The Eighteenth Century
I. Enlightened Absolutism
Absolute
Monarchy and Enlightened Absolutism
"enlightened" vs "despotic"
Western Europe
A. France: Louis XV
i.
continued to fight Britain --
lost Canada after Seven Years War
ii.
supported rebels in the American Revolution
ii.
increased debt
B. Great Britain
i.
limited monarchy
ii.
ruled through cabinet system
iii.
power in the hands of nobility and
landed gentry not really democratic
Robert Walpole chief minister of
George I
and George II
William Pitt the Elder,
William Pitt
the Younger
C. The Dutch Republic
Central
& Eastern Europe
D. Frederick I
(1657-1713)
first King of Prussia
Frederick William I
king
of Prussia (1713–40)
Frederick William I of Prussia
Frederick the
Great of Prussia
i. educational reforms in Prussia
ii.
allowed limited freedom of speech
and press
iii.
continued support of serfdom
iv.
seized Silesia from Austria
Prussian Absolutism
E. Austria
Maria
Theresa : (1717-1780)
the centralization of government
Joseph II
: (1765-1790)
i.
abolished serfdom
ii.
reforms for serfs
iii.
established idea of equality before
the law
iv. religious toleration for Jews
F. Catherine
the Great of Russia
i.
interest in enlightened thought:
Voltaire and Diderot
ii.
early move toward reform
iii.
strengthened nobility
Catherine
and Pugachev --
the
Pugachev rebellion
II. Wars and Diplomacy
A. War of the
Austrian Succession
Seven Years' War
Economic
Expansion and Social Change
population growth
family, marriage, & birthrate
agriculture
mercantile empires
trade
Social
Order
peasants
nobility
towns & cities
III. enlightenment ideals
A. tolerance
B. belief in the possibility
of progress
C. belief in the basic worth
of mankind
D. support of freedom of the
press, rights
in politics
E. support of humane treatment
of prisoners
IV. The limits of Reason: the enlightenment,
empiricism and
skepticism:
A.
John Locke
V. Problems in the Old Regime
A. Social order based on privilege
i. wealth and
power in the hands of a small
elite nobles and clergy may have been 2
to 3% of the population
ii. masses lived
in poverty
depending on the country, 80 to 90%
were peasants or serfs
many suffered from poverty, hunger, disease
high mortality rate
iii. taxes were
the burden of the poor
B. Even when monarchs got stronger,
people
did
not benefit
i. monarchs failed
to end abuses of the
nobility
ii. governments
didn't always maintain order
` C. Louis XIV
i. left a legacy
of debt:
colonial and military expenses
expenses at court
taxes increased from 1715 until the
French Revolution
ii. Estates
General not consulted since 1614
no representation for commoners led to
growing resentment
VI. Forces of change
A. capitalism grew
i. increased
population -- increased demand
for goods
ii. governments
expanded, military
enlarged
iii. colonies
shipped goods to European
markets
iv. inflation
increased food prices faster
than wages
v. as food prices
increased, landowners
wanted more profits
vi. improved
farming methods led to
enclosure
enclosure peaked in 1700s in Britain
vii. French
government opposed enclosure
to keep peasants on the land
viii. the putting
out / domestic system grew
small investors provided capital
peasants worked in their homes
worked with cloth, iron, shoes
B. Rising expectations of the middle
class
i. merchants,
lawyers, minor government
officials
ii. increasing
incomes allowed middle class
to buy luxuries
iii. sought
respect and more influence
Enlightenment Glossary
The
Scientific Revolution Learning Module
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The Enlightenment : Political Movers and Shakers
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