Absolutism and Constitutionalism Key Terms and Key People

Concordat of Bologna

Created by Francis I, granted Pope the right to collect annates (first years’ revenue from church offices) in return for the power to nominate high officials in the French Church

Edict of Nantes

Gave Huguenots the right to live freely

Divine right theory of rule

Monarchs get their authority from God and are only accountable to God

Commercial revolution/price revolution

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The Glorious Revolution

Culmination of an evolutionary process over centuries that increased the power of Parliament through historical accident, outright conflict, and painstaking design. James II was an unpopular ruler, William of Orange and Mary came and took over, he fled to exile in France. On condition of the their reign, William and Mary accepted the Declaration of Rights. G.R. protected the rights of the gentry and aristocracy from absolute monarchs through the assertion of the power of the Parliament

Crop rotation

Helped increase economy

Roundheads

Nickname for supporters of Parliament during the English Civil War, who opposed Charles I, middle class, merchants, major cities, and a small segment of the nobility

Cavaliers

Referred to Royalists who supported Charles I, they were usually wealthy, Anglican clergy, majority of nobility, and peasants

Baroque art

Very dramatic, designed to grab the attention of the viewer, ornamentation, grandeur, focus on movement and emotion

Peter the Great

Romanov and a contemporary of Louis XIV, greatest contribution was the westernization of Russia, expanded the power of the state, imposed standing army, educational system, economic burdens, Western ideas, erected St. Petersburg, helped Russia become one of the major powers in Europe at the time, reformed gov bureaucracy and Russian Orthodox Church, reorganized and equipped the army with modern weapons, and encouraged commerce and industrySo

Frederick William I of Prussia

Solidified autocratic rule over Brandenburg, Prussia, and the Rhine territories with a strong army, an efficient bureaucracy, and a policy of weakening of the nobles

Francis I

Valoi rival of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, battled unsuccessfully to weaken the Habsburgs, consolidated absolutism in France by instituting taille (tax on land and property), passed the Concordat of Bologna, effectively nationalized the Church in France and increased the power of the monarchy

Catherine de’ Medici

Wanted all Huguenots gone, mother and regent of Charles IX, led Massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Day when Catholic mobs slaughtered Huguenot leaders who had gathered to celebrate a wedding (basically the wedding scene of Harry Potter)

Henry II

Francis I’s successor, expanded the policies of Francis I and actively persecuted the Huguenots

Henry IV

Also known as Henry of Navarre, was the only one left after the War of Three Henry’s (Henry III and Henry of Guise), known as a politique because he was willing to put the practical matters of ruling a nation above religious obligations, issued Edict of Nantes which guaranteed civil and religious freedom to the Huguenot minority

Cardinal Richelieu

Appointed by Louis XIII as prime minister, further centralized the government, encouraged commerce and industry that increased the tax base, strengthened the military, instituted intendant system, strengthened absolutism in France through his policies

Louis XIV

Age 4 when he ascended the throne, his mom was his regent, he became the model monarch for all of Europe, built Versailles as a “pleasure palace” for the nobility, said “We shall see,” and “I am the state,” was at war for over half of his reign: War of Devolution, Dutch War, War of the League of Augsburg, and War of Spanish Succession, on his death bed he said “I have gone to war too often and pursued it for vanity’s sake”

Jean-Baptiste Colbert

Louis XIV’s finance minister who extended the administrative, financial, military, and religious control of the central state over the French population, called the father of French mercantilism, subsidized vital manufacturing, stimulated economy, hoped to make France self-sufficient by building a large fleet that would rival that of the English and Dutch

Henry VIII

Impetuous, extravagant, and passionate with a strong temper and ambitions, needed to produce a male heir to maintain legitimacy, led to English Reformation, six wives

Elizabeth I

Last and greatest of the Tudor monarchs, her people loved her, enemies feared her, child of Anne Boleyn, given the nickname the Virgin Queen, naturally intelligent, powerful personality, reigned for nearly half a century as one of Europe’s greatest monarchs and one of the world’s greatest women, Spain was predominant power in Europe during her reign, Elizabeth’s gov balanced power between the monarchy and Parliament

John Locke

English philosopher and political theorist who is best known for his contributions to English empiricism and a foundation of political liberalism, defense of individual liberty, property rights, and the right to revolution. Enlightenment principle of “consent of the governed”

James I

King of Scotland and son of Mary, Queen of Scots, took over the throne after Elizabeth died, believed in the divine right of kings, didn’t understand the importance of Parliament, he ended up dissolving Parliament, then ended up needing it back because of the Thirty Years’ War, Parliament passed the Great Protestation, which James didn’t like so he dissolved it again and arrested leaders and had the rest of them call for elections if they wanted to remain a body

Charles I

Son of James I, devoted to the divine right theory, really bad at dealing with Parliament, wanted Parliament to vote for funds that would carry England through the wars, they refused to do that unless he signed the Petition of Right (guaranteed that Parliament alone can levy taxes, martial law cannot be declared in peacetime, soldiers may not be quartered in private homes, imprisonment required a specific charge). Charles I attempted to arrest opposition members, Parliament controlled the army, Charles gathered his forces and thus began the English Civil War, eventually Charles surrendered to the Scots, he was turned over to Parliament, and was beheaded for treason

Oliver Cromwell

A Puritan leader of Parliament, led his New Model Army of Puritans against the Cavaliers at Marston Moor and defeated them

Charles II

Restored the monarchy in England, promoted scientific research, oversaw period of cultural flourishing and increased trade