Dropping Names
radically modernized and expanded Russia, transforming it from an isolated, medieval state into a major European empire
Peter the Great
a period of dramatic change in human thought and scientific inquiry and the emergence of modern science; Shifted reliance from ancient authority and pure philosophy to systematic observation and physical experimentation
Scientific Revolution
largely scaled agricultural estate dedicated to the mass production and export of specific cash crops, operated through forced or hired labor
Plantation
monarch derives their authority directly from God and is accountable only to God, not to any earthly institution (people/ citizens)
Divine Right of Kings
agreement where individuals give up certain personal freedoms and agree to obey laws in exchange for security, social order, and the protection of their remaining rights
Social Contract
powerful chief minister to King Louis XIII, master architect of absolute monarchy that dominated French government policy
Cardinal Richelieu
intellectual and cultural movement that emphasized reason, science, and individual rights over tradition and blind faith; human reason best for understanding the universe and solving problems
Enlightenment
region or settlement subject to the political, legal, and economic control of a parent country (authority)
Colony
government where a single sovereign holds supreme, unconstrained political power over the state and its people, free from constitutional, legislative, or citizen checks
Absolute Monarchy
adherence to accepted, traditional, and aligned religious beliefs, especially those defined by official church councils (opposing views labeled as heresy)
Orthodoxy
(Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains) humans are naturally good and independent, but society makes them unequal and unfree
Rosseau
the newly mapped Western Hemisphere (American lands) previously unknown to medieval European geography
The New World
business organization where multiple investors buy shares of stock, pooling their capital to fund expensive ventures while sharing both the financial risks and profits
Joint Stock Company
system where complete, unlimited power is held a single authority that claims power to govern through fixed or universal principles
Absolutism
universal, inalienable entitlements that belong to every person from birth; virtue of being human, meant to be granted naturally (required) not by law or government
Natural Rights
governing authority (Leviathan) possess absolute and undivided power to effectively maintain peace and prevent society from collapsing into chaos (naturally chaotic behaviors)
Hobbes
religious and political movement in Europe that challenged the Catholic Church and gave birth to Protestantism; Split Western Christianity into Roman Catholicism and new Protestant traditions reshaping European politics, economics, and society
Reformation
leg of the triangular Atlantic slave trade in which millions of enslaved Africans were forcibly transported across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas; ships then returned to Europe carrying raw materials produced by slave labor (sugar, tobacco, cotton)
Middle Passage
conquer vast amounts of territory with the use and deployment of newly invented firearms, especially cannon and small arms
Gunpowder Empire
intellectual movement focused on human potential, ethics, and reason rather than strictly religion; that inspired a "rebirth" of classical learning, art, and philosophy
Renaissance
(People naturally possess fundamental rights) governments exist through consent of governed to protect natural rights; If a government fails, the people have a right to change (rebel)
Locke
adopted cultural, social, and behavioral habits typical of Western societies; changes outside frameworks
Westernization
governments heavily regulate trade to build national wealth and power; fueled European maritime exploration, the colonization of the Americas, and the expansion of the transatlantic slave trade
Mercantilism
nation or state holds supreme, absolute authority over own territory and domestic affairs (free from outside control)
National Sovereignty
principle holding that stability and peace are preserved when no single ruling entity becomes strong enough to dominate all others
Balance of Power