1. Absolutism and Enlightenment
Unit 2 Notes

2. State Standards (7-2.1) The student will be able to…
Summarize the essential characteristics of the limited government in England following the Glorious Revolution and the unlimited governments in France and Russia, including some of the restraints placed upon a limited government’s power and how authoritarian and totalitarian systems are considered unlimited governments.

3. Magna Carta - 1215 established idea of limited government
signed by King John of England
guaranteed certain rights (trial by jury) and limited the power of the king

4. Parliament representatives who spoke for the people
held the power to tax and controlled the amount of money going to the king
over time, divided into two houses
House of Lords – nobles, church officials
House of Commons – townspeople

5. Moving Toward Limited Government
Magna Carta Limits King John’s power
1275 Parliament formed after King Edward I calls first meeting
“Bloody” Mary Tudor dies. Half sister Elizabeth takes throne
1603 Queen Elizabeth I dies. Leaves throne to James I (Cousin)
James I (Stuart) becomes king of England
Charles I (James’ son) becomes king of England
Parliament enacts the Petition of Rights-Bans king from:
1) Passing taxes without Parliament approval
2) Quartering troops in private homes
3) Imprisoning a person without charges
Charles I ignores the Petition of Rights
Oliver Cromwell organizes a Parliamentary army
Civil War breaks out between Parliament and King
1646 Parliament wins complete control of government

6. Moving Toward Limited Government
Charles I tried and executed
Oliver Cromwell imposes martial law (rule by military)
Cromwell dies. Leaves control to son, Richard
Monarchy restored by newly elected Parliament
Charles II takes throne (Period Known as the Restoration)
Charles II dies. Catholic brother, James II inherits throne
Parliament fears the return of a Catholic monarchy
after the birth of a son (heir to throne)
Parliament invites Mary (James’ daughter) and William of Orange
to take throne.
William and Mary take throne from James II in a bloodless
Glorious Revolution.
James II flees England with son
Parliament requires William and Mary to sign the
English Bill of Rights, which limits monarchy and states rights of Parliament and the people

7. William and Mary
Mary, Protestant daughter of James II, and her husband William of Orange are invited to rule England during the Glorious Revolution
established a constitutional monarchy (their power was limited by the English Bill of Rights)
William of Orange
Mary Stuart

8. English Bill of Rights
created a constitutional monarchy (king/queen rule alongside an elected assembly and are limited by law)
based on the Magna Carta
protected basic rights and freedoms

9. English Bill of Rights & the U.S. Bill of Rights (amendments 1-10)
With your partner, Read through the English Bill of Rights and the U.S. Bill of Rights on your handouts.
What rights are the same/similar? (find all of them)
What rights are different?
Draw a Venn Diagram to display the similarities and differences.

10. English Bill of Rights freedom of Parliament to pass laws
freedom from taxation without consent of Parliament
right to speak freely in Parliament
freedom from a peacetime standing army
right to elect members of Parliament
right to appeal to the monarch
right to a trial by jury
freedom from cruel and unjust punishment
right of citizens to keep arms
freedom from fines or loss of property without a trial

11. U.S. Bill of Rights
Guarantees freedom of religion, speech, assembly, and press, and the right of people to petition the government
Protects the rights of states to maintain a militia and of citizens to bear arms
Restricts quartering of troops in private homes
Protects against “unreasonable searches and seizures”
Assures the right not to be deprived of “life, liberty, or property without due process of law”

12. U.S. Bill of Rights
Guarantees the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury
Assures the right to a jury trial in cases involving the common law (the law established by previous court decisions)
Protects against excessive bail, or cruel and unusual punishment
Provides that people’s rights are not restricted to those specified in the first eight amendments
Restates the Constitution’s principle of federalism by providing that powers not granted to the national government nor prohibited by the states are reserved to the states and to the people

13. Absolutism in France: Louis XIV
ruled from 1643 to 1715
banned the Estates-General (the French version of Parliament)
overruled the Edict of Nantes (a guarantee of religious freedom)
controlled taxes, the military, and business
plunged France into debt by fighting expensive wars in an effort to hurt England

14. Absolutism in Russia: Peter the Great
believed in divine right
made himself the head of the Russian Orthodox Church
decreased the power of the nobles
gained more control over the serfs (peasants)
tried to “Westernize” Russia
built up the military

15. State Standards (7-2.2) The student will be able to…
Summarize the ideas of the Enlightenment that influenced democratic thought and social institutions throughout the world, including the political philosophies of John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Baron de Montesquieu.

