History U2 notes




  • Absolutism*- one person in authority with all the power

  • Constitutionalism- faithfulness to a system of constitutional government which is a monarch backed up by legislative branches

  • Estates General*- a legislative and consultative assembly of the different classes of French people.

  • First Estate- clergy of estates general

  • Second Estate- nobility of estates general

  • Third Estate- commoners of estates general

  • Mercantilism*- economics hat sought to increase the prosperity and power of a nation through restrictive trade practices; mainly exports less imports

  • Bourgeoisie- middle class

  • The Frondes- represented the final attempt of the French nobility to confront the king, and ended in its humiliation

  • Huguenots*-French Protestants who followed calvin

  • Edict of Nantes*- gave protestants religious freedom

  • Divine Right of Kings- defends absolutism

  • Parliament- an assembly of representatives that makes laws and rules a country

  • House of Lords*- Part of Parliament

  • House of Commons*- Other half of Parliament

  • Magna Carta*- first document saying the king wasn't above the law

  • English Civil War- fought between cavaliers and people loyal to parliament, and fought over king charles I power and power of parliament 

  • Thomas Hobbes*- man's natural state is animalistic- cruel and war like

  • John Locke*- people are free and equal, people get lost, so they need a government to keep them afloat.  

  • State of Nature*- humans without authority over them

  • Rousseau*-  Humans are good, follow your heart

  • Salons- encouraged socializing between men and women and brought together different classes of people, 

  • Cavaliers*- Loyal to Charles I

  • Glorious Revolution- A document was issued by James I, written to give catholics equality, James only had daughters so Mary II was going to be queen, he finally had a son, but everyone still wanted Mary II as queen. Parliament asked William of Orange, Mary’s husband, to take over England, he does, James flees, and William and Mary are now king and queen 

  • Bill of Rights of 1689- Signed by william and mary, shifts from English monarchy to Parliament.

  • Act of Settlement*- ensures a protestant gains control of the English throne

  • Henry of Navarre- protestant who converted to catholicism for french throne. Made Edict of Nantes, and was assassinated

  • Louis XIII- led the Siege of La Rochelle

  • Cardinal Richelieu- centralized power in france 

  • Louis XIV- King at 5 yrs old, Jules Mazarin was put in power for Louis, Louis attempted to curb Mazarin’s power but failed. Eventually got control of the throne because Marazin died. Made the divine right to rule, “one law, one king, one faith.” And reworked Edict of Nante

  • James I*- English and Scottish king, contributed to English Architecture and The King James Bible was named after him

  • Charles I*- king during english civil war

  • Oliver Cromwell- in parliament during the english civil war, and defeated charles I

  • Charles II- dissolved parliament and ruled as the sole ruler of england

  • James II*- last of the Stuart dynasty, king during the Glorious revolution, which overthrew him and made parliament permanent. 

  • William (III) of Orange*- married to Mary II, took over England and signed the Bill of Rights

  • Mary II*- first daughter of James I, married to William of Orange, and signed the Bill of Rights

  • Anne- supported acts of union

  • Louis XVI- king during the french revolution

  • Versailles- Palace made by Louis XIV (The Sun King), ¼ mile long, housed 10,000 people

  • Antonio Vivaldi*- Baroque musician, wrote and played Four Seasons

  • Johann Sebastian Bach*- Christian, played the organ and concertos, composed music for all instruments, and wrote the Brandenburg Concertos

  • George Handel*- german, composed for english king, wrote Messiah Opera, and used horned and stringed instruments

  • Jan Vermeer*- dutch artist

  • Rembrandt*-dutch artist

  • Regency England- a prince rules for his dad if his dad is incapable to rule

  • Georgian Era- the first advanced industrialized nation

  • Marie Antoinette- lived a luxurious life while her peasants starved, gave a bad look to the monarchy

  • Jacques Necker- made a new economic policy and made changes to the royal finances

  • Tennis Court Oath- Third Estate made this oath saying they would never separate until france wrote and established a constitution

  • National Assembly- an assembly made from people in Third Estate

  • Bastille- prison for french monarchs

  • Women’s March on Paris- a riot during the first part of the French revolution

  • Dec. of Rights of Man and Citizen- ended feudalism and gave equal rights to all men

  • Reign of Terror- time of state-sanctioned violence during the french revolution

  • Jacobins- member of the Jacobin Club, a political club during the French Revolution

  • September Massacre- mass killing of prisoners that lasted 4 days

  • Committee of Public Safety- political body that gained control over france during the Reign of Terror

  • National Convention- governed france during the french revolution

  • Robespierre- started the reign of terror

  • Directory- 5 member committee governing france after the National Convention

  • Napoleon Bonaparte - most successful general during the french revolution

  • Le Marseillaise- national anthem of france

  • Napoleonic Code- all male citizens are created equal, and hereditary nobility and class privileges were removed

  • Continental System- prohibits all trade with england

  • Battle of Trafalgar- between Britain, Spain and France, established british naval supremacy and shattered Napoleon's dreams of invading England, England won


Bishop Bousset- France should have one religion and it should be Catholicism;  helped develop doctrine of divine right - absolutism resembles God’s kingdom; king’s authority is sacred; rebellion is criminal and against king is against God

Jean Bodin- Sovereignty must be absolute, perpetual, and undivided

American Bill of Rights- all men are equal in the eyes of the law

English Bill of Rights- limits power of the monarchy and gives the power to parliament

Hobbes: man's natural state is animalistic- cruel and war like

Locke- people are free and equal, people get lost, so they need a government to keep them afloat.  

Descartes: philosopher on determining human existence “I think therefore I am”

Rousseau- Humans are good, follow your heart