The Sun King

1643 King Louis XIV takes thrown

Objective

• SWBAT examine the rise of King Louis XIV and his reign as an absolute monarch

Do Now11/15/12

• Which of the following statements do you agree most with?

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 government 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.

• State your reasoning

Henry IV Restores Order• 1500’s religious wars tear

France apart – Catholics vs. Huguenots (French

Protestants)– St. Bartholomew’s Day

Massacre– massacred 3,000 Huguenots

– Symbolized break down of order in France

• By 1600s France was a strong, unified nation-state ruled by the most powerful monarch in Europe

Huguenot Prince Henry IV: 1589• Henry IV inherits the throne• Huguenot – fights Catholic revolutions

for 4 years• Eventually converted to Catholicism to

end conflict• Edict of Nantes granted Huguenots

religious toleration and other freedoms (civil unity)

• Repair France – “chicken in every pot” a good Sunday dinner for every peasant

Government of Henry IV• Government reached every aspect of

French life– Administered justice– Improved roads– Built bridges– Revived agriculture

• Built a royal bureaucracy and reduced the influence of nobles

• Laid the foundations on which future French monarchs would build absolute power

Cardinal Richelieu• 1610: Henry IV killed by an assassin • Son – Louis XIII takes throne – 9 years old• Nobles reasserted power• 1624: Cardinal Richelieu becomes chief

minister – Strengthens the government over 18

years– Sought to destroy the power of the

nobles and Huguenots– Destroyed private armies of nobles

and destroyed their castles• Died 1642 leaving Mazarin as his

successor

Louis XIV aka the “Sun King”

• Louis XIV (14)• Inherits throne @ age 5• 1643-1715 (rules for 72 years)• Mazarin was in place to be

chief minister (replaced Richelieu)

• Mazarin dies in 1661 Louis XIV takes over the government

L’etat, c’est moi• “I am the state” L’etat, c’est moi. • Believed in his divine right to rule• The sun was a symbol of absolute power

• “Just as the sun stands at the center of the solar system, so the Sun King stands at the center of the nation.”

• Never called a meeting of the Estates General between 1614-1789– Representatives from all 3 French social classes (clergy,

nobles, townspeople)• The Estates General played no role in checking royal

power

“SEPARATE CLASSES”

• In your section 2 packet• Open to page 151• Read about life in France in the 1600s• Answer the Thinking Critically questions • Be prepared to discuss!

• louis xiv

Do NowWho is represented in this painting?

What does the painting represent?

What message is the painting sending?

Who is the intended audience for the painting?

Louis XIV Takes Charge

Henry IV Restores Power

Cardinal Richelieu

• What rights did the Edict of Nantes extend to Huguenots?

An Absolute Monarch Rises

Colbert

Versailles: Symbol of Royal Power

• How did Louis XIV secure support from the nobility?

A Strong State Declines

• How did Louis’s actions weaken France’s economy?

Exit Ticket

• Did Louis XIV have more successes or failures during his reign?

• PICK A SIDE• Argue your point. List reasons why Louis was

successful or was a failure at leading France.

DO NOW Wednesday 11/14/11

• Pick up guided notes

Objective

• SWBAT describe how Versailles was a symbol of royal power.

Political Systems

• Read the Political Systems handout• Working in assigned groups of 3

answer the Thinking Critically question, #1

• Be prepared to present your answers to the class!

Estates General

• Estates General: Equivalent of English Parliament (never met)

• Followed Richelieu’s politics to strengthen state• Expanded bureaucracy – appointed intendants – royal

officials who collected taxes, recruited soldiers, and carried out policies in the provinces.

• Wealthy middle class men cemented ties between middle class and the monarchy

Versailles

• Louis XIII – hunting lodge• Louis XIV redesigned to show the king at the heart of France• Greatest architects of the day

– Louis Le Vaux– Jules Hardouin-Mansart

• Masterpiece – Hall of Mirrors• Glittering hall of crystal – royal and political events held

there• Used his wealth to display his power

Versailles

• Moved the capital of France from Paris to Versailles• 1682: moved the court & government to Versailles• Moved to Versailles from Paris so no angry mob could easily attack• The building itself was a little over a third of a mile long• gardens and over 1400 fountains employing the newest hydraulic

technologies surrounded the outside. • The inside was an altar to French military might• decorated with paintings, tapestries, and statues celebrating French

military victories, heroes, and, especially, French kings

Ruthless Monarchy

• Louis instituted an elaborate system of court ritual – strict rules• How many steps your could take and what you were allowed to wear• Even how to knock on a door

– You didn’t, you scratched… discreetly• Versailles was a center of courtly etiquette and a setting for French

literature and music• It was also a ruthless absolute monarchy• Lettre de cachet – allowed him to send anyone to prison for no reason

and without a trial

The Dauphin

• Louis married Spanish princess Maria Theresa • They had 6 children – only 1 survived to adulthood• Louis of France The Dauphin

– Louis XV• Also had a mistress – Madame de Montespan• When he would lose interest in her, she would dabble in black

magic and poison to try to get him back• Her plan became public – and resulted in about 34 executions

While you’re living it up, some of us are starving…

• Towards the end of the Thirty-Years War hunger and unrest were evident

• France’s tax system: people with the least amount of money paid the highest taxes– Peasantry

• Tax riots broke out in 1662 and the king’s response was to privatize the tax collection system

• General Tax-Farm – people who collected taxes were permitted to raise the tax and pocket the difference

• This leads to great deal of trouble in the end• Meanwhile, the 1690s and 1700s were years of terrible famine

under the Sun King

Religious Implications

• Royal church had a fancy pew for king• Courtiers pews faced the king, not the altar• Saw religion as a means of enhancing his own power• 1685 revoked the Edict of Nantes (issued by his grandfather

Henry IV) gave religious toleration to Huguenots • Protestant pastors were given 15 days to leave the country.• Huguenot community packed up and left for England and

the Netherlands where they made important contributions to the economic status of their new homelands.

Using a Primary Source

• Working in assigned groups of 3 read the primary source written by Fenelon about Louis XIV’s reign as absolute monarch

• Answer the questions with your group and be prepared to share your responses with the class!

Homework

• English Parliament Packet– Read & take notes – Answer Questions # 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6– question 1 – separate the “key terms” into categories

given to you then write a sentence for each term as to WHY you placed it in that category.

– Period 1, 2, 5, 6 – Due Wednesday November 9– Period 7 – Due Monday November 14