Warmup 2/1 Grab a textbook as you come in What kind of political system does the following government use? Alpensloss: the rather small kingdom of Alpensloss is a monarchy. However, by agreement with his great grandfather, the King of Alpensloss has a strange deal. On each citizen’s 18th birthday, the King (or King’s representative) signs a contract with that citizen that clearly states whether that citizen will join society or not. If the citizen chooses not to join, they can still live within Alpensloss but are immune to all its laws and are not covered by any of its services.

Scientific Revolution Little Ice Age Reformation Renaissance Scientific Revolution Europe 1300-1650 Age of Exploration Age of Absolutism Military Revolution The Black Death

Notes: The Age of Absolutism Roughly 1550-1800 Describes the period in which: European countries developed absolute monarchies. European countries became centralized. Centralized: a country in which power and administration is focused in one place.

Absolute Monarchy An absolute monarchy is any system in which the following are true: Is a monarchy Is an autocracy The monarchs power approaches 100%

Absolute Monarchy These things will be true of rulers whose power “approaches 100%” Centralized: government focused in one place, not spread out (to lords, for example) Power of the Purse: can decide when/how to raise taxes and how revenue is used. Arbitrary Power: can do anything or make/unmake any law without consent of any other person

Divine Right of Kings Monarchs justified their power with Divine Right. Divine Right: the belief that a monarch has been chosen by God to lead. Therefore no one else may limit their power. Sovereignty comes from God

ASSIGNMENT: Age of Absolutism Each person will be reading a different textbook section. Your job is to decide if the monarchs described in this section was actually an absolute monarch.

ASSIGNMENT: Age of Absolutism Read assigned section. Detail their Actions: what did they do to increase absolutism? What did they do to decrease it? Record specific actions. At the end: how successful were these monarchs at achieving Absolute Monarchy? 10 minutes

ASSIGNMENT pt 2 You will be presenting your section to people sitting around you. Copy: Reasons they were or were not absolute Whether they were an absolute monarch 2 minutes per person

ASSIGNMENT pt 3 Some historians say that Absolute Monarchies were never actually achieved in this period. Do you agree?