Exploration, Absolutism, & Enlightenment!

Age of Exploration!

Effects of the Renaissance

•More ideas called into question•People want a greater understanding of

their world•Ideas most commonly called into

question:▫Religion – caused the Reformation▫Known world – caused the Age of

Exploration▫Understanding the world – caused the

Scientific Revolution

Age of Exploration•Trade and curiosity spark exploration•Governments used to sponsor most voyages

▫Government leaders desired land, resources, trade routes, etc.

•Governments sponsoring exploratory voyages:▫Portuguese▫Spanish▫French▫English▫Dutch

Signed the Treaty of Tordesillas (divided world in half to eliminate conflicts

Main Explorations & Explorers• Bartolomeu Dias (1488)

▫Reached Indian Ocean via African coast• Christopher Columbus (1492)

▫Pretty well known• Vasco da Gama (1498)

▫Sailed around Africa to India• Hernán Cortés (1519)

▫Fought Aztecs in South America• Fransisco Pizarro (1522)

▫Fought Incans in South America• Ferdinand Magellan (1522)

▫Circumnavigated the world

Results of Exploration• Positives

▫ Columbian Exchange Unique products traded

between hemispheres▫ Mercantilism

Export more than you import

▫ Increase in capitalism People pooling money to

form larger corporations (joint stock companies)

▫ New products▫ New colonies

• Negatives▫ Slave trade

Middle passage of Triangle Trade

▫ Imperialism▫ Diseases to indigenous

people

Absolutism!

Absolutism

•Use your resources to define absolutism.•How can a government demonstrate

absolutism?•What historical examples of absolutism

are you aware of?

Examples of Absolutism: France• Louis the XIV

▫Became king at 23 after riots▫Weakened the power of the nobles/strengthened

intendants (civil servants of France)▫Increased mercantilism, fur trade, factories = $$$

$$▫Palace at Versailles ($2 billion)

2000 rooms, 15,000 acres of gardens, 1400 fountains

Extravagant meals Control of nobles

▫“I am the State.”

Palace at Versailles

•Phillip II▫Son of Charles V, takes control of Spain▫Gains Portugal in 1580

Gains control of areas in Africa, India, & West Indies

▫Begins gaining incredible wealth through gold & silver Gold: 339,000 pounds ($5.97+ billion) Silver: 32,000,000 pounds ($8.40+ billion)

▫El Escorial

Examples of Absolutism: Spain

Examples of Absolutism: Hapsburgs•Family ruled Austria, Holy Roman Empire, &

Spain•Fought Thirty Years War

▫Catholics vs. Protestants primarily, but also over internal politics

▫French Catholics join Swedish Lutherans against the Catholic Hapsburgs

▫Peace of Westphalia: strengthened French monarchy by expanding lands German princes independent of HRE Weakened Hapsburgs in Spain & Austria

•Despite weakened state, power continued to grow

•Austria▫Strong Catholic state▫United various German groups through

negotiations and violence▫Maria Theresa

First female ruler Persuaded Hungarians to support Austrians

against Prussian control

Examples of Absolutism: Hapsburgs

• Prussia▫New Protestant power▫Peace of Westphalia allowed Prussian states to be

organized under Hohenzollern family▫Took power away from nobles (Junkers)▫Military state under Frederick William I

Junkers given military and government positions

▫Frederick II Forced to watch friend’s beheading Sparked War of the Austrian Succession w/Maria Theresa

Examples of Absolutism: Hapsburgs

Enlightenment!

Enlightenment Ideas

•Renaissance & Scientific Revolution expanded knowledge base in Europe & the way people looked at the world.

•Human reason leads to the question of natural laws (laws that govern human nature)

•Use of reason could solve problems or answer questions in every area

Enlightenment Ideas

•Social Contract: people give up natural rights for an organized society▫Thomas Hobbes

People cannot be trusted Absolute monarchy

▫John Locke People inherently good Government must be

accepted by the people

Enlightenment Ideas

•Montesquieu▫Studied every government possible▫Separation of powers

Limited monarchy of Britain protected against tyranny, but he misunderstood their organization

Idea stuck though•Philosophes (“lovers of wisdom”)

▫Use of reason could be used to change government, law, & society

Philosophes• Voltaire

▫ Spoke out against corruption in government

▫ Wrote against inequality, injustice, slave trade, religious prejudice, etc.

• Rousseau▫ People good, but

corrupted▫ Minimal controls needed

by elected government▫ Good of community over

good of the individual

• Diderot▫ Wrote articles to improve

general knowledge & thinking

▫ Compiled in Encyclopedia▫ Not accepted by French

government or the Pope

Enlightenment Ideas Spread!• Economics

▫ Rejection of mercantilism▫ Laissez Faire

“hands off” Little to no government

interference in the economy

▫ Adam Smith The Wealth of Nations Market should regulate

business Supply & demand drove

economics

• Enlightened despots▫ Frederick the Great of

Prussia▫ Catherine the Great of

Russia▫ Joseph II of Austria

• Revolutions▫ American Revolution▫ French Revolution▫ Industrial Revolution

Indirectly, but the result of changing the accepted ways of doing things