Unit 3: Absolutism and Constitutionalism

Exploration (1450-1700)

Causation

Ptolemy:

• Created the go-to map before the Age of Exploration

  • Lacked certain continents

  • Underestimated size of the ocean

  • Does not show Australia, America, and the North and South of the world

Post-Ptolemy:

• Get better maps from the Islamic people, starting from trade in Italy

• Triggers the age of Exploration due to need of trade from the Renaissance

Main Reasons

1. Gold (make money)

2. God (spread the word of Christ)

3. Glory (demonstrate personal achievement)

4. Renaissance

5. Curiosity

6. Opportunity

Major Technological Innovations

• Caravel

• Compass

• Lateen

• Rudder

• Sail

• Astrolabe

• Gun Powder

Why are Spain and Portugal first?

1. They are closest to the Atlantic

2. Prince Henry the Navigator

Order of Trading Empires:

1. Portugal

2. Spain

3. Netherlands

4. England

People

Vasco De Gama

• First to get to India

• Establishes trade with Portugal

• Makes the country of Portugal insanely wealthy due to the amount of trade

Slavery

• Slavery was not a new concept, common since ancient times

• Native Americans were enslaved first, but died out

• Charles V was the first to allow race-based slavery

• Uses the Bible quote about Caine’s descendent being dark-skinned, and thus the dark skinned people are inherently worse

The Columbian Exchange

New World to Old World

• Tobacco

• Cotton

• Potato

• Cacao

• Pineapples

• Chili

• Tomato

• Peanuts

• Maize

• Rubber

• Turkeys

• Beans

• Syphillis

• Pumpkin

Old World to New World

• Horses

• Cattle

• Pigs

• bananas

• Lemons

• rice

• apple

• measles

• smallpox

• typhus 

• chickens

• coffee

• oranges

• onion

The Commercial Revolution

Changes in production:

• driven by demand

Changes in funding

• driven by capitalism 

• Protestant Work Ethic

• viewed prosperity as a sign of election by God

• Protestants more readily embraced Scientific Revolution and ideas of progress

Changes in role of government in economy:

• driven by nationalism

Changes in social structure

• Lasted for 200 years

Deepening of East/West European divide

• step forward vs. step back

Time: 1500-1700

1. Contributing factors

   1. population growth: 70 MM in 1500 to 90 MM to 1600

   2. What does this population growth mean for prices?

      1. Long, slow, upward trend

   3. massive influx of gold and silver

   4. Beginnings of Enclosure movement

   5. Rise in capitalism

   6. Growth of banking, bills of exchange

      1. Bank of Amsterdam, Bank of Sweden, Bank of England

   7. Charter and joint-stock companies

   8. Stock markest

   9. Cottage (putting out industry)

   10. Mercantalism 

Economic Expansion

1. Exploration led to a shift in European commerce

   1. NW Europe was the new center, Spain, France, England, and Dutch United Provinces were the major powers

      1. By end of 16th C. Spain would be in rapid decline

   2. Change from town-centered to nation-centered economic system. 

2. Price Revolution

   1. Raise in population and the economic boom led to rise in prices over a century

      1. Cost of living outdistances wage increases

      2. Starts in Spain but reaches all of Europe

Absolutism

Absolutism: Derived from the belief in the divine right of kings.

• Sovereignty is embodied in the person of the ruler.

Theory behind Absolutism:

Thomas Hobbes

• Absolutism alone could prevent society from lapsing into the “state of nature”, a constant “war of every man against every man” that made life “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”

• Hobbes hates humanity, has very little faith in humanity

• People only obey in the face of sever consequences

• Hobbes Theory of Social Contract

Absolutism in France

Henry IV of France

• “A chicken in every pot”

• Reduces direct tax

• Roots out corruption

• Father of Louis XIII

• Paulette Tax

• 1598: Edict of Nantes

Chief Minister of France: Maximillian de Bethune, Duke of Sully

• Budgets, bookkeeping, and debts

• Efficient tax collection

• Internal improvements

• Mercantilism

• Henry IV restored the hierarchy and social orders based upon rank and privilege while imposing his rule. 

Cardinal Richelieu

• First Prime Minister of France

• The real king of France during Louis XIII’s reign

• Politique

• Started the French Academy

• Intendant System

  • 3 Systems

  • La Rochelle 

    • Tries to get rid of Huguenots

  • Thirty Years War

• French Taxation

Louis XIV

• Anne of Austria: regent 1643-1651

• Louis XIV finally ends fronde

• private armies

• rights of Remonstrances

• Fiercely independent

• Removed any autonomy of nobles

  • Mayors: purchased titles

  • Royal garrisons

  • Lieutenant-generals of police

• Imposed censorship

• 1st ministry of War

• Takes away Edict of Nantes in Edict of Fontainebleau, and establishes Catholicism as the official religion of France

Treaties of Louis XIV

Cardinal Mazarin

• Kept France in the 30 years war

• The Fronde

  • 1648-1653

  • Nobles of the Robe

  • Nobles of the Sword

  • Rebellions led to breakdown of order

  • Nobles of Sword march on Paris

Absolutism in Spain

• had a golden age, but was not a great European power by the 1700s

• Initially, similar features of France absolutism

• Till mid 17th century, Spain had the strongest army but was dominated by France and then England

• 1500s one of the wealthiest countries in the world due to gold and silver from Age of Exploration

• Spain lacked a strong middle class

  • Reconquista: Doctors, lawyers, merchants, bankers, etc.

• Inflation was rampant

• Large number of privileged class simply refused to work

  • Aristocratic view on banking

  • Increased taxes and rents

  • Doesn’t copy England or the Netherlands due to Protestants ick

  • native American population decreased

• England and Dutch trade with Spanish colonies but not Spain

Characteristics of Absolutism

1. Strong, ambitious dynasties

2. Nobles accepted monarchs authority in exchange for exclusive privileges

3. Centralized bureaucracy

4. Ability to collect and expand sources of revenue

5. Deployment of regular, large standing army