...The English monarchy differed from other European monarchies during the absolute period. The age of absolutism is a period of time in history when most of Europe was ruled by absolute monarchs. An absolute monarch is a king or a queen with unlimited power. Some advantages of absolutism are quick decision making, good rulers, and an important force of unity. According to an article, “In Absolute Monarchy; the property is protected, industries are encouraged and art is developed. The monarch is like the parent of his subjects. An enlightened monarch can do much good for the people.” Disadvantages of absolutism include; less freedom, little say in government and a potential of tyrants to become leaders. “Since the Monarch stays in office till life, he can implement his policies for a longer time. The Government is stable in a Monarchy and changes do not take place very often. The Age of Absolutism took place around the 1600’s to the 1750’s. This is the period after exploration, providing European nation with overseas empires. Kings began to strengthen their power and become absolute monarchs. At this time there was a lot of external conflict in religion, wars and revolutions. People were desperate for a change and felt that someone powerful would make their communities improve quickly....
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...Political Absolutism/ Absolute Monarchy – France Constitutional Monarchy – England Steps Toward Political Absolutism in France: King Henry IV – 1) elected the Duke of Sully (Maximillian de Bethune) to reduce French debt that accumulated during fighting between Catholics and French Protestants (Huguenots) during the Age of Religious Wars. 2) Brought religious fighting to an end by granting the Huguenots religious toleration via the Edict of Nantes, and 3) Strengthened political power of the French Monarch by limiting the power of the nobility over the regional parliaments. Louis XIII – was assigned Cardinal Richelieu, by his mother Marie de Medici, as his personal advisor, when he was too young to rule at 9. Because of her inept capabilities to rule, Louis XIII, at 23, helped Richelieu send his mother into exile after which the king gave full support to Cardinal Richelieu to run the French Government. Richelieu succeeded in further strengthening the power of the monarch by 1) destroying the castles of the nobility and 2) crushing the political power of the Huguenots, who surrendered their fortified cities, military and territorial rights for religious toleration via the Peace of Alais (1629). 3) Finally, Richelieu transferred power from the nobility to royal elected officials through his creation of the intendant System. Louis IX – was assigned Cardinal Mazarin at the age of 3 as his personal and financial advisor and Prime Minister at the request of Louis’ mother...
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...that altered the balance of power between the English monarchy and the people in a positive way. Secondly, concepts in the Magna Carta provided justice and protection from the overreach of the English monarchy for millions of people from 1215 forward. Equally important is that several of the Magna Carta’s principles have endured and are found in multiple countries’ constitutions around the world today. The terms of the Magna Carta document was agreed to between King John I and English feudal barons on June 15, 1215...
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...upside down”, explain how much you think Britain underwent a revolution in the period 1642 to 1660 After the execution of Charles I, things in radically changed. With no monarch, England had now become a republic called the Commonwealth, something the people of England had never experienced. This left many people frightened due to the extreme change, however, some embraced their freedom and began doing in what they believed in, such as forming new religious groups/cults, something they had been unable to do in the past. Many historians believe that this period was very important in British history as for the first time a monarchy was not in charge and a ‘revolution’ had taken place. In this essay I will explain why Britain underwent a revolution. Firstly, the most important change was the absence of the monarchy. After Charles I’s execution, there was no monarchy and Cromwell and the army took control over England. Also, the Rump parliament had been dismissed when Cromwell had enough of their control. This left poor stability in England, as without a leader, people didn’t know who to listen to. Cromwell became Lord Protector and didn’t rule like a usual monarch. Firstly, he rejected the crown as he didn’t believe in monarchies, Jews (which had been expelled in the 1200’s) were allowed back into England and finally, although a strict Puritan, he was tolerant to many new groups and the beliefs of others e.g. the Quakers. This showed how much Britain itself had changed, people believed...
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...In 1776, England still held America captive under its rough and relentless tyrannical grip. "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine is a riveting pamphlet that exposes the flaws of monarchy and the need to break away from Britain. Paine utilizes metaphors and antithesis to serve his ultimate purpose of calling people to action against England. Paine's use of metaphors advances his aim to appeal to the masses of America with the message that America must separate from England. Paine begins his pamphlet with the shortcomings of monarchy. He claims that "government, like dress, is the badge of lost innocence; the palaces of kings are built upon the ruins of the bowers of paradise" (2). "Government" is equated to "dress" to exemplify how unnatural Britain's rule...
