1.

rural economy
and commercial.
2. Unequal society
3.Inequality
4. Enlightenment
5. The English
Revolution
6. Enlightened
Despotism
7. The American
revolution
8.The war of
succession
1. Rural Economy
and commercial
Most people in
Europe lived under
the Ancien Rgime
in the 18th century.
This meant the king
had all the power
and the nobility
and clery were
privaliged groups.
The economy
depended on the
primary sector.
2.Unequal
society
Agriculture was the
most important
economic activity.
It was mainly
subsistent farming.
They used the 3
crop rotation system
They only produced
enough to survive.
If the crops failed
it caused a crisis
in rural areas.
People protested
reguarly.
The nobility and
clergy owned most
of the land. They
didn't pay taxes.
The peasants worked
the land. In towns
and cities there
were traders
and artisans.
3. Inequality:
The Ancien Rgime
was divided into

estates of the realm.

The privileged were
in 1st and 2nd groups
and the unprivileged
were in the 3rd.
It was really hard
to move out of the
group you were
born into.
Privileged:
Nobility owned most
of the land but didn t
pay taxes. Instead,
the peasants paid
them taxes.
The clergy also had
land. They collected
tithes from the
workers. The higher
clergy were rich
and powerful. The
lower clergy lived
a religious life.
Unprivileged:
95% of people
were unprivileged.
They were against
the power of the
privileged. They
wanted equality.
The bourgeoisie
were artisans,
merchants and
bankers. They had
money but no power.
The urban working
class were poorer
artisans, servants,
soldiers and
manufacturing
workers. Farmers
were the biggest
group who paid
many taxes.
Absolute Monarchy:
The king had absolute
power. The position
was hereditary and
a divine right.
He controlled the
3 powers and used
counsellors and
officials to fulfil
his orders. Some
countries had
consultative bodies
to try to limit the

king s power, but

he would refuse to
summon them if he
didn t want his
power limited.
4. Enlightenment
In the 18th Century
the Enlightenment,
critisised the power
and beliefs of the
Ancien Rgime.
John Looke and
Isaac Newton had
critisised it in
the 17th century.
The Enlightenment
was about
understanding the
world through
reason, which
critisised society's
religious beliefs.
They thought the
path to knowledge
was the basis of
happiness and this
was gained through
education. Tolerance
was needed for
reason, education
and knowledge.
Before Enlightenment
mercantilism,
which was based on
the accumilation of
precious metals was
the common trend,
but Enlightenment
thought physiocracy,
which thought
agriculture was
the primary source
of wealth and
economic liberalism
was more important.
Both the old and
new ways of thinking
defended private
property and freedom
of trade and industry.
5. The English
Revolution :
Reforms, known as
enlightened despotism
spread at the end of

the 17th century.

England had a King
and a parliament with
2 houses of
representatives.
In the House of Lords
were the nobility
and clergy.
In the House of
Commons were
the bourgeoisie.
To spend taxes or
declare a war both
houses had to be
consulted.
In 1642 King
Charles I tried to
rule without parliament.
This started a civil war
between the king and
parliament s supporters.
The king lost the war
and was executed
in 1649.
Oliver Cromwell
became a dictator.
He died in 1660 and
the monarchy was
restored with
King Charles II.
He had to accept
parliament s power.
In 1679 the
Habeas Corpus Act
was passed, which
gave everyone
a fair trial.
When the king died,
the new king was
James II. He was
catholic and gave
many of the powerful
positions to other
Catholics. Parliament
protested, so
James II dissolved
parliament. The
parliament weren t
happy so they invited
William of Orange
to come and be king.
He took his army to
England and King
James II fled to
London. Parliament
said William could
be king if he
signed the
Bill of Rights.
He did this and the

parliamentary
monarchy
was born.
6. Enlightened
Despotism
While most European
monarchs had absolute
power, some monarchs
introduced some of
the enlightenments
proposals. Maria
Theresa of Austria,
Catherine the Great
of Russia and
Charles III of Spain
This was known as
enlightened despotism.
They made agricultural,
educational and trade
reforms. This didn t
take away any of
their power.
Everything for the
people, nothing by
the people was the
enlightenment people s
motto. Over time,
it was obvious that
changes were needed
in both society and
absolutism.
7. The American
revolution
The USA originated
in the 13 colonies
possessed by Britain.
The people paid taxes
to Britain but weren t
represented in
parliament. This led
to a war in 1775.
The Declaration of
Independence, written
by Thomas Jefferson,
was signed on
4th July 1776.
George Washington
became America s
first president.
In 1778, they wrote
the first constitution,
which separated
legislative, executive
and judicial powers.
Benjamin Franklin was
one of the writers.
8.The war of

succession
King Charles II
was the last Spanish
king from the house
of Austria. He didn t
have and children.
Just before he died,
he said he wanted his
great-nephew, the
French Prince Philip
of Bourbon, to be
king after his death.
In 1700, he became
King Philip V of Spain.
Some of the great
powers didn t want
him to be the king
because it made the
House of Bourbon
more powerful in
Europe.
Britain,
the Netherlands,
Portugal and Austria
declared war on
France and Spain
because they
wanted the
Archdulke Charles of
Austria to be the King
of Spain. They thought
that if Spain had
King Philip V of France
as their king, Spain
and France would be
very powerful and
upset the balance of
power in Europe.
These events started
a war involving
western Europe
in 1701, known as
the war of succession.
he war lasted a long
time and it s effects
were felt as far away
as America. In 1713 the
Treaty of Utrecht
was signed. The
opposing countries
agreed that Philip V
could be king of
Spain in exchange
for territories.
Britain got Gibraltar
(which it still has)
and Menorca
(until 1802). Austria
got the Duchy of Milan,
the Kingdom of Naples,

Sardinia and Flanders.

Enlightenment reform
in Spain.
The most important
people were:
1.Gaspar Melchor
de Jovellanos
2.The Count of
Floridablanca
3.The Count of
Campomanes
4.The count of
Aranda
5.Pablo de Olavide
6. The Marquis
of Ensenada
Reforms
introduced were:
1. Increase of the
power of the king
over the church
(expulsion of the
religious order of
the Jesuits in 1767)
2. Creation of the
Economic Societies
of Friends of the
Country which set
out to make
improvements in
agriculture, industry
and trade.
3. Creation of
primary schools and
reforming universities.
4. Limitation of the
privileges of the
Mesta farmers.
5. Freedom of
pricing of wheat.
6. Trade with America
from all Spanish ports
was permitted.