Unit 4—Chapters 15, 16, & 17 Flashcards
The “Old Regime”
The social and economic relationships in France prior to the French revolution in 1789 Absolute monarchies throughout Europe Aristocratically led armies Scarcity of food Unsophisticated production
Aristocracy of the Old Regime
1-5% of the population
Had the widest degree of power
Most countries had a separate house for nobility in their parliaments, diets, estates, etc.
manual labor was seen as beneath a noble
French Nobility
Nobles “of the Sword” who gained their power through military service
Nobles “of the Robe” who gained their power through service to bureaucracy or from purchasing the title
Also divided between those who had influence in the Royal Court in Versailles and those who didn’t
Hobereaux were nobility who were hardly any better off than the peasantry.
Hereditary privileges made nobility exempt from paying most taxes: taille and corvées. Were supposed to pay vingtiéme, but rarely did
Stages of European contact with rest of the world since renaissance
- Discovery, exploration, conquest
- Merchantalism
- Imperialism
- Decolonization
Factors that allowed European nations to dominate the rest of the world
Technological advancement
Naval power
Guns
Fundamental institution present during first two periods of European imperialism in New world
Transatlantic slave trade
Main rivals during the era of colonization
France, Spain, England
Netherlands a little bit
Description of Merchantilism
Economic theory they prosperity of a nation is based on amount of capitol wealth
Increasing wealth by decreasing other country’s wealth
Purpose of colonies and home country in Merchantilism
Protection and administration from mother country
Peninsulares
Spanish who were born in Spain but live I the new world
Purpose of Spanish empire
To bring precious metals to home country of Spain
Creole
Spanish colonists who were born in the colonies
Two areas of conflict during mid eighteenth century
Oversees territories
Central and eastern Europe
War of Jenkins’ Ear
1739-1748 Spain and Britain Spain allowed Britain to trade 500 tons of goods Britain went way over that Robert Jenkins got ear cut off Used it for propaganda Opened up other colonial conflicts
The war of Austrian Succession
1740-1748
Maria Theresa gives nobility more power (decentralizing Austria) to win their support
Frederick the Great takes Silesia from Austria which hurts the Pragmatic Sanction
Austria and Britain vs. Prussia and France
Diplomatic Revolution of 1756
AKA Stately Quadrille
Britain + Prussia vs.
France + Austria
Seven Year’s War victors
1756-1763
Britain biggest victor overall
Prussia was largest winner on continent
Stamp Act
Made to collect revenue to pay for Seven Year’s War
Intolerable Acts
AKA Coercive Acts
Closed Boston port
Quartered British troops in private American homes
“Common Sense”
Thomas Paine
United American rebels together
USA might not have been able to secede from UK were this not written
American Revolution on slavery and rights
Didn’t end slavery
Not complete equal rights
No women rights
Introduced new form of social class system never seen before
Reason rot American resentment to pay taxes to Britain
“No taxation without representation”
Ideas and events that American ideals were based on
Glorious Revolution and Bill of Rights
John Locke’s natural rights
Montesquieu balance of power
Commonwealthmen’s Cato’s Letters: Repblicanism
Two most important influences on the Enlightenment
Isaac Newton
John Locke
