WORLD HISTORY 2
SSM116
The Age of Exploration
Outcome: SPAIN BUILDS AN AMERICAN EMPIRE
Spanish conquest in Mexico
● Hernando Cortes landed on the shores of Mexico and
colonized several Caribbean islands.
● Cortes and many other Spanish explorers who followed him
were known as conquistadors or conquerors.
● Rumors of vast lands filled with gold and silver led to many
conquistadors traveling to Mexico, South America, and the
United States.
● The Spanish were the first European settlers in the Americas.
Cortes conquers the Aztecs
● Once he landed in Mexico, he learned of the vast and rich
empire known as the Aztecs.
● At first, the Aztec rulers thought that Cortes was a God
wearing armor and agreed to give him some of their gold
supply.
● Cortes was not happy with the amount and that spring, he
killed many Aztec warriors and chiefs while they were
celebrating a religious festival.
● The Aztecs obviously rebelled and drove Cortes out, however
he stayed back and later conquered the Aztecs.
● Not only did Cortes and his men have better weapons, but
they also had an already developed immune system that the
Natives did not.
Spain’s Pattern of Conquest
● In building their new American empire, the Spaniards drew
from the techniques used during the reconquista of Spain.
● When conquering the Muslims, Spaniards lived among them
and imposed on their culture.
● The same thing happened with the natives.
● Spanish settlers and native women formed relationships and
they became so common that the resulting mixed Spanish
and Native American population became known as Mestizos.
● In an effort to exploit the land for it’s precious resources, the
Spanish forced Native Americans to work within a system
called encomienda.
● Under this system, Natives farmed, ranched, or mined for
Spanish landlords.
Spain’s Influence expands
● Spain’s American colonies helped make it the richest and
most powerful nation of the 16th century.
● Catholic priests had accompanied conquistadors from the
very beginning of American colonization.
● These priests worked to spread Christianity and pushed for
better treatment of the Native Americans.
● The Spanish government ended up abolishing the
encomienda.
● Not only were the priests upset about the system, but the
natives were also fighting back.
● At this point, that was the last thing on Spain’s mind due to
other European nations beginning to colonize in America.
European Nations Settle in North America
● In 1494 the Treaty of Tordesillas was signed and this divided
the newly discovered lands between Spain and Portugal.
● Several other European countries ignored this treaty and built
their own empires in the Americas.
 ● Samuel de Champlain (From France) landed in Quebec,
which became the base of France’s colonial empire in North
America.
The English Arrive In North America
● In 1606, three ships were pushed out of an English harbor
and four months later, they reached the coast of Virginia.
● The settlers wanted to find gold to the point that they did not
worry about food.
● Because of this, 7/10 settlers died of hunger, disease, or
battles.
Puritans create “New England”
● Pilgrims: Group of people who founded the colony, Plymouth,
to escape religious persecution in England.
● Puritans: Group of people who sought freedom from religious
persecution.
● The Puritans did not want to separate from the Church of
England. They wanted to “purify” it of practices they
considered “TOO” Catholic. Pilgrims were also called
Separatists. They wanted to break with the Church of
England.
Struggles of North America
● The English became hungry for more land and pushed farther
West and collided with France.
● French and Indian War: A part of a larger conflict known as
the Seven Year’s War.
○ British Colonists defeated the French.
1763: Treaty of Paris
● France: Lost all of their Canadian possessions, most of their
empire in India, and claims to lands East of the Mississippi
River.
● Spain: Gained all French lands West of the Mississippi River
and New Orleans, but lost Florida to England.
● England: Gained all French lands in Canada, exclusive rights
to the Caribbean slave trade, and commercial dominance in
India.
North America in 1763
Native Americans Respond
● Bloodiest conflicts between colonists and Natives was known
as King Phillip’s War.
● Native American ruler, Metacom (King Phillip) led an attack
on colonial villages throughout Massachusetts.
● The colonists defeated the natives.
● Many natives ended up dying due to disease.
Transatlantic Slave Trade
● Transatlantic slave trade, segment of the global slave trade
that transported between 10 million and 12 million enslaved
Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas from the
16th to the 19th century. It was the second of three stages of
the so-called triangular trade, in which arms, textiles, and
wine were shipped from Europe to Africa, enslaved people
from Africa to the Americas, and sugar and coffee from the
Americas to Europe.
● Middle Passage

Triangular trade
● Triangular trade, three-legged economic model and trade
route that was predicated on the transatlantic trade of
enslaved people. It flourished from roughly the early 16th
century to the mid-19th century during the era of Western
colonialism. The three markets among which the trade was
conducted were Europe, western Africa, and the New World.
