History Outline Essay, Research Paper
Mrs. S Chris Johnson
History 10-H November 14, 1999
History Outline
A world of Progress and Reason
¨ Enlightenment grew out of the scientific revolution of the 1500?s and 1600?s
¨ Joseph Preistly and Antoine Lavoisier built framework for modern chemistry
¨ Edward Jenner developed a vaccine against smallpox
¨ Natural Laws ? Laws that govern human nature
Two views of the social contract
¨ Thomas Hobbes and John Locke made ideas key to the Enlightenment
¨ Thomas Hobbes put ideas into his book, Leviathan
¨ He argued that people were naturally cruel, greedy, and selfish
¨ Thought life in a ?state of nature? would be solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short
¨ Hobbes supported the Stuart kings in struggle against parliament
¨ John Locke optimistic view of nature
¨ Thought people were basically reasonable and moral
¨ Believed that all people had Natural Rights ? rights that belonged to all humans from birth
¨ Theses rights included: right to life, liberty, and property
¨ Wrote Two Treatises of Government
¨ It said that people formed governments to protect their natural rights
¨ He rejected absolute monarchy
¨ Also believed that people had the right to overthrow the government
Montesquieu?s spirit of the laws
¨ 1700?s France saw a flowering of enlightenment
¨ early and influential thinker was Baron de Montesquieu
¨ he studied the governments of Europe
¨ often gave sharp criticism of absolute monarchy
¨ wrote, The Spirit of the Laws
¨ discussed governments throughout history and complimented England?s monarchy
¨ his ideas of separation of powers and checks and balances in government were written into the constitution of the United States
The world of the Philosophes
¨ Philosophes? which means ? lovers of wisdom?
¨ Most famous Philosophes was Francois-Marie Arouet who later took the name of Voltaire
¨ His outspoken attacks offended the government and the catholic church
¨ He was imprisoned and exiled
¨ Encyclopedia written by Denis Diderot
¨ Took 25 years to write the 28 volumes
¨ The purpose was to change the general way of thinking
¨ Included articles by leading thinkers of the day including Montesquieu and Voltaire
¨ Denounced slavery, praised freedom of expression, and argued education for all
¨ French government thought the book was an attack on public morals
¨ 20,000 copies were printed
Rousseau: A controversial figure
¨ Most controversial Philosophe was Jean-Jacques Rousseau
¨ Believed people in ?natural state? were basically good
¨ Thought natural innocence was corrupted by the evils of society
¨ Set forth his ideas on government and society in The Social Contract
¨ Thought the individual should be subordinate to the community
¨ Hatred of political and economic oppression woven through out his works
¨ Helped fan the flames of revolt in centuries to come
Limited Natural Rights for Women
¨ Women did have natural rights
¨ These rights were limited to the home and family
¨ Notion that women were by nature inferior to men
¨ Germaine deStael in France and Catherine Macauly and Mary Wollstonecraft in England argued that women had been excluded from the social contract itself
¨ Wollenstonecraft best known British female critic
¨ Accepted that a woman?s first duty was to be a good mother
¨ Felt that a woman should be able to decide what is in her own interest and should not be completely dependent on her husband
¨ She published, Vindication of the Rights of Woman
¨ Called for same education for girls and boys
¨ Argued only education can give women the tools to participate equally with men in public life
New Economic thinking
¨ Physiocrats ? looked for Natural Laws to define a rational economic system
¨ Laissez faire ? allowed businesses to operate with little or no government interference
¨ Claimed that real wealth came from making the land more productive
¨ Extractive industries such as agriculture, mining, and logging produced new wealth
¨ Physiocrats supported free trade and wanted to lift all tariffs
¨ Adam Smith a British economist admired the physiocrats
¨ He argued that Free market ? natural forces of supply and demand, should be allowed to operate and regulate business
¨ A strong supporter of Laissez faire
¨ Believed that the marketplace was better off with out any government regulation
¨ However he did believe that the government had a duty to protect society, administer justice, and provide public works
¨ His ideas gained increasing influenced as the Industrial Revolution spread across Europe
The challenge of new ideas
¨ The ideas of the enlightenment spread quickly through many levels of society
¨ Coffeehouses were often where people met to discuss new ideas
¨ Europeans had accepted without question a society based on divine right rule, a strict class system and a belief in heavenly reward for earthly suffering
¨ In the Age of Reason such ideas seemed unscientific and irrational
¨ Government and church authorities felt they had a sacred duty to defend the old order
¨ They waged a war of censorship, banning and burning books and imprisoning writers
¨ Writers like Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Rousseau sometimes disguised their ideas in works of fiction
Salons
¨ Salons ? informal social gatherings
¨ Originated in 1600?s
¨ Noblewomen started the idea by inviting a few friends over to their homes for poetry readings
¨ Only the most witty, intelligent, and well-read people were invited to salons
¨ By 1700?s some middle class women began holding salons
¨ Gave middle class citizens the ability to meet with the nobility on an equal footing to discuss and spread enlightenment ideas.
