The Age of Enlightenment

1.1- The Old Regime

Ancient Regime or Old Regim refers to the political, economic and social
relationships in Western Europe during the 15th century and the 18 th
century, The Modern History.

1.1.1- The Old Regime absolute Monarchy

King concentred all the power:
o Legislative pass laws
o Executive took decisions of the government
o Judicial chose the judges
Lois XIV is the main absolute king:
o Live in the Palace of Versailles
o He said: Im the state
o People believed that God gave him the power to rule the
country.

1.1.2- The Old Regime Agrarian Economy

Nobles controlled and owned the land.
90% of population worked in the land.
Peasants were self-sufficient (the cultivated their own food)

1.1.3- The Old Regime Social Status/stratification

Rigid social stratification:
1. Noblesknights and their families
2. Clergy monks and priests
They are privileged because they didnt pay taxes, didnt
do manual work and had the most important position in
government.
3. Workerspeasants, craftsman and merchants
Not privileged because they paid taxes, did manual work
didnt participate in goverment

1.2- The Enlightenment

Is an ideological movement of French origin that in the 18 th century
proposed the following principles
Faith in human reason and intelligence reason is the
light that brightness the darkness created by traditional
percepts, ignorance and superstition.
Progress achieved through scientific advances that
contributes to a life of ease and happiness.
Criticism of the Old Regime Absolutism and social
stratifications were criticized, religious intolerance
condemned. New moral values based on reason

promoted
science.
Education
independent of religious influence.

1.3- The dissemination

Enlightenment

of

the

and

culture

was

ideas

of

the

The ideas spread around Europe and America thanks to the salons (places of
meetings of intellectual or social exchanges), the media (periodicals and
journals), the Encyclopedia ( a book that collect the knowledge ).

2.1- From absolutism to enlightenment despotism

Absolute monarchy:
Based on the idea that the Kings power came from God.
They had all the powers.
Enlightenment intellectuals criticized the absolute monarchy
Voltaire defended limiting the power of the king
through the parliament as in England.
Montesquieu proposed the division of the powers.
o Legislative pass laws
o Executive
took
decisions
of
the
government
o Judicial chose the judges
Rousseau declared that the sovereignty (right to
decided) resides in the people.
Enlightenment despotism A form of government that tried to
reconcile the idea of Absolutism with the news ideas of the
Enlightenment.
o Monarch continued having the absolute power.
o Everything for the people, but without the people.
Some Enlightenment monarchs: Louis the XV of France, Carlos III of
Spain, Joseph of Austria, Jose I of Portugal, Catherine II of Russia,
Frederic II of Prussia.

2.2- New international relationships

Until the Middle of the 17th century:
o Spanish became the dominant power in Europe.
o England and France fought against Spain. Spain lost its
hegemony (privileged) position and France became the
dominant power.
18th century:
o European countries tried to equally the powers.
o The victories of G. Britain established it as the colonial empire.

3.1- External and Internal Commerce

Up to 18th century
Internal
External

During the 18th century

Internal
External

-Goods was
transported by
cart on road.
-Commercial
transitions took
place in the
market towns

-Discovery of the
New world and
establish
colonies
centred around
ports

-Growth in
agriculture and
artissans
products; helped
by improvement
of roads and
construction of
canals

Colonies:
+provide raw
amterials,
precious metals,
plantation of
products.
-Increased
Manufactures
and slaves
The intense commercial activity helped to develop the system of credit and
establishment of banks.

3.2- New economic policies

17th century
Mercantilism the wealth of a nation was related to the accumulation
of precious metals.
18th century
Physiocracy the wealth of a nation came from the land. Theory
defended by Franois Quesnay.
Economic liberalism eelaborated by Adam Smith. The origin of the
wealth is individual effort to obtain the mazimum profit. Supply and
demand regulate the production and the price.

4.1- The end of the house of Austria in Spain

1700 Charles II of Spain died without any heir. In his testament he
designed Philip of Anjou, the grandson of the king Lois XIV of France,
as his successor. This was the beginning of the house of Bourbon

 European countries opposed to this succession, fearing the union of

Spain and France, because it was a rupture of the balance of power in
Europe.
o The other European countries supported Archduke Charles of
Austria (second son of the German emperor).
o This caused the war of succession.

4.2- The war of Succession

It had a double aspect:
o Spain and France vs Germany, G Britain, Savoy, United
provinces and Portugal (international)
o Castile, supporting Philip of Anjou, vs Crown of Aragon,
supporting Archduke Charles. (civil war)

In Spain war was won by the supporters of Philip of Anjou

In Europe victories and defeats in both sides.
When the German emperor and his oldest son that was
decisive.
1711Archduke Charles was the new Emperor of
Germany
The other European countries decide that that was
another imbalance of power.
1713 Treaty of Peace of Utrecht
o Establish that Philip of Anjou was the new
king of Spain if he renounced to the crown
of France.
o Spain gave up its possessions in Europe:
Low countries, Italy Austria
Sicily Austria
Menorca and Gibraltar Great
Britain.

4.3- The Bourbons: The Enlighten and reform

4 Bourbons kings reigned in Spain during the 18 th century. /Philip V
Ferdinand VI Charles III /
o Important reforms were introduced, especially in the time of
Charles III.
The ideas of Enlightenment were adopted by a minority of
intellectuals and politicians from the lower class, lower nobility and
clergy. Most important represents:
o Father Feijoo, Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos authors
o Compomanes, Floriblanca, Aranda Politicians.
It didnt have a big impact in Spain because there wasnt too much
middle class and most of clergy and nobility opposed them.

5.1- A new model of Spain

Bourbons
- Establish absolute monarchy
- Removed power form the
nobles.
- Intervene in Church issues
- Dont summoned the
parliament to much

Philip V
- Centralized the state as in
France
- Abolish the historical laws and
institutions form communities
except Navarra and the
Basque country (Nueva Planta
Decrees)

5.2- Economic Reforms

-18th century economic prosperity in Sapin. Growth of population 7,5
milion10 milion
Agriculture
o New crops from America became common
o Fallow land
o Introduction of irrigation
Industry
o Modernized
o Royal factories were establish (shipbuilding, weapons, luxury
articles)
Commerce
o Internal
Improvetahnks to transport
Build new bridges, roads..
o External
New laws freedom of commerce in America 1778

5.3- Social Reforms

Beeing a noble didnt mean not to work.

Jesuits expelled form the country.
Inquision reduced
Esquilache riots
o Provocated by approving some laws: prohibition of using long
cloaks, hats