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...The nature of European monarchies changed between 1500 and 1789. Prior to the Reformation, various levels of government had worked together to make laws and to govern the land. The Reformation destroyed that because it divided people at every level of society. A way around this problem came from the idea that monarchs got their power to rule directly from God. This power was absolute and indivisible. This theory came to be called the divine right of kings. Religious upheaval, continuous warfare, and increasing wealth gave divine right monarchs the opportunities they needed to take power into their own hands. As a result, most European rulers achieved more political power and less legal restraint on that power. England proved to be the great...
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...not paying attention” (Paolini). Thomas Paine was born January 29th 1737 in England. He was considered a Quaker. “In 1774, he met Benjamin Franklin in London, who advised him to emigrate to America, giving him letters of recommendation” (Humanities commuting). Paine had entered Philadelphia where he felt tension because of the Boston Tea Party. Thomas agreed on people revolting against the government who requires to tax them. He thought the America did not need to be dependent with England. Paine realized that there needed to be a separation of colonies. On June 10th 1176 pain had a lot of ideas about independence...
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...The popular rebellions during the Tudor dynasty were potentially an extremely dangerous threat to their power. However in practice, the majority of attempts to promote popular rebellion were crushed so quickly and effectively by the monarch that the movements never got the chance to develop into anything more serious. Furthermore very few rebellions ever made it out the county it originated in. That being said it has been argued that there were a select few rebellions that were serious threats to the monarchy… such as `The Pilgrimage of Grace’ a popular rising in Yorkshire in the autumn of 1536, Wyatt’s rebellion in 1554, Tyrone’s rebellion in Ireland (1595-1603). The importance of the people involved in the rebellions was essentially the most important factor in the severity of the rebellions. The difference of having one noblemen or gentry to a rebellion was crucial, as realistically a band of angry peasants with minimal weapons are never going to overthrow an established powerful monarch. The involvement of nobleman brought military equipment, soldiers and financial support to a rebellion along with showing a great deal of discount towards the monarch and therefore making the rebellion more serious. Furthermore a key example of this would be Ketts rebellion regarding taxation in 1549.The Kett rebelion was originally a peasant’s revolt in Norfolk, during Edward vi reign. The revolt was largely in response to enclosure of lands. Beginning at Wymondem on the 8th of July 1549...
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...the rest of Europe. Raw materials were also imported to support Constantinople's local industry. The city developed a thriving silk market after silkworms were smuggled in from China. As a result of all these factors, Constantinople became the center of a powerful trade empire. Prior to the reign of King Phillip II Augustus, rulers of France, known as Capetians, had very little actual power. The Capetians ruled a very small portion France and were often less powerful than many of the dukes. During his time as king, Phillip fought against the English for the control of several French provinces. He gained a large portion of these lands and inspire future Capetian kings to continue to expand the royal domain. The expanded territory made the monarchy grow significantly more rich and powerful than it had been in the past....
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...1. Why does Paine write Common Sense anonymously and how does he think his work will be remembered? "In the following sheets, the author hath studiously avoided every thing which is personal among ourselves. Compliments as well as censure to individuals make no part thereof. The wise and the worthy need not the triumph of a pamphlet; and those whose sentiments are injudicious or unfriendly, will cease of themselves, unless too much pains is bestowed upon their conversion." (Thomas Paine) So, basically as much as the book means for the colonists, Paine wanted to be on a rather neutral ground. He had no need for the glory that brought forth by a pamphlet (which is the whole Common Sense) nor he wanted to go against those who would certainly punish him for what his work brought forth. He himself clearly said that only those who got too hurt emotionally by sins they made would spare him for what he wrote. (aiming at the authorities who used violence to suppress the colonists) It is merely a guess from my part but I think what he meant was that he should not be the one the sacrifice but instead the colonists who were being suppressed at the time. He did not want them to rely on anyone but themselves to save their own life. Thus, he probably thought that his work would remain as something written by basically no one at all but merely created by the people' passions for freedom. On other words, the work was only there to raise the spirit of colonist to fight for their own lives and...