The Salon in the Rue Saint Honore
¨ Inspired from previous visits to Salons Madame Geoffrin eventually set up her own salon in the house on Rue Saint Honore
¨ She entertained poets and philosophers, artists and musicians
¨ On Mondays Geoffrin welcomed artists and musicians
¨ Wednesdays, philosophers and poets came for discussion
¨ Madame donated large sums of money to help support the Encyclopedia
¨ Visiting monarchs paid their respects at what came to be called the ?kingdom? of Rue Saint Honore
¨ Catherine 2nd of Russia and Maria Theresa of Austria often visited
Enlightened Despots
¨ Some monarchs did accept enlightenment ideas
¨ They became Enlightened Despots ? absolute rulers who used their power to bring about social and political change
¨ Frederick the Great King of Prussia from 1740 ? 1786 saw himself as the ?the first servant of the state? with a duty to work for the common good
¨ He admired Voltaire tolerated religious differences welcoming victims of religious persecution
¨ His reforms were directed mainly at making the Prussian government more efficient
¨ Simplified laws
¨ Catherine the Great exchanged letter
¨ Made limited reforms in law and government
¨ Spoke out against serfdom
¨ Allied herself with the Russian nobles
¨ Joseph 2nd Hapsburg emperor student of enlightenment
¨ Tried to improve the lives of peasants
¨ Chose talented middle class officials rather than nobles to head departments and impose a range of political and legal reforms
¨ Granted toleration to Protestant?s and Jews in his Catholic empire
¨ He also ended censorship
¨ Abolished serfdom
The Arts and Literature
¨ Grand, complex style of art known as Baroque
¨ Baroque paintings were huge, colorful, and full of excitement
¨ They glorified historic battles or the lives of saints
¨ By 1700?s Rococo style was invented
¨ Rococo art was personal, refined, elegant, and charming
¨ Furniture and tapestries featured delicate shells and flower decorations
¨ Also included European versions of Chinese art
¨ Painters showed noble subjects in charming rural settings, surrounded by happy servants and pets
¨ Ballets and operas- plays set to music- were performed at royal courts
¨ Opera houses sprang up from Italy to England to amuse the paying public
¨ Johann Sebastian Bach wrote complex and beautiful religious works for organ and choirs
¨ George Frederick Handel wrote Water Music and other pieces for King George I
¨ His most celebrated work Messiah combines both instruments and choir
¨ Wolgang Amadeus Mozart was only 6 yr. old when he hit it big
¨ Although he was an instant celebrity he died in poverty at the age of 35
¨ Daniel Defoe wrote Robinson Crusoe
¨ Samuel Richardson wrote Pamela
Lives of the Majority
¨ Villages in Western Europe were relatively more prosperous than those in Eastern Europe
¨ In the west serfdom had largely disappeared
¨ Peasants worked their own patches of land
¨ Others were tenants of large land owners
¨ In Eastern Europe serfdom was firmly rooted
¨ Peasants bound to the land owed labor services to their lords and could be bought and sold with land
¨ In France, peasants still had to provide free labor
¨ In England, country squires had the right to hunt foxes across the plowed and planted fields of their tenants
Global Expansion
¨ England?s location made it well placed to control trade during the Renaissance
¨ In the 1700?s Britain was generally on the winning side in European conflicts
¨ Treaty of Utrecht ? France was forced to give Britain Nova Scotia and Newfoundland
¨ England gained an monopoly in the slave trade in south America
¨ Slave trade brought enormous wealth to British merchants
¨ 1763 Treaty of Paris ? ended the seven years war. Gave Britain all of French Canada
¨ British east India company pushed the French out of India
¨ Britain had no large standing army instead it had a powerful navy
¨ England followed mercantilist policies
¨ 1707 Act of Union ? united Scotland and England in the United Kingdom of Great Britain
