ABSOLUTE MONARCHS AND THE PERIOD OF

ENLIGHTENMENT

1500s-1700s

What were ABSOLUTE MONARCHS?

•Monarchs were kings.

•Absolute monarchs were the kings who believed in the idea of DIVINE RIGHT.

•Divine right is the idea that GOD put them on the earth to rule

•They ruled strictly and typically got into conflicts with one another

•Because of the way these monarchs treated the people they ruled, many started to get the idea for REVOLUTION

A great example of an Absolute Monarchs would Louis XIV from France. He spent enormous amounts of money

Lavish spending on Palace of Versailles

Interior of the Palace was done in crystal and gold

Versailles Fountains made of copper

The Kings lived extravagantly while many of their people scraped for food

Eventually, people began to develop new ideas….….

This time of new ideas was known as the ENLIGHTENMENT or Age of Reason.

1600s-1700sNew ideas on how government should be run.

THE ENLIGHTENMENT THINKERS AND THEIR NEW IDEAS

Most people had ideas like THOMAS HOBBES.

He believed in the DIVINE RIGHT of Kings.

However…different men had new ideas!

JOHN LOCKEBelieved that all people had 3 natural rights

to LIFE, LIBERTY, PROPERTYHe said it was the duty of the government

to protect these rights

VOLTAIREBelieved in freedom of speech so people

could express their opinions about the government

He also believed in freedom of religion, so people could worship God in the way they choose

MONTESQUIEUBelieved that government should be

separated into 3 branchesThe 3 branches of government,

Montesquieu said, would help keep the government from becoming too powerful

Checks and balances—each branch would check the others to make sure one does not abuse its power.

MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT

Advocated rights for women

JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU

Believed in the concept of “Consent of the Governed”, meaning that people should agree to the rules that they follow by voting

He believed the having an absolute monarchy prevented people from having true freedom.

Effects of Enlightenment ideas on the Monarchy

Ideas spread through England and FranceKings were criticized more and morePeople began questioning the way of life

under KingsNew Ideas + Absolute Monarchs =

REVOLUTIONThe people began to fight for their

freedoms and wanted a CHANGE in their government