16. Philosophers of the Enlightenment
Thomas
Hobbes
(p )
John
Locke
(p )
Baron De
Montesquieu
(p )
Jean-Jacques
Rousseau
(p. 130)
Ideas About Life, Humans, and Government
Writings
Legacy and Influences

17. Understanding Political Philosophy of the Enlightenment
Natural Law – applies to everyone & can be understood through reason
described the condition of human existence before a person was exposed to any social or political stimuli
Are we born good or evil?
Philosophers used this to explain how and why certain social and political organizations existed

18. Thomas Hobbes survivor of the English Civil War supporter of Charles I
said life was “nasty, brutish, and short”
felt humans were born selfish and violent and could not be trusted – this is his natural law
a strong leader (absolute monarch) should protect the people from themselves
wrote his ideas in his book Leviathan

19. John Locke
said people were not naturally violent but born with a tabula rasa (blank slate) and changed by experiences – his natural law
said humans had certain rights they were born with – life, liberty, & property
argued that people should form a social contract with their ruler
If govt. fails to protect citizens’ rights, or infringes upon those rights, the people can revolt and setup a new govt. (1776)
wrote Two Treatises of Government
Thomas Jefferson used many of Locke’s ideas when writing the Declaration of Independence

20. Baron De Montesquieu focused on government
favored limited government of England to the absolute monarchy of France
wrote The Spirit of Laws
recommended separation of powers within the government (three branches)
there would be a system of checks and balances where the different branches would limit and control each other

21. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
agreed with John Locke on many points (protection of private property, social contract)
wrote The Social Contract – said people agree to be governed by the “general will” instead of their own self-interests
felt people relied too much on reason and needed to focus on feelings
saw people as basically good (like Locke)
emphasized education – civic virtues

22. Voltaire Wrote novels, plays, and essays
Strongly disliked the Catholic Church
Thought they kept knowledge from the people to maintain power
Believed in religious freedom
Deist –God created the world, but allows it to run itself. Not a Christian.

23. Denis Diderot Published 28-volume Encyclopedia
Challenged tradition/religion with philosophe and scientist discoveries about science, religion, government, and the arts.

24. Mary Wollstonecraft Supporter of women’s rights in the 1700s
Founder of modern movement for women’s rights
Wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.
Stated all humans have reason, so women should have same rights as men

25. American Declaration of Independence
With your partner, underline in one color of your choosing all statements which can be tied directly to ideas of the ideas of the Enlightenment philosophers (Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu, etc)
With your partner, underline in another color of your choosing the items from the list of grievances which seem to violate English law in the Magna Carta, English Petition of Rights, or English Bill of Rights. (refer to these documents on pgs )

26. State Standards (7-2.3) The student will be able to…
Outline the role and purposes of a constitution, including such functions as defining a relationship between a people and their government, describing the organization of government and the characteristics of shared powers, and protecting individual rights and promoting the common good.

27. Constitutions and Government
our founders, led by James Madison, used several sources in writing our Constitution
political writings of ancient Greece and Rome
milestones in English democracy – English Bill of Rights, Magna Carta
Enlightenment ideas of scholars like Locke, Montesquieu, and Rousseau

28. Functions of a Constitution
states the ideals shared by those governed and promotes the common good
establishes a framework or structure of government
defines government powers and duties
provides the supreme law – the rules that shape the actions of people and the government

29. Types of constitutions
written
an actual document stating specific rights, freedoms, rules, and principles of a nation
example: United States (1787)
unwritten
a collection of laws, traditions, and court decisions that develop over time into the “law of the land”
example: Great Britain (Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights form part of their unwritten constitution)

30. Different Forms of Government
autocracy
power in the hands of a single ruler
examples: Louis XIV of France, Peter the Great of Russia
oligarchy
power is held by a small group of people
examples: communists in the Soviet Union and in China
democracy
power is held by the people, usually through voting
examples: United States, Great Britain

31. How do we change the government?
voting or running for election
passing new laws
amending the constitution
appealing to the courts

32. Positive vs. Negative “positive” constitutions
focus on the roles and responsibilities of governments
they say what government CAN do
“negative” constitutions
focus on the limitations placed upon government
they say what government CAN’T do

33. Limits of Power
How does the U.S. Constitution limit the power of the government?
it states the powers that the people give to the government
it creates a system of checks and balances that limits the powers of government
it can be changed through the amendment process