Paths to Constitutionalism and Absolutism

1
Paths to Constitutionalism and Absolutism

• England and France in the Seventeenth Century

2
Two Models of European Political Development

• Monarchy
• Religion
• Government

3
Monarchy

• England monarchs efforts to to get new sources
  threatened political and economic stability
• France- Louis XIV made French dependent upon his
  patronage
• But allowed Parlement of Paris to oversee royal
  decrees
• And regional parlements to administer local
  taxation

4
Religion

• England
• Protestant religious movement of Puritanism
  opposed Stuart monarchy and sought to limit its
  powers.

• France
• Louis XIV- with support of Roman Catholics,
  crushed Protestant dissident movement to create
  religious unity.

5
Government

• English Representative parliament ingrained in
  political structure, became strong institution by
  the end of the 17th century.
• Parliamentary government included nobility and
  landowners to limit local monarch powers
• French Nobilty supported Louis XIV
• Estates General was not an institutional base for
  reform

6
Constitutional Crisis and Settlement in Stuart
England(Words to Look For)

• King James I, Divine right of Kings, Puritan
  separatists, Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts Bay
  Colony
• Charles I, Petition of Right
• Grand Remonstrance, Oliver Cromwell, New Model
  Army, Lord Protector
• Charles II, Stuart Restoration
• James II, Glorious Revolution, Bill of Rights

7
King James I

• Advocated Divine Right of Kings
• Made his people mad by maintaining Anglican
  episcopacy.
• Enforced impositions that were unpopular with the
  Parlement
• 1620- Puritan Separatists founded Plymouth Colony
• Few years later- Massachusetts Bay Colony

8
Charles I

• Forced more unpopular levies/ taxes
• Stationed troops en route to war with Spain in
  private homes
• Parlement forced Charles I to agree to Petition
  of Right (Required the monarch to gain consent of
  Parliament before levying taxes)
• 1629- Parliament declared that Charless levying
  of taxes without consent was treason

9
Civil War

• 1641- Grand Remonstrance (summary of grievances)
• Charles invaded Parliament, civil war (1642-1646)
• Oliver Cromwell(1599-1658) Lord Protector- led
  Parliamentary army (New Model Army), and won.
• England became a Puritan republic (1649-1660)
• By 1658 exiled Charles II was permitted to return
  to bring peaceful rule back to Europe.

10
Charles II

• Rule is known as Stuart Restoration
• Brought England back to 1640s conditions
• When Anglican Church was at the fore of religion
• Monarch had little or no responsibility to call
  Parliament

11
Glorious Revolution

• James II renewed fears of Catholic England by
  appointing Catholics in positions of power
• 1689- Fled to France in the face of William of
  Oranges army. William and Mary declared new
  monarchs of England
• This was the Glorious Revolution
• Bill of Rights- limited monarch powers,
  prohibited Roman Catholics from the throne, and
  guaranteed the role of Parliament in government.

12
Rise of absolute monarchy in France(words to
look for)

• Louis XIV, The Sun King, One King, one law,
  one faith, Cardinal Mazarin
• Divine Right, L etat cest moi
• Versailles, Jansenists, Jean-Baptiste Colbert,
  Mercantilism
• Edict of Nantes

13
The Sun King

• Louis XIV (called himself the Sun King)- Absolute
  monarchy and Catholic Rule
• Motto- One King, One Law, One Faith
• Helped by Cardinal Mazarin- Continued Richlieus
  policy of centralization of government

14
I am the State!

• Louis XIV big on propaganda and public image
• Believed to have Divine Right- unbound by rules
  of princes and parliaments
• Famous for L état cest moi

15
French Power

• Louis XIVs court at Versailles
• Supported religious conformity
• Suppressed Jansenists (Group of Catholics opposed
  to Jesuit influence)
• France superior during XIVs reign- Bureaucracy,
  military, and national unity
• Jean-Baptiste Colbert- Controller of finances,
  helped XIV consolidate French wealth.
• Colberts close government control of economy
  known as mercantilism

16
Edict of Nantes

• 1685- Louis revoked Edict of Nantes
• Resulted in the immediate closure of Protestant
  churches and schools, expulsion of protestant
  ministers
• Also, voluntary emigration of a quarter of a
  million French folk, who joined resistance to
  France throughout the world.