Absolutism

o Absolutism within France was a political system associated with kings such
as Louis XIII and, more particularly, Louis XIV. Absolutism or absolute
monarchical rule was developing across Europe during the Sixteenth and
Seventeenth Centuries. Absolute rule meant that the power of the
monarch was, in theory, unlimited except by divine law or by what was
called natural law.
Baroque
o often thought of as a period of artistic style that used exaggerated motion
and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension,
exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, architecture, literature,
dance, theater, and music. Versailles was a hub for baroque movement in
France in the 17th century.
Divine Right
o Theory talked about by Bossuet during 17th century France that said that
the King was put into place by God. This theory was juxtaposed with John
Lockes theory.
Balance of Power
o Its basic tenet is that no single European power should be allowed to
achieve hegemony over a substantial part of the continent and that this is
best curtailed by having a small number of ever-changing alliances
contend for power. 16-17th century
Edict of Nantes
o The Edict of Nantes, signed probably on 30 April 1598, by King Henry IV
of France, granted the Calvinist Protestants of France (also known as
Huguenots) substantial rights in the nation, which was, at the time, still
considered essentially Catholic. In the Edict, Henry aimed primarily to
promote civil unity. Created stability following the civil wars between
Catholics and Protestants. Overturned by Louis XIV to make France a
Catholic nation
Constitutional Monarchy
o Held by England, was different than that of Frances absolutist monarchy.
A constitutional monarchy, limited monarchy or parliamentary monarchy
(in its most limited form, a crowned republic) is a monarchy in which
governing powers of the monarch are restricted by a constitution.
Constitutional monarchy differs from absolute monarchy, in which a
monarch holds absolute power.
Parlement
o French regional courts dominated by hereditary nobles; could revise royal
decrees. Sovereign Law Court
Parliament
o The highest legislators (lawmakers) in England. Part of constitutional
monarchy
Versailles
o Palace in France where nobility socialized. Small uncomfortable rooms.
Residence of kings 1682-1790. Louis XIV moved the royal court there
from Paris. How he garnered his support from the old nobility.

Treaty of Westphalia
o Ended the 30 years war. Among famous commanders involved were
Marshal Turenne and the Prince de Cond for France. Happened in 1648.
granted right to individual rulers within the Holy Roman Empire to
choose their own religion-either Protestant or Catholic
Mercantilism
o Opposed economic relations. Opposed free trade. Exports are better than
imports (GOLD)

Enlightenment
o 18th century movement led by French intellectuals who advocated reason
as the universal source of knowledge and truth

General Will
o Jean Jacques Rousseau. Political Philosophy. The general will is the will of
the people as a whole. Described in declaration of the rights of man and
the citizen (by rousseau)
Philosophes
o A group of French radicals during the enlightenment that focused on
human reason and making critical changes in society. Intellectuals of the
18th century enlightenment. Looked for weaknesses and failures that
needed improvement.
Aristocracy
o Form of government where power is held by nobility.
Deism
o Belief that god created the universe but allowed it to operate through laws
of nature. Grew from enlightenment. holds that the existence of God can
be only proved based on the application of reason and the world can be
discovered through observation, experience and reasoning. England
looked at by france as a rational nation and this movement focused on
rationality
Bourgeoisie
o French middle class. Supported constitutionality not divine right. See
englands system as better
Salons
o Informal social gatherings at which writers, artists, philosophes, and
others exchanged ideas
Separate Spheres
o Thomas Payne. 19th century idea in Western societies that men and
women, especially of the middle class, should have clearly differentiated
roles in society: women as wives, mothers, and homemakers; men as
breadwinners and participants in business and politics
Separation of Powers
o Baron De Montesquieu. The key to good government is division of powers
among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches

Enlightened Despotism

Absolute rulers should promote good of people-religious toleration,

streamlined legal codes, increased access to education, reduction or
elimination of torture and death penalty

