God).

Enlightenment philosophers believed in democracy (a gov’t where the people have a say).

NOTE: The Regents like you to know that the Scientific Revolution and the 
Enlightenment both encouraged the spread of new ideas and the use of reason.

Key people of the Enlightenment:

John Locke- He believed that all people have natural rights (the right to life, liberty, and property). He also said that people have the right to overthrow governments that fail to protect these rights.

Baron de Montesquieu- In order to prevent kings from being too strong, he believed that power in government should be divided into three branches (executive, legislative, judicial) so that there is a separation of powers and a system of checks and balances.

Voltaire- He believed that everyone is entitled to freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

Rousseau- He believed that society is a social contract (an agreement in which all people agree to work for the common good of society).

Key effects (results) of the Enlightenment:

Since Enlightenment philosophers believed that people can overthrow unfair 
governments, the Enlightenment helped cause political revolutions in France, Latin 
America, and the United States (SEE NEXT TOPIC BELOW).

Enlightened Despots- These were European kings and queens who believed in 
Enlightenment ideas and ruled using Enlightenment principles (ideas).

20: 
TOPIC: POLITICAL REVOLUTIONS

I. Introduction to Political Revolutions

A) The term “political” means “government.” A political revolution is an event in which the people of a country overthrow an existing government and create a new government.

II. The English Revolution/Glorious Revolution (1689)

The English Revolution (also called the Glorious Revolution) is the event in which the people of England successfully limited the power of their monarchs (kings).

The English Revolution took place because people in England believed that the absolute monarchs of England were unfair and had too much power.

Key effects (results) of the English Revolution/Glorious Revolution:

England’s government became a limited (or constitutional) monarchy- This is a form of 
government in which the power of monarchs (kings) is limited (decreased) by written 
laws.

Below is a list of laws that each limited the power of the English king in some way: 
a) The Magna Carta
b) The Petition of Right
c) The English Bill of Rights
d) Habeas Corpus
e)

NOTE: As a result of these laws, English kings had to share power with 
Parliament (the lawmaking body of the English government that represents the people).

III. The French Revolution and Napoleon (1789-1815)

The French Revolution was the event in which the people of France overthrew their king (Louis XVI) and fought for more rights.

Key causes of (reasons for) the French Revolution:

French society was divided into three estates (social classes). The people of the Third 
Estate were mostly peasants. They were angry that they had very few rights and paid the 
highest taxes (even though they had the least money).

France was ruled by absolute monarchs. The French people believed that these kings 
abused their power and denied (took away) the rights of the people.

The ideas of the Enlightenment inspired the French people to overthrow their unfair 
kings and to create a new government that protected their rights.

France was in an economic crisis- The kings spent too much money and put France in 
debt.

Key events of the French Revolution:

Declaration of the Rights of Man- This was a document written during the French Revolution that gave equal rights to the men of France and created a fair system of taxation.

Reign of Terror- This was an event where the leaders of the French Revolution executed thousands of people that they believed were loyal to the king. The Jacobins were the radical (extreme) group leading this event and Robespierre was the leader of the Jacobins.

Key effects (results) of the French Revolution:

King Louis XVI of France was executed by Robespierre and the Jacobins.

The middle class of France gained more power and rights.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon Bonaparte was the ruler who came to power at the end of the French 
Revolution.

He expanded (enlarged) French territory by conquering neighboring lands in Europe. By 
doing so, he made French people feel nationalism (pride in their country).

NOTE: The Regents wants you to know that Napoleon was finally defeated in 1812 
because he made a big error (mistake): He invaded Russia during the winter and the freezing climate (weather) of Russia killed thousands of his soldiers. The same mistake was later made by Hitler during WWII.

IV. The Latin American Revolutions (1800-1830)

The Latin American Revolutions were the events where the colonies of Latin America (Central America, South America, and the Caribbean) fought to gain independence (self-government) from Spain, Portugal, and France.

Key causes of (reasons for) the Latin American Revolutions:

The governments of Latin America were controlled by Peninsulares (people born in Spain 
and Portugal) who treated the people of Latin America poorly. Creoles (Europeans born in Latin America), Mestizos (mixed Europeans/Native Americans), Native Americans, and African slaves demanded more rights.

The ideas of the Enlightenment inspired the Latin Americans to fight for independence (self-government) and overthrow their unfair governments.

The American Revolution and the French Revolution inspired Latin Americans to fight for independence (self-government) and overthrow their unfair governments.

Below is a list of leaders that helped gain independence (self-government) for the colonies of Latin America:

Simon Bolivar

Jose de San Martin

Miguel Hidalgo

Toussaint L’Ouverture

NOTE: All of these men are considered nationalists since they loved their nations and wanted to free them from European control.

NOTE: After gaining independence, attempts were made to unify (combine) the different areas of Latin America in order to form one country. These attempts failed because Latin America has many natural boundaries (i.e.- Andes Mountains, Amazon Rainforest, etc.) that prevent communication between regions.

21: TOPIC: THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

I. The Industrial Revolution (1700s-1800s)

The Industrial Revolution was the change from producing goods by hand to producing goods with machines in factories.

The Industrial Revolution started in Great Britain (England) because it had many natural resources (i.e.- coal, iron, tin, lead, waterways) that are necessary to produce and transport goods. In other words, Great Britain had favorable geography.

Key effects (results) of the Industrial Revolution:

Industrialization- Machines were used to produce goods in factories.

Urbanization- The growth of cities. People came to urban (city) areas to get jobs in 
factories. Many cities had severe pollution from the smoke that came out of factories.

Bad working conditions- Workers in factories worked in dangerous conditions for long 
hours and low pay. Young children were frequently hired and abused in these factories.

Formation of Labor Unions- Workers formed labor unions (organizations of workers) 
that fought to improve the pay and working conditions of workers.
5) Legislation- Governments eventually passed laws to set minimum wage and end child 
labor.

Laissez Faire Capitalism (Market Economy)- This was the economic system that was used during 
the Industrial Revolution (and that is still used in most of the world today). It was based on the following ideas:

Businesses and factories should be owned by individuals (NOT the government).

Business decisions should be made by Individuals (the government should NOT 
interfere).

Prices should be set by individuals (NOT the government) based on supply and demand.

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

These two men believed that laissez faire capitalism was bad. They argued that it allowed 
greedy factory owners to exploit (take advantage) of poor factory workers. They wrote a book called the “Communist Manifesto” that said the following: