Absolutism and Divine Right
What is the Divine Right of Kings?
This belief said kings got power from God and didn’t have to answer to the people.
What is the Magna Carta?
Signed in 1215, this English document limited the power of the king.
Who is Thomas Hobbes?
This thinker believed people are naturally selfish and need strong control.
Who is King Charles I?
The execution of this king marked the rejection of divine right during the English Civil War.
What is the Estates System (Old Regime)?
This system divided French society into 3 unequal social classes.
Who is Louis XIV?
Known as the “Sun King,” he built the Palace of Versailles as a symbol of his power.
What is trial by jury?
The Magna Carta gave this right to free men.
Who is John Locke?
He said people have natural rights like life, liberty, and property.
What is the Declaration of Independence?
This 1776 document, inspired by Enlightenment thinkers, justified the colonies’ break from England.
Who is Robespierre?
He led the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution.
Who is Peter the Great?
This Russian czar used absolute power to modernize his country’s military and government.
What are the English Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence?
These two later documents followed the Magna Carta in limiting monarchy and supporting individual rights.
Who is Jean-Jacques Rousseau?
He believed in a social contract between people and government.
What are Enlightenment ideas and the American Revolution?
The French Revolution was inspired by these two major influences.
Who is Toussaint Louverture?
He led the Haitian Revolution and helped make Haiti the first free Black republic.
What are checks and balances?
One major problem with absolutism is this lack of a system to keep rulers in check.
What is limiting the power of the monarch?
This idea, central to later democracies, began with the Magna Carta.
Who is Montesquieu?
His idea of separating power into branches influenced modern democracies.
What is the storming of the Bastille?
This July 14, 1789 event marked the start of the French Revolution.
What is abdicate?
This word means to give up power or step down from the throne.
Who are Louis XIV and Peter the Great?
These two absolute rulers showed their power through military reform and massive building projects.
What is separation of powers?
This Enlightenment idea is the opposite of absolute monarchy and emphasizes shared or divided power.
Who is Thomas Jefferson?
This American leader included Enlightenment ideas like natural rights in the Declaration of Independence.
Who is Napoleon Bonaparte?
He rose to power after the chaos of the French Revolution and later became emperor.
What is St. Helena?
Napoleon was finally defeated and exiled to this island after the Congress of Vienna.