The Age of Absolutism

The Age of Absolutism Small Group Activity Topic: European Geography Working cooperatively, students will complete two maps Map 1 – Europe Map2 – Europe during the Age of Absolutism

The Age of Absolutism Map 1

The Age of Absolutism Map 2

The Age of Absolutism CAUSES OF ABSOLUTE MONARCHY Acceptable Responses include: Religious and territorial conflicts created fear and uncertainty. • The growth of armies to deal with conflicts caused rulers to raise taxes to pay troops. • Heavy taxes led to additional unrest and peasant revolts. Cultural Diffusion Mention Benefits and Downside of Absolutism protection, pride in country, filial loyalty Monarch wants to expand = taxes and people to fight his wars

TTYN: Why was Spain the first European nation to emerge? The Age of Absolutism Spain and the Hapsburg Empire 1500s, Spain emerged as the first modern power TTYN: Why was Spain the first European nation to emerge? Hint – Think about your American History The Age of Discovery

Christians Fight the Moors The Age of Absolutism Why Spain? A Look Back at the Crusades… Christians Fight the Moors The Crusades in Jerusalem was not the only place where Christians fought against Muslims. In Spain and Portugal, armed Christian warriors fought to drive the Muslim Moors out of their lands. The Moors population consisted of people from North Africa and Arab descent who settled in the lands of Spain for more than 800 years.

Muslim Control of Spain Weakens The Age of Absolutism Muslim Control of Spain Weakens By 1002 the once powerful Muslim government of Spain weakened due to battles for power between political and religious leaders. Caught up in fighting among themselves, Muslim leaders were too busy to guard against the Christian kingdoms of northern Spain..too busy fighting among themselves.

The Age of Absolutism The Spanish Reconquista (reconquest) was an effort to retake Spain from the Muslim Moors. At the time, Spain was divided into several small kingdoms: Castile Aragon Granada Portugal

The Age of Absolutism Reconquest Complete Christian armies won victory after victory. By the 1250s, the Moors were nearly pushed completely out of Spain and Europe. In Spain the celebration of 1492 is not for Columbus, but a celebration of the fall of Granada – the last hold that Muslims had on Spain.

Isabella and Ferdinand The Age of Absolutism Isabella and Ferdinand In 1469 Ferdinand, the prince of Aragon, married Isabella, a Castilian princess. Ten years later in 1479, they became the king and queen of their countries. Together they ruled all of Spain as King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. They brought an end to the Reconquista when the last of the Muslims were forced from Granada.

Isabella and Ferdinand The Age of Absolutism Isabella and Ferdinand

Isabella and Ferdinand The Age of Absolutism Isabella and Ferdinand

The Age of Absolutism A Christian State Ferdinand and Isabella only wanted Catholic Christians in their kingdom. TTYN: How might the Monarch within Spain go about creating a Christian State and one with only Catholics? To ensure that Christianity alone was practiced, they created the Spanish Inquisition – an organization of priests that looked for and punished anyone in Spain suspected of practicing non-Christian religions.

The Spanish Inquisition The Age of Absolutism The Spanish Inquisition Ferdinand and Isabella chose Catholicism to unite Spain and in 1478 asked permission of the pope to begin the Spanish Inquisition to purify the people of Spain. They began by driving out Jews, Protestants and other non-believers. The Inquisition was run procedurally by the inquisitor-general who established local tribunals of the Inquisition. Accused heretics were identified by the general population and brought before the tribunal. The were given a chance to confess their heresy against the Catholic Church and were also encouraged to indict other heretics. If they admitted their wrongs and turned in other aggressors against the church they were either released or sentenced to a prison penalty. If they would not admit their heresy or indict others the accused were publicly introduced in a large ceremony before they were publicly killed or sentenced to a life in prison. Around the 1540s the Spanish Inquisition turned its fire on the Protestants in Spain in an attempt to further unify the nation. The Spanish Inquisition's reign of terror was finally suppressed in 1834. Inquisition - a judicial or official inquiry or examination usually before a jury; also : the finding of the jury