States and Empires

Introduction

• Shift in Political Power: By 1500, European kings began consolidating power, diminishing the traditional belief that common people had no role in governance.

• Professional Armies and Bureaucracies: Monarchs built centralized states with bureaucracies and professional armies funded by taxes, enhancing their control over their realms.

The Process of State Formation

• Overmighty Subjects: Wealthy and powerful individuals who could challenge or influence the monarchy were either co-opted or suppressed to strengthen royal authority.

• Fiscal-Military State: The need for a standing army led to increased taxation, fostering a sense of nationalism and greater public support for state structures.

Absolute Monarchy: The Case of France

• Louis XIV's Reign: Known for his long and powerful reign, he epitomized absolute monarchy in France.

• The Fronde: A civil war during Louis XIV's youth that underscored the vulnerability of a young monarchy and led to his eventual consolidation of power.

• Versailles and Royal Authority: The palace of Versailles served as a symbol of royal power and the cultural supremacy of the monarchy.

• Revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1685): Louis XIV's decision to revoke the Edict, forcing Protestants to convert to Catholicism, aimed to unify the religion under the monarchy but also led to significant Protestant emigration.

Limited Monarchy: The Case of England

• Stuart Monarchs: Transition from James I, who pursued policies of royal absolutism tempered by negotiations with lower ranks of nobility, to Charles I and James II, whose efforts to centralize power triggered the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution.

• Glorious Revolution (1688): Marked a significant turning point with the overthrow of James II, leading to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy under William III, seen as a liberator from absolutist rule.

Composite States and Empires

• New Hampshire's Royal Colony Status: In 1682, New Hampshire was designated a royal colony, integrating more directly into the imperial structure of Britain, reflecting the broader imperial strategy of centralizing control over the American colonies.

Local Governance Challenges: Figures like Edward Cranfield and Thomas Thurton illustrate the difficulties faced by royal appointees in enforcing imperial policies in the colonies, often leading to resistance and conflict with colonists.