#3: Explain how absolutists like Louis XIV justified their rule.

How did they keep their power?

King Louis XIV justified his rule by stating he ruled by the divine right of God and kept his

power by inciting competition between those below him to compete for titles, made them come

to his palace in Versailles, increased Censorship, and repealed the Edict of Nantes. King Louis

XIV essentially claimed that he was above criticism since he was divinely instituted by God to

be King. For a long time, this kept the French people from revolting because most either believed

it or were too afraid to speak out. He also encouraged competition among those below him in

power by making them compete for arbitrary titles which distracted him and allowed him to

become even more of an absolutist. He also made it mandatory for those in power to visit the

Palace of Versailles which encouraged even more competition and made the King seem more

personable and less like power-hungry absolutist. This bought him time to enforce policies such

as certain taxes in areas where he otherwise would have had a significantly more difficult time if

they were not at the Palace of Versailles. He also increased censorship which made his

corruption less noticeable by the common man. He also enacted the Edict of Nantes because it is

significantly easier to rule a populace that all believe in the same religion. This edict removed

religious toleration for Protestants within French territory and cause many Huguenots to flee the

country. This allowed him to control the narrative on him for a large period of time until a revolt

occurred.

#5: How were the colonists able to secure help from the French, and what role did the French

play in helping America secure its independence?

The Colonists were able to secure help from the French by them wanting to get revenge on

England after the seven years’ war and they played a critical role in securing America’s

independence by supplying uniforms, arms, and ammunition. After the battle of Saratoga, the

U.S. was able to receive help from the French which helped win the battle of Yorktown. Thanks

to the French and George Washington’s guerilla tactics, America won most of their battles

against the British even though British citizens outnumbered the colonies’ populace 3 to 1. The

increased number of uniforms allowed allies of the cause to be easily identifiable and the

increased arms and ammunition allowed the colonies. to enable more people to join the effort

against the British, even if they were just a farmer which many soldiers were at the time. The

colonists were able to secure help from the French because they wanted to get back at England

after the seven years war. Before the French stepped in, the colonies were already winning, but

this could have ended if England decided to spend money to get soldiers from foreign countries

to go fight in the colonies and sent more people over. The French’s supplies helped secure the

independence of the colonies because the colonies at heart was still a very young nation without

much experience or resources to effectively fight back. The patriotic spirit along with the

homeland advantage and French supplies made British victory extremely unlikely. Without the

French, it is possible that the final battle of Yorktown would not have been won and that

eventually the British may have taken back their land.

Numbers: 3, 5, 6