● The first leg of the triangular trade began in Europe, from
which manufactured goods such as metals, brass dishes,
knives, tools, textiles, firearms, ammunition, and alcoholic
beverages were transported by ship to ports on the coast of
western Africa. There these goods were exchanged for
enslaved people, many of whom had been abducted in the
so-called Slave Coast, a section of the coast of the Gulf of
Guinea extending approximately from the Volta River in the
west to Lagos, in modern Nigeria, or, alternatively, the Niger
Delta in the east (in the present-day republics of Togo, Benin,
and Nigeria). Many more enslaved people were taken from
west-central Africa, centred on the Portuguese colony in what
is now Angola. A smaller number came from
Portuguese-controlled parts of southeastern Africa.
● The second stage of this triangular trade was the shipment of
enslaved people westward across the Atlantic Ocean, usually
to Brazil or the West Indies. This journey, known as the
Middle Passage, took roughly 21 to 90 days. The ships were
grossly overcrowded, with the captives wedged belowdecks
and chained to platforms stacked in tiers. Death rates on the
Middle Passage ranged from about 10 to more than 20
percent.
● The peak of the Atlantic trade of enslaved people seems to
have been reached in the 1780s, when on average some
78,000 enslaved people were brought to the Americas each
year. About half these captives were transported in the ships
of British merchants. Their nearest competitors, French and
Portuguese traders, each transported about one-fifth of the
total number of enslaved people.
● After arriving in Brazil or the Caribbean, the enslaved Africans
were sold at auction and were taken throughout the New
World. Many were put to work on plantations. The shipment
to Europe of plantation crops and products made from them
was the third leg of the triangular trade. Among the most
valuable exports to Europe were sugar, rice, indigo, tobacco,
cotton, molasses, and rum.
● The third leg of the triangle also involved a distinct role for
Britain’s North American colonies, which sent raw materials to
Europe, where they supplied manufacturing industries. In
return, Europe sent manufactured goods and luxury items to
the colonies, which themselves exported items such as rum,
gunpowder, iron, tools, and cloth to Africa. The colonies also
sent fish, meat, flour, and lumber to the Caribbean islands in
exchange for sugar and molasses.
Banning the trade of enslaved people
 ● At the time of the American Revolution (1775–83), there was
widespread support in the Northern American colonies for
prohibiting the importation of more enslaved people.
However, after the Revolution, at the insistence of Southern
states, Congress waited more than two decades before
making the importation of enslaved people illegal. When
Congress did so, in 1808, the law was enacted with little
dissent, but Caribbean smugglers frequently violated the law
until it was enforced by the Northern blockade of the South in
1861 during the American Civil War.
● 3. Governments had to build huge armies and increase taxes to
● After Great Britain outlawed slavery throughout its empire in
1833, the British navy diligently opposed the trade of
enslaved people in the Atlantic and used its ships to try to
prevent slave-trading operations. Brazil outlawed the trade of
enslaved people in 1850, but the smuggling of newly
enslaved persons into Brazil did not end entirely until the
country finally enacted emancipation in 1888.
Absolutism and Revolution
ABSOLUTE MONARCHS IN EUROPE
CHAPTER 5
European Absolutism
Absolutism in Europe
• During the 1400'- 1700's European rulers claimed they had the
authority to rule without limits
• Rulers called absolute monarchs, their goal was to control every
aspect of society
• Believed in divine right, God created monarchy and they were
God's representative on Earth Rulers did not have to answer to their
subjects
• 1500s and 1600s time of change in Europe
1. Monarchs gained power because of the growth of cities and
the growth of the economy
a. Feudalism declined
b. need for strong central authority
c. Middle class backed monarch because a strong
government was good for business
d. Monarchs allowed businessmen to use the wealth of
the colonies to grow the countries economy
2. Religious and territorial conflicts led to continuous warfare
pay for wars
4. IV. Monarchs had to increase power
a. They regulated religion, social gatherings
b. Created new governments to control the countries
economic life
Spain's Empire and European Absolutism
• 1500's Spain first modern European power
• Unified country, religion
• Huge New World Empire
• Silver and gold from new world fueled Spanish economy
• 1519 Charles V (Charles I) ruled Spain and Hapsburg Empire
(HRE, Netherlands)
• 1556 Charles gives empire to son- Phillip II (Spain, New World
colonies, Netherlands) and brother Ferdinand (Hapsburg Empire)
• Phillip was very religious and very aggressive
• Took control of Portugal and all of their territory in the East Indies,
Africa and India
• Spanish king now controlled an empire across the globe
Spain's Empire and European Absolutism
Empire provided Phillip with great wealth
 ● Gold and silver from the Americas poured into Spain . It
