Absolutism and Constitutionalism (1600-1750)

Absolute Monarchy characteristics

total centralization of power, rule by divine right, control over state affairs and citizens, and hereditary succession

Constitutional Monarchy

a form of government where a monarch acts as non-party political head of state within the boundaries of a written or unwritten constitution.

Mercantilism

an economic theory and practice, promoted government regulation of a nation's economy to increase its power by accumulating gold and silver, specifically through a positive balance of trade (more exports, fewer imports) and colonial exploitation

Habeas Corpus Act

1679 - landmark English law passed to strengthen the idea that that a prisoner be brought before a court to determine if their imprisonment is lawful. It prevented arbitrary, indefinite detention by authorities, forcing them to justify the detention or release the subject.

Petition of right

English document that restricted the power of King Charles I by prohibiting taxation without Parliamentary consent, arbitrary imprisonment, quartering of soldiers, and martial law in peacetime. It reasserted liberties from the Magna Carta, forcing the King to respect the rule of law

Magna Carta

a foundational 1215 document that first established the principle that the English King was subject to the law, not above it

House of Lords

United Kingdom Parliament's second, unelected chamber, primarily acting as a revising body to scrutinize legislation, challenge government action, and investigate public policy.

House of Commons

elected lower house of the UK Parliament, functions are making laws, approving taxes, and holding the government accountable via debates and committees

Cardinal Richelieu

a French clergyman and statesman who served as King Louis XIII's Chief Minister from 1624, acting as the primary architect of 17th-century French absolutism and greatness. Suppressed the nobility, strengthened the crown, while managed foreign affairs to weaken the Habsburgs during 30 years’ war.

Jean Baptiste Colbert

a French statesman who served as King Louis XIV's Controller-General of Finances from 1665 to 1683. Pioneered Mercantilism.

Louis XIV

14TH. French, he established an absolute monarchy in France, centralizing power by transforming the Palace of Versailles into a government hub and forcing nobles to reside there

Peter the Great

Westernizing Russia’s society, military, and government, transforming it into a major European power. He built the Russian Navy from scratch, established a standing army, founded St. Petersburg as a "window to Europe," and forced cultural changes like shaving beards.

Frederick the Great

transformed Prussia into a major European power through brilliant military campaigns, notably in the Seven Years' War, and strategic territorial expansion, enlightened absolutist.

Enlightened absolutist

18th-century European monarchs who used Enlightenment philosophy—reason, science, and efficiency—to strengthen their authority while improving their subjects' lives

James I

united the Scottish and English crowns in 1603, authorized the King James Bible, and sponsored early American colonization. Ruled during a period of relative peace. Believed in divine right.

Charles I

cultured, principled, and hardworking monarch. Divine right. 11 years of personal rule without Parliament, intense religious friction, and the English Civil War. His inflexibility and refusal to compromise resulted in his trial and execution for high treason.

Charles II

restored the English monarchy after Cromwell's puritanical rule, bringing political stability, vibrant culture, and scientific advancement. Financial mismanagement, scandals, religious tension, and foreign policy failures, wars with the Dutch and dependence on France

James II

competent ruler and brave soldier who championed religious tolerance for Catholics. Pro-Catholic policies, absolutist style, and inability to compromise in a Protestant nation led to the Glorious Revolution, his disposal, and the limitation of royal power

William and Mary

ruled jointly as King and Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1689 to 1694, with one continuing alone until 1702. Their reign, beginning with the Glorious Revolution of 1688, marked a crucial shift from absolute monarchy to constitutional governance

Glorious revolution

the largely bloodless overthrow of the Catholic King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians and the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange. (1688–1689)

English bill of rights

1689, established parliamentary supremacy over the Crown, limit monarchical power, individual rights. Signed by William III and Mary II, it prohibited taxes and standing armies without Parliament's consent, guaranteed elections, freedom of speech within Parliament, and protection against cruel and unusual punishment.

Baroque art

intense drama, deep emotional intensity, and dynamic movement. 1600–1750. Caravaggio and Gian Lorenzo bernini.