1. Predictions
Predict how the Empires in the Americas, Africa and Asia, built by Europeans rulers during the Age of Exploration, will affect Europe’s monarchs.
Predict what they might do with their increased wealth?
(What would you buy if you won the lottery?)
What would you do with ABSOLUTE power?
(What do you think the difference is between Monarchy & Absolute Monarchy?)
What will move Kings and Queens from Monarchy to Absolute Monarchy?

2. The Age of Absolutism – 1550 - 1800 Absolute Monarchy
“It’s Good to be the King”
Where do leaders get their power from?
Middle Ages
Renaissance
Age of Exploration
Age of Absolutism

3. How are Absolute Monarchs Possible? Causes of the Age of Absolutism
Long Term Causes –
Decline of Feudalism (lords, and lesser nobility loss power)
Rise of cities and the middle class (merchants)
Growth of national kingdoms… large nations rather than small princedoms
Analysis transition choppy

4. Why Absolute Monarchs? Immediate causes
Religious and territorial conflicts created fear and uncertainty
The growth of armies to deal with conflicts caused rulers to raise taxes in order to pay troops
Armies give the monarchs more power but raising taxes causes more unrest… leading to revolts
Age of Exploration and the increase of wealthy rulers
the importation of gold, and other natural resources from the Americas, Africa and Asia makes the monarchs very wealthy and gives them a lot of power.

5. Warm up #1 – Key Terms for Unit 3 Vocabulary builder – find this in your packet
Vocabulary word
1st definition
2nd definition – in your own words
Absolute
Free from imperfections; complete; perfect
Divine
Proceeding from God or a god
Right
What is good, proper or just
Power
The ability to do or act; the capacity to do something
Government
The form or system of rule by which a state, or community is run

6. Absolute Monarchies Absolutism
a system of government in which a ruler has complete authority over the government and lives of the people
Control Political, Social and Economic aspects of the country
Based upon Divine Right – the idea that God had given the King

7. Central Understanding for this Unit
The time period 1550 – 1800, known as the ‘Age of Absolutism,’ was one in which monarchs (Kings and Queens) of Europe Exercised Absolute (Total) control over all aspects of their states.”
Political: Laws, punishments, foreign and domestic Policy, taxes, etc.
Social: culture, religion, customs, etc.
Economic: Trade, tariffs, taxes, national budgets, etc.

8. Which of the following statements do you agree with? And Why?
A). A government leader should never have absolute authority.
B). A government leader can exercise absolute authority if it will help advance a country’s economy.
C). A governmental leader can exercise absolute authority when a country is under attack.
D). A government leader can exercise absolute authority whenever it will advance a country’s interests.

9. How do Governments and Governmental leaders demonstrate Power?

10. Why do you think our capital building was designed to look like this?

11. What does a cities landscape show about the government?

12. How does the US government demonstrate power?

13. Spain and Absolute Rulers
Holy Roman Emperor
1. Charles V inherits two crowns
Rules the Hapsburg Empire
Hapsburgs Family – ruling family that controlled many European Countries and Colonies
Examples:
Spain New Spain, Philippines, Peru
Netherlands New Netherlands, Spice Islands
Southern Italy
Abdicated his throne (feels overwhelmed, too many people and cultures to unite)
Divides Empire in two - Spanish Hapsburgs and Austrian Hapsburgs
Spain, Philip II = gets Spain, Netherlands and their colonies
Austrian Hapsburgs = Austria, small Germanic States in Holy Roman Empire

14. Lands Controlled by Philip II of Spain In Yellow
Catholic:
Spain, France, Austria,
Poland, Portugal, Italian
States
Protestant:
England, Netherlands,
Sweden, the Swiss Fed.,
Prussia
Muslim: Ottoman Empire

15. Philip II of Spain 2. Philip II
Goals – unite people under his total authority, grow Spain’s power and defend the Catholic faith
*Conflicts associated with Reformation still occurring
Catholic vs. Protestant States
B. Methods to Achieve Goals
(how Philip II becomes an Absolute Monarch)
a). Increase authority over Spain's….
i. Politics
ii. Society
iii. Economy

16. Absolutism under Philip II How Philip II Absolutely controls the Politics of Spain
Domestic
Centralized all political authority and controlled all government affairs himself from his palace (El Escorial)
Refused all advisors
Anxious that others would attempt to take his power
Decision making was Very slow
Foreign
Wars – to increase Spain’s power and enforce Catholicism
Marriages - alliances with other nations (while wives are alive)
Marries 4 times (England, Portugal, France and the Holy Roman Empire)

17. Absolutism under Philip II
ii. Social
a. Religion
Enforces religious unity (everyone Catholic)
Inquisition against his own subjects
Strengthen Catholicism and possibly remove political opponents
b. Impact on Art and Architecture
Builds el Escorial , supports the arts

18. Absolutism under Philip II
iii. Economic
a. Imported millions of pounds of gold from Americas
Spent a huge amount of money on various projects
Art, literature, architecture
Wars and the Inquisition
Philip II spends huge amounts on these projects and despite gold coming from Americas goes through several bankruptcies (spends more than Spain makes)

19. Warm Up Question
How might you describe this building?
What assumptions would you make about the government that built this palace?
Why are buildings a good visual display of Power? What other buildings are built to display power?

20. El Escorial
The building was both a monastery and a Spanish royal palace
Architect who worked on St. Peter’s basilica.
Built as a monument to demonstrate Spain’s role as the center of the Christian world.
The Façade / Architecture

21. El Escorial Library at El Escorial
Philip II wanted to build one of the finest libraries in the world
More than 40,000 books
Mable floors, frescoes on ceilings

22. El Escorial
Man made lake on the grounds

23. El Escorial
The grounds

24. San Lorenzo el Real at El Escorial

25. Why are Visuals so powerful?

26. Visual Demonstrations of Power during the Age of Absolutism

27. Visual Demonstrations of Power

28. Absolutism in Art

29. How do Governments and Governmental leaders demonstrate Power?

31. What are some ways that our government limits the power that one person can have?
What would happen if we didn’t have these limitations?

32. Video
Escorial –

33. What are leaders responsible for?
List jobs -