allowed Phillip to keep a huge army
● Phillip was also deeply religious
● Reformation was going on in Europe and Phillip was a devout
Catholic
● He believed it was his duty to defend the Catholic faith from
Protestants and Muslims
● Fought against Ottomans and Protestant armies across
Europe, used wealth to pay for army and navy
● Used Inquisition to enforce religious unity
Golden Age of Spanish Art and Literature
● Wealth allowed Spanish to support the arts Two great
painters El Greco and Velazquez
● El Greco- paintings reflected Catholic faith of Spain, his
paintings were very emotional
● Velazquez- painting reflected the pride of the Spanish
monarchy, he was the official painter of the royal family
● Don Quixote called the first modern European novel
○ Written by Miguel de Cervantes
○ About a Spanish nobleman who went crazy after
reading too many books
○ About a person stuck in the past and frustrated with
the changing world
The Spanish Empire Weakens
● Netherlands controlled by Spain and Phillip taxed them and
took steps to crush Protestantism
● Netherlands was Protestant and had a prosperous middle
class involved in international trade
● Dutch fought them for 11 years and in 1579 they declared
independence from Spain
Independent Dutch Prosper
● United Provinces of the Netherlands were different than other
European states
● Had an elected governor that depended on support of
merchants and landholders for power
● During 1600's Dutch had best banks and artists
● Rembrandt greatest artist of period
● Jan Vermeer painted pictures of Dutch domestic life
1600's Spanish power declines
● Wars drained wealth
○ Philipp borrowed money to fight wars from Italian and
German bankers, caused country to have a huge debt
● Treasure from Americas led to neglect of farming, commerce,
caused inflation (too much gold and silver a problem, money
not worth as much)
● Expulsion of Muslims and Jews deprived economy of skilled
artisans, merchants, scholars
● Philips successors not as able
● Spain's rulers also taxed the lower classes, nobles did not
have to pay taxes
THE ROUTE OF THE SPANISH ARMADA JULY-OCTOBER 1588
Defeat of the Spanish Armada
● 1580's main rival to Spain was England
● England Protestant country
● England supported Dutch against Spain, attacked Spanish
treasure ships
● Philip II builds huge navy to defeat English (Armada)
● 1588 Armada defeated by English
Dutch Trading Empire
● Stability of government allowed Dutch to focus on economic
growth
● Dutch had largest fleet of ships in the world and used the
Dutch East India Company to control the spice trade in the
East Indies and Asia
● Replaced the Italians as bankers of Europe
The Reign of Louis XIV
Religious Wars and Power Struggles
● 1562-1598 Huguenots and Catholics fought 8 religious wars,
during this time chaos spread through France
● Huguenots were French Protestants
● 1572 St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre sparked 6 week war
between Catholics and Protestants
● 1589 Henry IV (a Protestant king) takes throne and gives up
Protestantism and becomes Catholic to bring peace
● 1598 Henry issues the Edict of Nantes that allowed
Huguenots to live in peace across France and set up their
own churches
○ After a generation of war people welcomed peace and
Henry began to restore French monarchy and
prosperity
● After the death of Henry his son, Louis XIII took over
● 1624 he appointed Cardinal Richelieu as his minister
● Richelieu was the real power in France Took steps to
increase the power of the Bourbon monarchy in France
○ A. Took power from Huguenots, dictated their living
conditions
○ B. Took power from nobles, made them more
dependent on the king for protection
○ c. Put middle class in more powerful government
positions
○ D. Richelieu also became involved in wars with the
most powerful European dynasty the Hapsburgs (the
Thirty Years War)
Writers turn toward Skepticism
● New French intellectual movement grew at this time, they had
witnessed the religious wars
● Many turned to the idea of skepticism (nothing can be known
for certain), and the began to doubt the teaching of the
church
● Montaigne- developed new for of literature, the essay, to
express a writers thoughts and feelings
● Believed that humans could never have an absolute
knowledge of what is true
● Descartes used observations to determine that we could
never know what was true Influenced modern thinkers by
developing the scientific method
Louis XIV Comes to Power
● Louis became king at age 4 in 1642 and ruled for 72 years
● Believed that he and France were one ("I am the state")
● When Louis was young the real power behind the throne was
Cardinal Mazarin
● The nobles hated him because he raised their taxes and
made the central government
● stronger
● 1648-1653 many riots broke out across France protesting
Mazarin's policies
● Louis felt threatened and he never forgot about this, he
decided to make the monarchy so strong that this would not
happen again . Rebellions failed because peasants and
townspeople grew tired of the fighting
● Because they were tired of wars they accepted Louis
oppressive laws

● When Mazarin died Louis took control of the government
himself
○ Weakened power of the nobles by removing them from his
government
