POLITICS
What type of government predominated in Europe during the Ancien Régime?
Absolute Monarchy
Who owned most of the land during the Ancien Régime?
Nobility and Church
What characterized the demographic regime of the Old Regime?
High birth and mortality rates due to undernourishment, lack of hygiene, famines, epidemics, and wars.
In which century did the Enlightenment develop?
18TH
Who was named as the successor of Charles II of Spain?
Felipe de Anjou
What motto did Louis XIV of France use to symbolize his absolute power?
"L'État, c'est moi," which means "I am the state."
What type of agricultural techniques were commonly used during the Ancien Régime?
Archaic techniques such as biennial or triennial crop rotation.
What factors caused the European population to grow in the 18th century?
Decline in mortality due to improved nutrition, medical advances, fewer epidemics, and fewer wars.
How did Enlightenment ideas spread across Europe and the Americas?
Through salons, new communication media, and the Encyclopédie.
What reforms were imposed by the Decrees of Nueva Planta?
Political and administrative centralization.
What event occurred in England between 1642 and 1649 due to the dispute between monarchy and Parliament?
The English Civil War
What was the role of the bourgeoisie in promoting rural manufacturing during the Ancien Régime?
The bourgeoisie supplied raw materials and tools to rural peasants and acted as capitalist entrepreneurs by selling the finished products.
What social group lived in rural areas and worked the lands of the nobility and church?
Peasants
What reforms were proposed by Enlightenment thinkers?
Political reforms like a fair tax system, division of powers, and the social contract.
Who were some notable Spanish Enlightenment intellectuals?
Feijoo, Jovellanos, Campomanes, Floridablanca, Aranda.
How did Enlightened Despotism differ from traditional absolute monarchy?
Enlightened Despotism incorporated reforms influenced by Enlightenment ideas, promoting progress, education, and rational governance, while maintaining absolute control.
Why was the export of precious metals forbidden under mercantilist policies?
To retain gold and silver within the state, as wealth was measured by the amount of precious metals a country possessed.
Why did the bourgeoisie become a critical force behind the fall of the Ancien Régime?
They were economically strong but lacked political power and social recognition, leading them to push for reform and challenge the established order.
In what ways did enlightened despots attempt to increase their power?
By implementing reforms in politics, economy, culture, and military that aimed to modernize their states while keeping their privileges intact.
Which territories were regained by Spain as a result of the American Revolution?
Florida and Menorca.
What was the role of religion in legitimizing the authority of absolute monarchs during the Ancien Régime?
Religion played a critical role, as the theory of the divine right of kings claimed that monarchs derived their authority directly from God, making any challenge to the king’s rule a defiance of God’s will.
How did the Triangular Trade contribute to the development of commercial capitalism in Europe?
It allowed European traders to profit from the exchange of goods, slaves, and raw materials between Africa, America, and Europe, driving the accumulation of capital and expanding European economic dominance.
What role did wars and epidemics play in maintaining the high mortality rates of the Old Regime?
Frequent wars and recurring epidemics, combined with famine and poor living conditions, kept mortality rates high and life expectancy low.
What contradictions exist in the motto of enlightened despotism, "Everything for the people, nothing by the people"?
While it suggests that rulers act for the benefit of the populace, it also indicates a refusal to allow the people any political power or voice in governance, highlighting the tension between authority and reform.
What war did Spain join to counteract British expansionism in 1761?
The Seven Years' War.