UHC Final Exam Part 1: SA Identification

Columbian Exchange

Began in 1492, between Americas/West Africa/Europe, exchange of ideas/crops/animals/diseases/people/technology

Encomiendas

Early 1500s

Spanish; provide education, protection, evangelization

Indigenous; provide labor

institutionalized exploitation and helped justify colonial dominion over indigenous

Restoration in England

Monarchy restored in 1660 by Charles II, after puritanical rule under Oliver Cromwell, reestablished monarchy w/ limits on royal power

Absolutism

Absolutism is a system of government in which a monarch holds supreme authority, often justified by divine right. It developed in early modern Europe, particularly in France under Louis XIV. Its significance is that it centralized state power and shaped conflicts between rulers and emerging ideas of rights and representation.

Thirty Years War

The Thirty Years’ War was a devastating conflict in Europe from 1618 to 1648 that began as a religious struggle between Catholics and Protestants. Over time, it expanded into a broader political war involving many European powers. Its significance lies in its destruction of Central Europe and the weakening of religious authority in politics.

Natural Rights

fundamental inherent rights endowed by God/nature, John Locke, Life Liberty Property, Treatise of Government, 1600s-1700s, challenged absolute monarchy, influenced revolution

Estates General

Assembly of 3 estates of France, hadn’t been convened since 1614 but was convened in 1789 by Louis the 16th because of french financial crisis, provided the setting for the Third Estate to challenge royal authority and begin the French Revolution.

Girondins

1791-1793, wanted more moderate changes, less radical approach, wanted to avoid execution of Louis the 16th, purged during Reign of Terror for not being radical enough, showing how the revolution became increasingly radical.

Glorious Revolution

The Glorious Revolution was the peaceful overthrow of King James II of England in 1688. It resulted in William and Mary taking the throne under conditions set by Parliament. Its significance lies in establishing constitutional monarchy and parliamentary supremacy.

Encyclopedie

The Encyclopédie was a massive reference work edited by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d’Alembert. Created during the Enlightenment, it aimed to gather and spread human knowledge. Its significance lies in how it challenged traditional authority and promoted reason and secular thought.

Censorship

Censorship is the suppression or control of ideas considered dangerous or threatening by authorities. In early modern Europe, governments and churches used it to limit the spread of religious and political dissent. Its significance lies in how it reveals the tension between authority and freedom of expression.

Ancient Regime

The Ancien Régime refers to the political and social system in France before the French Revolution. It was characterized by rigid social hierarchy, privilege, and inequality before the law. Its significance lies in how its injustices sparked revolutionary demands for reform and equality.

Seven Years War

The Seven Years’ War was a global conflict fought from 1756 to 1763 between major European powers. It included battles in Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia. Its significance lies in how it reshaped empires and contributed to revolutionary tensions in both France and Britain’s colonies.

Act of Abjuration

in 1581 was a declaration by the Dutch provinces rejecting Philip II of Spain as their legitimate ruler. It emerged during the Dutch Revolt, as resistance grew against Spanish religious persecution and political control. Its significance lies in its claim that rulers exist to serve their people, making it an early statement of popular sovereignty.

Social Contract

The social contract is the idea that political authority comes from an agreement among individuals to form a society and accept a government. It developed during the early modern period and was shaped by thinkers like Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau, each with different views on human nature and power. This concept was significant because it challenged the divine right of kings and justified resistance to unjust rulers.

Cahiers de doleances

The cahiers de doléances were lists of grievances written by the three estates in France in 1789. They were created for the Estates-General and revealed widespread frustration over taxation, inequality, and lack of political representation. Their significance is that they exposed deep social divisions and helped ignite the French Revolution.

Third Estate

The Third Estate consisted of everyone in France who was neither clergy nor nobility, including peasants, urban workers, and the middle class. Despite making up the majority of the population, they had very little political power under the Old Regime. Their growing anger and demands for representation became a driving force of the French Revolution.

Tennis Court Oath

The Tennis Court Oath was a promise made by members of the Third Estate in 1789 to not disband until France had a constitution. It occurred after they were locked out of their usual meeting place, which heightened tensions with the monarchy. Its significance lies in showing that political authority was shifting away from the king and toward the people.

Eighty Years War (Dutch Revolt)

• Dutch want independence from spain

• bc heavy taxation and religious repression under Spanish rule.

• started 1568

• led to the creation of the Dutch Republic and weakened Spain’s dominance in Europe.

Principia Mathematica

• Isaac Newton’s 1687 work that explained the laws of motion and universal gravitation.

• Written during the Scientific Revolution, it used mathematics to describe how the physical world operates.

• Its significance is that it helped establish science as a rational, law-based discipline and shaped Enlightenment thinking.

Philosophes

The philosophes were Enlightenment thinkers who emphasized reason, criticism of tradition, and reform of society.

Mostly based in France, they used essays, books, and salons to spread their ideas to a wider public.

Their significance lies in their influence on political reform, education, and revolutionary movements.

Mechanical Philosophy

Mechanical philosophy was the belief that the universe functions like a machine governed by natural laws.

This view developed during the Scientific Revolution as thinkers moved away from spiritual or mystical explanations of nature.

Its significance is that it encouraged experimentation and helped separate science from religious authority.

Le Petit Trianon

Le Petit Trianon was a small palace at Versailles associated most closely with Marie Antoinette. It symbolized the private luxury and isolation of the French monarchy from the struggles of ordinary people. During the French Revolution, it became a powerful symbol of royal excess and inequality.

The Republic of Letters

The Republic of Letters was an informal network of scholars who exchanged ideas through letters and publications across Europe. It developed during the Enlightenment and crossed national and religious boundaries. Its significance lies in how it helped spread new ideas and created an early intellectual community beyond state control.

Reign of Terror

The Reign of Terror was a violent period of the French Revolution from 1793 to 1794 when thousands were executed. It arose from fear of internal enemies and foreign invasion, leading revolutionaries to use extreme measures. Its significance is that it revealed how revolutionary ideals could turn into authoritarian violence.

Haitian Revolution

The Haitian Revolution was a successful slave revolt that began in 1791 in the French colony of Saint-Domingue. Enslaved people fought against French rule, drawing on Enlightenment ideas of liberty and equality. Its significance lies in creating the first independent Black republic and challenging global systems of slavery.

Spanish Armada

The Spanish Armada was a massive naval fleet sent by Spain to invade England in 1588. Its defeat was caused by English naval tactics and severe weather. The event was significant because it weakened Spain’s power and marked England’s rise as a major naval force.

Freemasonry

Freemasonry was a fraternal organization that promoted moral improvement, reason, and mutual support among its members. It became popular in the eighteenth century and attracted many Enlightenment thinkers. Its significance lies in how it provided spaces for discussing reformist ideas outside state and church control.