○ Increased the power of government agents who collected
taxes and administered justice (intendants), they were not part
of the nobility
○ Louis made sure local officials kept in touch with him regularly
Economic Growth
● Louis used finance minister Jean Baptiste Colbert to help
France attain economic and political power
● Colbert wanted France to become self sufficient and used
mercantilist policies to meet his goals
○ Expanded manufacturing
○ Placed a high tariff on goods from other countries
○ Recognized importance of colonies to help economy
● After Colbert's death in 1685 economic progress slowed
● Louis also canceled Edict of Nantes
● Many Huguenot businessmen and artisans left France and it
took many skilled workers out of the economy
● Louis surrounded himself with luxury at his palace
● Versailles
● Palace became a symbol of wealth, seat of government,
home for nobles
○ Made nobles dependent on Louis
○ Kept intendants in power in other parts of the country
○ By keeping nobles at Versailles it kept them from
fighting each other, they fought for favor of Louis
● Louis was a patron of the arts and he made ballet and opera
more popular
● The purpose of art was to glorify the king and promote his
absolute rule
● Under Louis France was the most powerful country in the
world France had the largest, best trained and equipped army
in Europe
● 1667 Louis invades Spanish Netherlands to expand French
boundaries
● Dutch defeat French
● 1680's European alliance established to stop French and
achieve a balance of power across Europe (no single country
could dominate others)
● Alliance called the League of Augsburg (England, Spain,
Hapsburg Austria, other smaller countries) they equaled
French strength
● Poor harvests and constant warfare and higher taxes
weakened France at this time
War of Spanish Succession
● War fought between Spain and France, the two greatest
European powers
● Other European countries joined in
● War lasted for 14 years, ended by the Treaty of Utrecht Big
winner was Great Britain
● British took over Gibraltar that controlled the entrance to the
Mediterranean
● Also gave the British French controlled territories in the
Americas
Louis Death and Legacy
● Louis death was good news across France, they were tired of
the Sun King
● Legacy
1. Made France a European power
2. Seen as a military power
3. Led other nations in the promotion of art, literature
4. Constant warfare left France in debt
5. Tax burden and the abuse of power by
Louis would eventually lead to rebellion against the monarchy by the
end of the 1700's
The Thirty Years' War
● 17th century Holy Roman Empire (HRE) patchwork of small
states Religion was the original cause
● 1618- Began in Bohemia, Catholic Hapsburg king tried to
suppress Protestant revolt
● Local conflict became general war
● HRE supported by Catholic states Protestant powers sent
troops
● Fought all across Germany, led to 1/3 of pop. dying
● Ruined German trade and agriculture
● Ended in 1648 with the Peace of Westphalia
1.Weakened Hapsburg Spain and Austria
2. Made France the most powerful country in Europe
3. Ended religious wars in Europe
4. Introduced new method of settling disputes, where
participants decide terms of peace
5. Treaty recognized European countries as equals and was
the beginning of the modern state system
Absolute Rulers of Russia
● 1463-1505 Ivan III first strong ruler of Russia
1. Conquered territory around Moscow
2. Centralized the government
3. Liberated Russia from Mongol rule
● 1554 Ivan's grandson Ivan IV became Russia's first czar
● Ivan became czar when he was 3 years old
● Early life he competed for power with the boyars (Russia's
landowning nobles)
● When he was 16 he seized power for good
● 1560 his wife dies and Ivan accused the boyars of poisoning
her
● Became known as Ivan the Terrible
● He organized a secret police force to hunt down and murder
people that did not agree with him
● He took the boyars estates and gave them to people that
were loyal to him
● 1581 Ivan kills his son and heir in an argument
● Ivan died three years later that left his younger less
competent son as ruler of Russia
● After his son died there was a period of turmoil in Russia
● Boyars struggled for power
● 1613 representatives from many Russian cities chose the
next czar, Michael Romanov (who was related to Ivan's wife)
● Began the Romanov dynasty that ruled Russia for the next
three hundred years
Russia Contrasts with the Rest of Europe
● Russia was a land of boyars and serfs
○ Landowners needed serfs to work on the lad to
produce harvests
○ Serfs were seen as property, they were sold when the
land was sold
○ Serfs were also given as presents and to pay debts
● Most boyars looked to Constantinople not to Rome for
religious guidance
● Most Russians were Eastern Orthodox not Catholic or
Protestants
● Mongol rule had cut off Russia from the Age of Exploration
and the Renaissance Geographic barriers isolated Russia, its
only seaport was frozen in ice most of the year
Peter the Great comes to Power
● Romanov's restored order to Russia
● Passed new law codes and put down revolts
● 1696 Peter I becomes ruler of Russia (known as Peter the
Great), he continued the trend of increasing the czars power
● Peter believed the future of Russia depended on the country