¨ United kingdom also included Wales
¨ England had controlled Ireland since the 1100?s
¨ Gave Protestant settlers title to Irish catholic lands
Growth of Constitutional Government
¨ Three new political institutions arose in Britain: Political parties, the Cabinet, and the office of the prime minister
¨ Government whose power is defined and limited by law ? Constitutional Government
¨ British constitution is made up of all acts of parliament over the centuries
¨ Includes: Magna Carta, and bill of rights
¨ Two political parties emerged: Whigs and Tories
¨ Whigs ? backed liberal policies, reflected urban business interests, and supported religious toleration for Protestants. Whigs dominated the parliament in the 1700?s
¨ Tories – conservative landed aristocrats, sought to preserve old traditions, supported broad royal powers and a dominant Anglican church
¨ The two parties represented cliques among the rich powerful men
¨ Votes were often pooled to advance their common interests
¨ A handful of parliamentary advisors set policies they were called the cabinet
¨ Leader of the majority party in parliament and in time the chief official of the British government ? Prime Minister
¨ Robert Walpole considered Britain?s first Prime Minister
Politics and society
¨ A government in which the ruling power belongs to a few people ? Oligarchy
¨ Highest nobles held seats in the house of lords
¨ Wealthy landowners controlled elections in house of commons
¨ The right to vote was limited to few male property owners
¨ Majority of society made a meager living from the land
¨ Landless families faced a harsh and desperate existence
¨ Middle class included successful merchants and manufactures
¨ George the 3rd tried to regain the crown?s powers to no avail many of his policies on America led to the American revolution
The 13 English colonies
¨ By 1750 a string of 13 prosperous colonies stretched along the eastern coast of North America
¨ Part of Britain?s growing empire
¨ Busy centers of commerce
¨ 1600?s parliament had passed the Navigation Acts to regulate colonial trade and manufacturing
¨ colonies were home to diverse religions and ethnic groups
Growing Discontent
¨ George III and his ministers thought that the colonists should help pay for the French Indian war. Britain began to enforce the long-neglected laws regulating colonial trade and parliament passed new laws to raise taxes from the colonies
¨ Colonists protested with, ?no taxation without representation?
¨ They believed since they had no say on parliament that they shouldn?t be taxed
¨ 1770 British soldiers opened fire on a protesting crowd killing 5
¨ called the Boston Massacre
¨ 1773, a handful of colonists staged the Boston tea party throwing cargo of British tea of the ships and into the harbor to protest the new taxes on tea
¨ By April 1775 the crisis exploded into a war
¨ Colonial leaders met in a Continental Congress to decide what actions to take
¨ Congress setup a continental army with George Washington in command
¨ Following year the congress voted for independence and had Thomas Jefferson draft the Declaration of Independence
¨ The Declaration claimed that people had the right ?to alter or abolish? unjust government
¨ on July 4,1776 American leaders adopted the Declaration
The American Revolution
¨ American cause looked bleak
¨ British held New York and Philadelphia, rebels controlled the country side.
¨ American trimuph over the British in Battle of Saratoga
¨ Convinced the French to join the Americans against it?s old rival, Britain
¨ Netherlands and spain soon added their support
¨ Washington forced the surrender of a British army at Yorktown
¨ Two years later American, British , and French negotiators signed the Treaty of Paris
¨ In it Britain recognized the independence of The United States of America
¨ It also accepted the new nation?s western frontier as the Mississippi river