Chapter 15: Age of Absolutism and Empire
Research Topics
The Age of Absolutism
What was the model of absolutism that Louis XIV created? Why is it that few monarchs who came after him could live up to the standards he had set? Was 18th century absolute monarchy practical?
The period from 1660 and 1789 has been called the Age of Absolutism. There was something clearly theatrical about the royal absolutism of Louis XIV, the Sun King. It was a deliberate style of rule that was copied among the European monarchs, but never duplicated. This was especially the case by the mid-18th century, when many monarchs sought to present themselves in two ways at the same time -- absolute monarch and enlightened monarch. The English, suffering though a civil war, the restoration of the monarchy and finally the Glorious Revolution, came up with a decidedly different form of monarchy.
What was the model of absolutism that Louis XIV created? Why is it that few monarchs who came after him could live up to the standards he had set? Was 18th century absolute monarchy practical?
The period from 1660 and 1789 has been called the Age of Absolutism. There was something clearly theatrical about the royal absolutism of Louis XIV, the Sun King. It was a deliberate style of rule that was copied among the European monarchs, but never duplicated. This was especially the case by the mid-18th century, when many monarchs sought to present themselves in two ways at the same time -- absolute monarch and enlightened monarch. The English, suffering though a civil war, the restoration of the monarchy and finally the Glorious Revolution, came up with a decidedly different form of monarchy.
- Richelieu, Political Testament, 1624
Because of ill-health, Richelieu drafted his Testament as a set of instructions for Louis XIII. - The Petition of Right, 1628
Drawn up by Parliament, the Petition of Right was addressed to Charles I and sought redress on a number of issues including taxation, arbitrary arrest, and the forced billeting of troops. - The Grand Remonstrance, 1641
The Remonstrance was a list of grievances presented to Charles I regarding the selection of his ministers. - Jacques-Benigne Bossuet, "Kings 'By the Grace of God,'" 1679
According to Bossuet, the essential characteristics of royalty are that it is sacred, paternal, absolute, and subject to reason. - Louis XIV, The Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, 1685
As part of Louis XIV's consistent policy of repression, all the privileges accorded to French Protestants were forfeited when the Edict of Nantes was revoked in 1685. - The English Bill of Rights, 1689
The Bill of Rights is a statement of certain positive rights Parliament considered that citizens of a constitutional monarchy ought to have. - John Locke, The Basis of Property is Labor, 1690
In the Second Treatise (1690), Locke argued that the possession of the product of man's labor is a natural right. - Peter the Great and the Streltsi, 1698
An Austrian account of the way in which Peter the Great took vengeance on the rebels. - Saint-Simon, The Court of Louis XIV, early 18th century
The memorist Saint-Simon describes the court and characteristics of Louis XIV.
Section Menu
Chapter 
Organize
Learn
Connect
Instructors now have an easy way to collect students’ online quizzes with the Norton Gradebook without flooding their inboxes with e-mails.
Students can track their online quiz scores by setting up their own Student Gradebook.