having a warm water port to compete with the rest of Europe
● 1697 Peter leaves to tour Western Europe to learn European
customs and manufacturing techniques (he traveled in
disguise to keep his identity secret)
● Peter came back from his trip to "westernize" Russia
(adoption of Western European ideas, technology, culture)
● Russia would compete military and commercially with other
European countries
● To bring changes to Russia Peter became an absolute ruler
○ He reduced the power of the boyars
○ Gave power to lower ranking families, and gave them
grants of land
○ Modernized army, hired officers, used weapons and
tactics from other European countries
● Other attempts to "westernize" Russia included:
1. Introduction of potatoes, became a staple of the
Russian diet
2. Raised the status of women
3. Ordered nobles to give up traditional styles of clothing
and dress for European fashions
4. Opened universities to promote arts, sciences and
navigation
a. Peter thought that education was the key to
advance Russia
5. Promoted mercantilist policies
6. Improved waterways, roads, developed industry
● Had no mercy for those that resisted his orders
● Peter wanted a seaport to open trade with the west
● Fought a 21 year war with Sweden to gain port on Baltic Sea
● Before war was over Peter began to construct the city of St.
Petersburg
● Built on a desolate swamp used the labor and lives of 50,000
serfs
● Ordered nobles to move to capital from Moscow
● 1725 Peter dies and leaves Russia as European
Parliament Limits the English Monarchy
● Parliament in England had the power to control money and
kept English rulers from becoming absolute monarchs
● The struggle between Parliament and the monarchy had
serious consequences for England in the 1600's
● Tradition of limits on monarchs power
● Magna Charta, Parliament
● Elizabeth dies without heir, James I of Scotland becomes king
● James I (Catholic) disagreed with Parliament about finances,
fought against Puritans
● Dissolved Parliament, collected taxes on his own
● 1625 Charles I becomes king of England
● Charles always needed money because of constant war with
France and Spain
● When Parliament refused to give him money he dissolved it
● 1628 Charles needed Parliament to grant him money
Parliament forced him to sign Petition of Right
○ did not allow king to raise taxes without vote,
○ could not jail people without legal justification
● Petition put the law above the king
● Ignored petition, ruled England without Parliament for 11
years
● Charles imposed fees and fines on English people and his
popularity decreased year after year
● 1640 Charles needs money to fight a rebellion against the
Presbyterian Scots
 ● He could only get money by calling Parliament into session
gave Parliament a chance to oppose Charles1642 Charles
had Puritan leaders arrested and the English people began to
rebel against the king
● Charles fled to the north of England to raise an army
English Civil War
● 1642-1649 supporters and opponents of the English
monarchy fought against each other for seven years
● Cavilers- supporters of king o Roundheads- supporters of
Parliament
● Roundheads led by Oliver Cromwell defeated Charles' army
● Charles put on trial and executed
● First time a monarch was publicly executed
● Cromwell became ruler of England
● He established a commonwealth and republican form of
government • Cromwell soon became a military dictator
● 1649 Cromwell took over Ireland and gave the land to English
soldiers
● Cromwell was a Puritan and wanted to reform society to
promote Puritan morality
● Abolished activities such as theatre, dancing, sporting events
● After Cromwell's death in 1658 England returned to rule by a
king
● ● Over time the cabinet became the center of power and
The Restoration
● English wanted king because they were sick of military rule
● 1659 Charles II becomes king of England
● Popular king, reopened theatres and taverns
● During his reign Parliament passed a guarantee of freedom
known as habeas corpus
● Gave prisoners the right to know why they were arrested,
could not be held indefinitely without a trial or for simply
opposing the king
● After the death of Charles II his Catholic brother James II
became king
● Offended English because he displayed his Catholicism and
he appointed many Catholics to government positions
● 1688 English asked his Protestant sister, Mary and her
husband William, to overthrow the James II
● William led an army into England and James left for France
● The was no war or bloodshed, this event was known as the
Glorious Revolution
● William and Mary recognized Parliament as their partner in
government
● England became a constitutional monarchy (where laws limit
the ruler's power)
● 1689 The English Bill of Rights set limits on the monarchs
power in England
○ Monarch could not suspend laws
○ Could not tax without approval of Parliament
○ Could not interfere with freedom of speech
● They could petition the king with their grievances without fear
of punishment
● After 1688 monarchs could not rule without a group of
● advisers known as their cabinet
● Cabinet acted in the rulers name but they were represented
by the majority party in Parliament
policymaking
● The head of the cabinet is the prime minister
What is the Enlightenment?
