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