Saint Domingue
o Place where hatian revolution of slaves took place
Toussaint LOuverture
o Led the Haitian slave rebellion
State
o Consolidated territorial areas that have their own political institutions and
recognize no higher political authority
Empire
o Large political formations consisting of different kingdoms or territories
outside the boundaries of the states that control them
Mercantilism
o Wealth of a state depends on exports being higher than imports to get the
most of the worlds money supply as possible. Encouraged state
intervention in the economy and the regulation of trade
Middle Passage
o The journey taken by European ships bringing slaves from Africa to the
Americas. Triangle trade. 1.35 million slaves brought to new world during
the 17th century. Largest transoceanic migration in history
Plantation System
o Based on mercantile economies. Export primarily agricultural goods.
Caribbean system that was adopted
Metropolis
o The parent country of a colony or imperial possession
Estates General (last convened 1614)
o The legislative assembly of France in the Old Regime
o First: Clergy
o Second: Nobility
o Third: Bourgeoisie, Peasants, Artisans- The People
Storming of the Bastille
o Start of the French Revolution. Only 8 Prisoners inside. Stormed for arms
because they thought the king was going to stop the revolution with what
there was of a standing army. Entry of the masses onto the political field.
Abbe Emmanuel Sieyes
o Wrote what is the third estate? helped to transform the estates general
into the national assembly.
Oath of the Tennis Court
o June 20 1789 the members of the French Estates General for the Third
estate who had begun to call themselves the national assembly vowed in
essence to continue the move towards the constitutional monarchy was
established
Olympe de Gouges

She was a political activist that wrote many pamphlets as she became
more politically involved. She was a known feminist and argued that
French Women should have the same rights as men and questioned male
and female inequality. 1790s. she was executed by Guillotine during the
reign of terror
Civil Constitution of the Clergy
o July 1790. Church land is seized and becomes a department of the state
JacobinsThe Mountain (Girondins republicans, Sans-culottes)
o

Those who embody normal peoples virtues. Outnumber the nobility.

Exemption of poor from taxes. Direct Democracy. Male suffrage. They end
up splintering because they were arguing over Louiss fate
Maximillian Robespierre
o Leader of the Jacobins. Reign of terror. Committee of Public Safety.
Executed 1794.
o

Republic of Virtue
o Creating a political culture that reflects sovereignty of people. Abolish
Slavery in French Colonies in 1794. Adopt the metric system

Reign of Terror
o Period of violence that occurred after the onset of the French revolution.
Incited by conflict between the rival political factions (Girondins and
Jacobins). Mass executions of enemies of the revolution. Used this time
to get back at people that participators did not like, ended up going on
vague suspicion
Committee of Public Safety
o Created in March 1793 by the National Convention. Formed de facto
executive government in France during the Reign of Terror (1793-94).
Robespierre was part of this 12 man group

Essay Topics

1) In the late seventeenth-century, Louis XIV was the most powerful monarch in
Europe and created a model of absolutist monarchy emulated by rulers throughout
the continent. Discuss at least three ways Louis XIV tried to create an absolutist
government in France. In the end, was Louis able to achieve the absolute power he
desired?
a. King Louis XIVs image conveyed by artists, architects, dramatists, and members
of his immediate entourage helped him to project an image of incomparable
majesty and authority
i. How a king is perceived by the masses has a lot to do with how much they
respect that king
b. Secured the complete loyalty and dependence of the old nobility
i. Did this by starting a requirement of the members of these noble families
to stay at Versailles for a portion of every year
c. Louis also focused on centralization of the monarchy
i. He had a set of councils that were in the highest parts of government who
in turn secured the cooperation of local officials
ii. If necessary, the royal troops could be called upon to enforce the Kings
policies which gave a king of nearly 20 million subjects a surprising
amount of control over each
d. Once he had established himself as an absolute ruler his most absolute power
move was when he repealed the edict of nantes which gave Calvinists the right to
practice their religion freely.
i. He instead wanted religious uniformity and used military power to oversee
the conversion of over one million of his subjects as well as a mass exodus
of them to bordering countries without religious persecution laws
e. In comparison to other rulers at the time Louis XIV created the closest thing you
can get to an absolutist government. He was able to exercise his power freely and
had enough influence over his courts and subjects that he could just about do
whatever he wanted