● Change in outlook/thinking of educated Europeans in 1600s
● Wanted to examine human life using reason and rational
thought
● Reason = the Ability to think logically about something
● Called Enlightenment because they wanted to enlighten, or
shine a light on, new ways of thinking
For Your Information: Roots of the Enlightenment
Scientific Revolution – observation and reason were encouraged in
learning about our physical world
Renaissance – Humanists from this period questioned accepted
beliefs
Reformation – Protestants rebelled against Catholic Church, putting
individual conscience ahead of authority of the Church
Classical Culture – Trusting in reason and having a say in one’s
government goes back to the teachings of the Greeks and Romans
Christian Ideas – Rational understanding of faith based on the Bible
encouraged by Protestants
Change in Beliefs
● Roots of Enlightenment changed way people thought about
lives and world
● Reason prized over authority, ppl questioned everything
including basis of religion, morality, and government
● Enlightenment thinkers effected later societies by addressing
both social and political issues
The Enlightenment
John Locke
● Born in England in 1632
● Published several books about government
● Believed in rights for the individual
● John Locke’s ideas about government and personal rights
greatly influenced the Declaration of Independence
Beliefs of John Locke
● Disagreed with dictatorships
● Disagreed with Divine Rights of Kings (ruling by authority of
God)
● Believed unjust rulers could be forced from power
● Believed rulers received right to govern from the people
Most Famous Belief of John Locke
● Believed in idea of Natural Rights
○ Rights that belong to people, “by nature,” that is,
simply because they are human being
● Natural rights of people: life, liberty, and property
 ● Thomas Jefferson borrowed John Locke’s Ideas about natural
rights when writing the Declaration of Independence Voltaire
● Born in 1694 in France
● Believed in individual liberty
Baron de Montesquieu ● Concerned with freedom of thought and expression
● Born in France in 1689 ● Believed in religious tolerance (acceptance of different beliefs
● Worked as a lawyer and customs)
● Very rich, inherited uncle’s fortune ● Spoke out for the rights of Free Speech
● Believed in rights for the Individual ● Famous quote, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will
● Famous Quote - “Power should be a check to power.” defend to the death your right to say it.”
Meaning - there should be a system of checks and balances
in govt Rousseau
● Argued democracy best form of government
Beliefs of Baron de Montesquieu ● Believed in rights for the individual
● Believed in Division of power among separate branches of ● All people are created equal
govt ● Govt should defend individual rights and protect good of the
● Legislative Branch = Created the laws (ex: the Congress in whole
the USA)
● Impact of the Enlightenment
● Judicial Branch = Interpreted the laws (ex: the court system in ● Major influence of the leaders of American Revolution
the USA) ● Tackled both social and political issues, effecting several later
● Executive Branch = Enforced the laws (ex: the President of societies, including America
the USA) ● Declaration of Independence uses ideas that John Locke had
● Believed following the Separation of Powers would prevent about natural rights and purpose of govt
despotism (being ruled by a tyrant)
Frederick II of Prussia
● Ruled Prussia from 1740-1786
Additional Philosophers ● Enlightenment thinkers liked Frederick as a leader because
he refered to himself as a “servant of the state”
Thomas Hobbes ● Made several reforms including:
● Born in England in 1588 ○ Making legal system more just
● Believed humans naturally cruel, selfish, and greedy, driven ○ Greater freedom of the press
by a desire for power ○ Improvements in education
● Laws and government needed to keep order ○ Outlawed torture
● Governments protected people from their own selfishness
Joseph II of Austria
● Ruled from 1780-1790
● Supported several reforms based on principles of equality
and freedom:
○ Abolished serfdom
○ Allowed freedom of the press
○ Allowed freedom of worship
○ Outlawed torture and death penalty
● Many changes opposed by Nobles and didn’t last past
Joseph’s death
Enlightenment and Revolution
Mr. Fernandez US I
New Ideas and New Struggles Shape the Modern World
1766-1848
Enlightenment Ideas lead to New Ways of Thinking About
Social and Political Relationships.
● Enlightenment Political Philosophers sought to:
● Interpret (explain) the world around them.
● Search for a socially relevant truth that they in general agreed
was understandable by way of logic and reason.
● Change the world so that social reality and ideal reality were
one and the same.
