Absolutism and Constitutionalism 1648-1815 - Unit 3

Flashcards about Absolutism and Constitutionalism (1648-1815)

Absolutism

A political system where a ruler holds unlimited power.

Constitutionalism

A political system where the ruler's power is limited by laws and a constitution.

The Fronde

A series of civil wars in France that demonstrated the need for stability, helping Louis XIV consolidate power.

Intendant System

An economic system used by Louis XIV to consolidate power.

Mercantilism

An economic theory and practice, dominant in Europe, that promoted governmental regulation of a nation's economy.

Versailles

The palace where Louis XIV forced the French nobility to live and politically consolidated power.

Edict of Nantes Revocation

Louis XIV revoked this edict to religiously consolidate power and make himself the head of the Catholic Church in France (Gallicanism).

Table of Ranks

Peter the Great's system to undermine noble power.

Beard Tax

Peter the Great's system to undermine noble power.

Winter Palace

Similar to Versailles, undermining the authority of nobility, and built by peasant labor.

Magna Carta

A document affirming the existence of Parliament and its power, preventing English monarchs from establishing absolute rule.

English Bill of Rights

Ensured that the Parliament and the Monarch would share power and that the people’s rights would be protected.

William of Orange

Became King William of England in the Glorious Revolution; his background influenced his agreement to the English Bill of Rights.

States-General

The governing body of the Dutch Republic that helped establish Constitutionalism.

Partition of Poland

The division of Poland among major European powers to prevent any single country from gaining too much power.

Cottage Industry

A means of income for farmers who were struggling to keep their farms.

Balance of Power

A concept in European politics aimed at preventing any one nation from becoming too dominant.

Peace of Utrecht

Ended the War of Spanish Succession and blocked the possibility of a French Hegemony.

Gallicanism

The principle that the French monarch was the head of the Catholic Church in France.