30.2 – Growth of Modern Eur. Nations (~1500-1700)

I. Age of Absolute Monarchs (king/queen with total power)

A. Most Eur. nations had monarchs

B. Louis XIV = most powerful French monarch ever

1. Jean Colbert (Minister of Finance) ran Fr.’s $

a. had to find way to pay for Louis XIV’s wars & extravagant spending

b. Colbert died – slowed French economy

2. L. XIV died and left Fr. in heavy debt

“Tra la la”

Louis XIV today

Louis XIV’s Palace of Versailles in France

C. England’s monarch had less flex. than Fr.

1. king needed approval from Parliament (like our Congress) to use $a. King Charles I needed $ for war

b. Parl. refused

c. Charles dissolve Parl.

2. Charles needed more $, so he had to call Parl. into sessiona. Parl. refused to grant $ until

Charles signed Petition of Right

b. What is the message of the petition?

• law > king

c. Charles signed it to get $, then ignores it

3. Dissolved Parl. againa. To raise more $, he imposed

fines/fees on cit.b. Parl. passed laws to limit Charles’

powerc. Charles arrested Parl. leaders,

who then escaped

4. Civil wara. Charles captured & brought to trialb. Found guilty & beheaded

King Charles today

5. Charles II (son of Charles I) chosen by Parl. to rule England

6. Parl. formed constitutional monarchy (basically same as our govt.)

7. Bill of Rts. passed 1689 – monarch cannot:

a. Suspend laws of Parl.

b. Make taxes w/o Parl.

c. Limit free speech

8. govt. basically became what it is today

II.Scientific Rev. (1500s – 1600s) = new way of thinking abt. world/sci.

A. Caused largely by Renaissance’s ideas/actionsB. Created sci. methodC. Scientists made many discov.

1. Nicolaus Copernicus (~1500)a. discov. earth revolves around sun

b. theory not publ. until death b/c would threaten Church

2. Galileo Galilei (~1600)a. also found earth revolves around sun,

and publ. it

b. Church threatened by it

c. Under threat of death, he “admits error”

3. Isaac Newton (~1700)a. explained gravity

b. w/math proved earth revolves around sun

Newton today

Copernicus: astronomer, mathematician, Smurf

The Church finally admitted I was right in 1992!

III. Enlightenment (~1700s) = time when reason to solve social problems emphasized

A. caused by Sci. Rev.B. New ideas on govt., educ., rel.,

& econ.C. Increase in secularismD. Inspired our govt.

1. John Locke a. NATURAL RIGHTS OF MAN –

people born with rt. to life, liberty, property

b. Govt. gets power from ppl. & must protect their rts.

c. If can’t, ppl. have rt. to rebel

John Locke, not to be confused with John Locke

2. Voltairea. urged freedom of press & speech

b. “I do not agree with a word you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”

3. Montesquieu• Supported govt. checks & balances

4. Jean Rousseau• all created =; govt. should rep. majority

IV. The French Rev. (1789-1799)A. Heavy debt forced changesB. poor ppl. use #s to create new govt.C. Poor/middle class create constit. mon.,

but conflicts soon aroseD. Constit. mon. soon replaced by republic

• Rep. soon became too radical (ex: king and ~15k opposed to rep. guillotined)

E. Rep. soon replaced, then became corrupt

F. Napoleon Bonaparte, a general, takes over by force

1. Institutes Napoleonic codea. All men =b. Freedom of rel.

2. Strengthened econ.3. Ended revol.4. Inspired many other revol. around world

Guillotine