How can we think of the relationship between Ideas and Action?
● Recall, that I suggested in class that ideas serve to “organize”
experience, but of course you don’t necessarily need formal
ideas to act.
● As we will see, there were a series of extraordinary events
between 1755-1776 that led to many actions that “begged” for
special “organization”.
Linkage of the Scientific Revolution to the Enlightenment
● Belief in Progress
● The successes of the Scientific Revolution gave Enlighten
thinkers the confidence that human reason could solve social
problems.
● More secular Perspective
● Scientists made discoveries that contradicted & challenged
religious teachings.
● Importance of the Individual
● People turned away from the Church & royalty for guidance -
looked to themselves.
● Encouraged to use their own abilities & reason to problem
solve
Vocabulary/New Words
● Secular: Not primarily religious in point of view.
● Revolution: A “relatively” short term and encompassing
change in the way people relate to each other. Revolutions
can be economic, social, political…or all of these at once!
● “I do not agree with a word you say but will defend to the
death your right to say it”
Voltaire
● Prolific writer who used satire against his enemies.
● Attacked clergy, aristocrats & gov
● Fought for religious freedom & speech.
● Was jailed & exiled for his beliefs.
● Fought superstition, intolerance and prejudice.
● He corresponded directly with many rulers
Hobbes
● Influenced by the English Civil War
● Human nature was wicked & life was like state of war
● Social Contract req’d people to give up liberties to an
absolute monarch.
● In return they gain order & security.
 ● Wrote the Leviathan ● Consent of the governed in US Constitution

Locke Beccaria
● Locke believed that human nature was essentially good. ● Interested in the justice system
● Humans were born with natural rights of life, liberty, ● Condemned torture & irregular procedings.
property….. ● Favored:
● Purpose of gov was to protect those rights ● Speedy trial
● If gov abused it’s authority as Britain had done people had a ● Fair treatment
right to overthrow the gov ● Punishment commensurate with the crime
● Locke’s Chief Influence ● Abolishing capital punishment
○ Principles include:
○ Natural rights Thomas Jefferson
○ Purpose of gov ● Jefferson was a main author of the Declaration of
○ Justification to overthrow gov Independence and argued for a republic based on human
● Author of the Two Treatise on Government equality and dedicated to “Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of
Happiness.” in which a free people and not a monarch would
Montesquieu captain the ship the State.
● Believed the best organization of gov included:
● Separation of powers & Mary Wollstonecraft
● Checks and balances ● Women were not treated fairly by most thinkers of this time.
● SOP was by itself a C/B Argued that women were not naturally irrational and “weak”
● Both ideas are part of the US Constitution. but were made that way by culture.
● Wrote Spirit of the Laws ● She argued that therefore educating and treating them with
equality was the path toward social progress for all.
“Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.” ● Wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Women
● “Children, I grant, should be innocent; but when the epithet is
Rousseau applied to men, or women, it is but a civil term for weakness.”
● Civilization corrupted man.
● Only good government had to be freely formed & guided by Wollstencraft
the “general will” of society.
● Favored “direct democracy” in which individuals agree to give How did Enlightenment Ideas Spread?
up some freedoms in favor of the common good.
● Consent of government Diderot
● Titles of nobility should be abolished ● Published the Encyclopedia.
● Influenced French Revolution/ ● Censorship used to prevent the spread of ideas.
 ● Enlightened despots, absolute rulers, were those willing to
consider some reforms
Salons & Salonieres
● Originated in 1600s
● Noblewomen began inviting enlightenment philosophes in all
fields to their homes
● By the 1700s middle class women began holding salons.
● Another way in which ideas were disseminated
Catherine the Great
● Experimented with Enlightenment ideas
● Communicated with Voltaire & Diderot.
● Gave some rights to nobles
● However she allied herself with nobles who opposed change.
● Suppressed serf revolt
Frederick the Great
● King of Prussia
● Religious tolerance
● Hired Voltaire to set up Prussian Academy
● Instituted reforms to help commoners
● However reforms were largely to make Prussian gov more
efficient
Vocabulary/New Terms
● Legitimacy: What is “appropriate”, “acceptable” considered
“as should be” in social (economic and political)
relationships.
● State: The organization that has the legitimate monopoly on
the use of deadly force in a particular territory. Governments
administer or “run” states, they aren’t states as such. (Though
many people who routinely confuse the two terms.)
● Taxation: The resources that the state takes from those under
it’s power—citizens, subjects, businesses, residents etc., in
order to pay for it’s own activities. (Everything from building
and maintaining roads to paying for wars)
● Monarchy: A kind of state in which a member of a ruling
family (dynasty) represents the state and governs as the
embodiment of the state. “I am the State” Louis XIV.