2) Discuss the role of slavery in the Atlantic World economy that emerged during the
eighteenth century. How was it possible for the slave trade to flourish even as
Europeans professed to believe in the dignity of human beings during the "Age of
Enlightenment"?
a. Intro
i. Slavery was a major part of the Atlantic world economy mainly due to the
use of plantation systems, the middle passage of the triangle trade route,
and a lack of enlightenment ideals conflicting with the slave trade.
ii. Slavery was a major contributor to the world economy that was part of the
triangle trade route that also contained manufactured and agricultural
goods
iii. Mercantilism was based upon the premise that exports should be higher
than imports. When slaves were imported, free labor was received in the
plantation system which allowed for much more exporting of agricultural
goods
iv. Enlightenment thinkers argued that freedom was a human right present in
nature that is to be given up in order to be part of a society and protect
property. It is therefore an enigma why the freedoms were not present for
the slaves that were entering into this society.
v. Thesis:
1. The possibility of a flourishing slave trade during a time of
prospering human dignity will be shown through examination of
enlightenment ideals, economic tendencies of the 18th century
Atlantic World, and the impact of the lack of diffusion of
enlightenment ideals.
b. Body 1
i. Enlightenment ideals took a turn from the traditional ideals.
1. Human dignity was a big thing
2. Time of progression
3. There were conflicting ideals. Namely execution is the other

besides slavery
4. Robespierre argued that the rights of men should extend to all men
including slaves but it was during a time in which most did not
share this view
5. Some believed that the slaves were in a worse state of slavery in
Guinea by the princes and by trading them to other countries were
in fact doing them a favor

c. Body 2
i. Economic tendencies
1. Trade was big during the 18th century.
2. in order to lower the price of exports and still make a good profit
3. It was just good business
4. Enlightenment about making progress and moving forward. The
quickest way to see progress is to back up the movement with
money
5. Slave labor made for cheap goods to be transported to europe
where they were hard to come by, which led to more money for the
slave trade and an ever growing climate of trade between the new
world, Africa, and European powers. Triangle trade
d. Body 3
i. Diffusion of enlightenment ideals
1. The common man was not a philosophe, part of a salon, or reading
pamphlets written by scholars and politicians.
a. Most were urban/working class and spreading the
enlightenment ideals to them was hard in a time of little
mass press
2. When people cannot get the ideals of a movement due to their
position in society it creates a standstill and the movement, while
moving through the educated, stalls with the working class and the
working poor who are less worried about such things
e. Conclusion
i. Seemed conflicting but no slavery was too new an ideal at the time and it
made progression easier which many wanted through the enlightenment
and the move to a logical society

3) The French Revolution began in 1789 with the enlightened promise of a new society
of free-thinking citizens. By 1793, however, Maximilien Robespierre and the
Committee of Public Safety had seized power, establishing a year-long dictatorship
that used Terror to suppress all forms of dissent. Discuss the major reasons why
Robespierre and the Committee were able to undermine the Republic and seize
power. Was the Terror necessary to save France and the Revolution from its
enemies? Why or why not?
a. Robespierre was the leader of the Jacobins who were the more radical of the
revolutionaries and wanted the monarchy and king to be gone
i. On the other hand, was the Girondins who believed in keeping the
constitutional monarchy.
1. This created rifts within the National assembly which had
previously split from the Estates General Third Estate.
b. The national assembly had taken Louis XVI after a failed escape attempt
i. Other nations, fearing a spread of Frances revolutionary spirit issued the
Declaration of Pillnitz which stated that Austria and Prussia would
intervene militarily if Louis XVI was harmed and not returned to his
position
1. This was taken as a threat and the Girondin lead national assembly
declared war on both Austria and Prussia
c. The War was not going well
i. Robespierre and his Jacobin backing used the faltering war as a way into
power in 1793 when he and citizens overthrew the national convention
d. Once Robespierre came into power he began a mass conscription of military aged
young men and implementing laws in an effort to stabilize the shaky economy
e. Things seemed to be going well until the death of a prominent revolutionary and
Journalist named Marat
i. Sparked an internal look at the revolution which Robespierre attempted to
fix with mass public executions of those who he or other revolution
members deemed to be suspicious

1. He tried to terrorize the citizens into following him and suspended

the very republic which the revolution was trying to create
2. During this time Robespierre made the Guillotine the symbol of an
era of change razor of equality
f. The reign of terror was not necessary to save France and the Revolution
i. In 1794 once French forces had driven hostile militaries out of France and
the economy started to right itself the public realized that there really was
no justification for his actions and as a result he was executed in 1794
g. Creating a republic through tyranny does not create a base for the republic to
stand on and as a result the reign of terror seems to be a step back once
Robespierre came into power.