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...While perhaps not as well known as the great William Shakespeare, the author Edmund Spenser was influential in more ways than one. The Renaissance was a time of discovery and economic and artistic blossoming. After a challenging time, England was finally beginning to thrive. However, the creative influence of the Renaissance did not seem to reach them. While other countries, such as Italy, were artistically blossoming, England lacked motivation. But, once Edmund Spenser’s works began to be publicized, his ideas sparked change. Edmund Spenser’s writings not only influenced authors of his era, but also helped spread Renaissance beliefs such as monarchism, protestantism, rationalism, and anti-catholicism. Edmund Spenser influenced the writing...
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...Assess the significance of religion as a factor in bringing about change in the nature of royal authority between 1540 – 1642 Between 1540 and 1642 England saw six different rulers; an examination into the religious changes, personality and relationship with parliament will bring about an answer in to the change of nature of royal authority. During 1540-1642 religious change led to rebellions and conflict proved highly embarrassing and potentially fatal to the monarchy ‘The church acted as a bedrock of authority. It had been a source of authority in late medieval society’ says Nicholas Fellows. After the reformation of the church Edward VI had to deal with situation of confusion left from his father. Edward was a firm supporter of the religious reforms and by 1549 England had made a caution step towards Protestantism. The western rebellion 1547 illustrated a strong sense of religious conservatism. The complaints that caused the rebellion were the changes that were thought to have taken place in the baptism and confirmation and the rebels wanted the restoration of many of the old religious practices. Article two’s call for the restoration of the six articles undermined all the work of the Edwardian reformation, they also had a strong desire for the ceremony and ritual of catholism. The rebels attacks communion and both kinds of the new prayer book which were symbolic of the new religion, clearly most of the demands was an attack of Protestantism and furthermore an attack...
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...great example of political freedom within the colonies is the Mayflower Compact. It organized a form of self-government and resolved issues based on majority rule among the Plymouth Colony, which was also fleeing England due to religious persecution. This document had built a wall between the monarchy in England and the people in British North America since it was the first active revolt against King James. A second example would be John Winthrop establishing theocracy in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. This was very different from the monarchy back in England because it was a government ruled by religion. Both the Mayflower Compact and the theocracy in Massachusetts were experiences that led to political freedom....
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...Sir Thomas Wyatt was a member of a wealthy and well connected gentry family from Kent. He succeeded to the family estates on the death of his father in 1542. Unfortunately for Wyatt, his career suffered a setback in 1547 when Surrey fell into disfavor with Henry VIII and was executed. As a committed protestant Wyatt favored the Edwardian regime, which he defended in 1549 when riots broke out in Kent. He was trusted by Somerset's successor Northumberland, who appointed him to represent the English government in negotiations with the French in 1550. Wyatt served the Edwardian regime loyally but declared his support for Mary when Jane Grey was proclaimed queen. Wyatt's initial support for Mary soon evaporated when he heard of the Spanish marriage. As an MP he became involved in the opposition to the proposed marriage in parliament but his hopes of persuading the queen to reject the marriage failed.By the end of January 1554 anti-Spanish feelings led to a rebellion.The rebellion was ultimately a failure and therefore the threat it posed must have been highly significant in the moment but passed quickly. Mary's character, her determination and her courage were important factors that helped to keep royal authority intact. Mary was known throughout her reign for her strong religious beliefs. Mary was a devoted catholic with strong views on how the country would be best suited to her religious influences. Her religious conviction and strong personality combined were in many ways responsible...
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...How and why did England avoid the path of absolutism? • Slipped into Civil War won by parliamentary forces • After death of Charles I, Parliament abolished the monarchy and the House of Lords and proclaimed England a republic. • Charles II: "Declaration of Indulgence": Suspended the laws that Parliament had passed against Catholics and Puritans after the restoration of the monarchy. • James II: guaranteed constitutional crisis for England o Attempted to further Catholic interests; caused conflict • William and Mary's BILL OF RIGHTS: o Affirmed Parliament's rights to make laws and levy taxes o Rights of citizens to keep arms o This Bill of Rights destroyed absolutism Magna Carta in 13th century limited kings power In order for absolutism...
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