● Republic: Is a state in which the nation is sovereign and not a
dynasty. A republic’s government is formed by elected
representatives of the people who rule for and in the people’s
name.
The American Revolution
● In 1776 the representatives of the Thirteen Colonies of
English North America after an extended crisis of legitimacy
caused by disagreements regarding taxation and
representation on the part of Monarchical England decided to
stop being part of the United Kingdom in order to form their
own Republican Union.
● The declaration lead to a brutal war with England—A war that
became a virtual world war when England’s historical enemy
France joined the American revolutionaries.
● The Americans became a free republic at wars end in 1781.
● The French Monarchy went into extremely serious debt—a
fact which ironically led to a legitimacy crisis of their own and
eventual revolution in 1789.
● The American argument for a government of the people
influenced millions of non Americans around the world.
The American Revolution is not over. Or is it? Is a republic in which
all citizens are open to pursuing their happiness in equality and
fullest expression of all of life’s possibility real or still ideational?
Could it ever be real? Is it important that it could or could not be?
The Scientific Revolution
 ● Scholars make new developments in astronomy and
In the mid-1500s, scientists begin to question accepted beliefs and mathematics.
make new theories based on experimentation
A Revolutionary Model of the Universe
Causes of the Scientific Revolution ● The Heliocentric Theory
● Trade and Expansion of Trade ● Copernicus develops the heliocentric theory—planets
○ navigational problems generated research REVOLVE AROUND THE SUN
● Medieval Universities ● Later scientists mathematically prove Copernicus to be
○ study of Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy and Democritus were correct
essential--> These guys were the “Classics”
● The Renaissance Galileo’s Discoveries
○ value of mathematics ● He makes discovery about planets and planets surfaces
○ Humanism. ● Supports heliocentric theory
○ Printing Press ● Law of Pendulum and Rule of falling objects
● Challenged Aristotle’s previously held beliefs
Medieval Science
● Not really “science” but accepted body of tradition Conflict with the Church
● Who supported this “tradition”? The Church and common ● Church attacks Galileo’s work, fears it will weaken people’s
sense faith
The Ptolemaic System ● Pope forces Galileo to declare his and other new findings are
● Geocentric Model wrong
● He could PROVE his beliefs with logic and common sense
The Roots of Modern Science
Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
The Medieval View ● Proposed INDUCTION
● Most knowledge in the Middle Ages comes from the Bible and ○ make a lot of observations then generalize rules of
Greek/Roman sources. nature - this leads to scientific observation as a
● Supports geocentric theory—moon, sun, planets REVOLVE method
AROUND THE EARTH ● Promoted the modern idea of progress because he wanted
application of science
A New Way of Thinking ● Problem of Induction
● Renaissance prompts new ways of thinking (1300-1600) ○ there is no logical reason to go argue from any amount
● Scientific Revolution—new way of viewing the natural of experience to a general law.
world—based on observation and inquiry
● New discoveries, overseas exploration open up thinking Rene Descartes (1596-1650)
 ● Great mathematician - showed that any algebraic equation ● Boyle’s law reveals interaction of volume, temperature, and
could be plotted on a graph gas pressure.
● In this manner he linked Greek with Hindu and Arabic
knowledge Effect of Revolution
● Also looked at DEDUCTION - go from a theory to the facts ● Social impact
● Only wants what is absolute-->leads to proof of God. ○ rich get richer
○ not much immediate direct change for peasants
Newton Explains the Law of Gravity ○ widens intellectual gap
● Effect on navigation, map making and artillery
Newton’s Theories ○ Successful exploration and conquests
● English scientist Isaac Newton develops theory of ● Science has innumerable social effects over time: new guns,
motion—states some forces rule motion of planets, matter in bigger armies, more taxes, social discontent
space, and earth ○ guns lead to European colonialism (more accurate
● LAW OF GRAVITY cannon fire)
● Motion in space and earth linked by the law of universal ● New way of observing and looking at the world.
gravitation—holds that every object is universe attracts every
other object
● Newton views the universe as a vast, perfect mechanical
clock
The Scientific Revolution Spreads
● Scientific Instruments
● Scientists develop microscope, barometer, and thermometer
● New instruments lead to better observations and new
discoveries
● The Scientific Revolution Spreads

Medicine and the Human Body

● Andreas Vesalius improves knowledge of anatomy
● Edward Jenner produces world’s first vaccination—for
smallpox

Discoveries in Chemistry
● Robert Boyle argues that matter is made of many different
particles