Enlightened despots were absolute monarchs influenced by Enlightenment ideals who sought to reform their nations through rational policies. They allowed religious tolerance, freedom of speech and private property rights while fostering education and the arts. Notable enlightened despots included Frederick the Great of Prussia, Catherine the Great of Russia, and Joseph II of Austria who enacted economic and educational reforms. However, they still ruled by absolute authority and refused to establish constitutions, distinguishing them from constitutional monarchs.

1. Enlightened Despots

2. Definition: (underline)
It is a form of absolute monarchy or
despotism in which rulers were influenced
by enlightenment

3. Main features (copy this )
 To allow religious
toleration
 Freedom of spech and
press
 Right to hold private
property
 Foster the arts, sciences
and education
 King ruled by birth and
they refused to grant
constitutions

4. More characteristics (copy this)
 Reformist politics such
as:
 Rationalization of the
administration of State
 Liberation of the
production and trade
 Modernitation of the
agriculture
 Educational reform
 Manofacturing
developments

5. Effects of the Enlightenment
England
 Civil war and establishment of a limited
monarchy
 Anger in the colonies because they are treated
differently than "mother England"
France
 No immediate change but seething discontent
that will lead to revolution
Other countries
 Attempts to adopt Enlightenment principles

6. Enlightened Despots
Frederick II of Prussia (r. 1740-
1786)
 Rebelled against father
 Later developed finest army
 Built Sans Souci (Potsdam)
 Invited Voltaire to the court

7. Enlightened Despots
Catherine the Great of
Russia (r. 1762-1796)
 German born wife of Czar Peter
III
 Controlled government after
Peter III’s accidental(?) death
 Increased European culture in
Russia
 Peasant Reforms
 Territorial Expansion
 Corresponded with Diderot

8. Enlightened Despots
Gustav III of Sweden (r.
1771-1792)
 Forced Parliament to accept
new constitution
 Stimulated literature
Charles III of Spain (r.
1759-1788)
 Bourbon family
 Improved life for Spanish
 Suppressed Jesuits

9. Maria Theresa and Joseph II of Austria
(r. 1740-1780)
16 children
Built Schönbrunn
Economic reforms
Limited power of the Pope
Reduced power of the lords
Joseph abolished serfdom
Poland divided

10. Enlightened Despots vs. Absolute Rulers
Focused(insistió) on Reluctant to
improving country change
Economic
Economic reform disasters
Dictated
Sought advise

11. Independence War
The American Revolution:
 Organized, popular
opposition to an unjust
government
 British government not
acting in the interest of the
people
 Protests, riots, crowd
action used to defend an
emerging common interest
 English in origin, but
adopted by American
colonists

12. No Taxation without
Representation!
 Colonists were not
represented in
Parliament, therefore
shouldn’t be taxed
 Riots and protests as
popular forms of social
contract theory
 Spread via newspapers,
pamphlets and
broadsides
 Created an organized,
slowly unified popular
movement

13. State Constitutions
 Republicanism.
 Most had strong governors
with veto power.
 Most had bicameral
legislatures.
 Property required for voting.
 Some had universal white
male suffrage.
 Most had bills of rights.
 Many had a continuation of
state-established religions
while others disestablished
religion.

14. Failure of Revolution:
 Counter-revolutionary in
many ways
 A device for establishing
a virtuous republican
government over a
population of less than
virtuous people.
 The voice of the people
replaced by representative
democracy
 Right to vote guaranteed
to select few
 African slaves, women,
native Americans and
some poor whites failed to
secure the freedoms and
liberties that they had
fought and died for.

15. On July 4, 1776 they drafted
(ratificaron) the Declaration of
Independence (copy)
 It was written by
Thomas Jefferson
 This statement
expressed the
principles of that
revolution
 The right of all
persons to liberty
 Pursuit of Happiness
 Defense of
“inalienable rights”

16. The Constitution (copy this)
 The text ensured:
 The separation and the
balance of the powers
 Executive
 Legislative
 Judicial
 Established a republican form
of the government
 Its state would have federal
structure
 It guaranteed rights and
freedoms (religion, life,
property,liberty
 The federal government was
responsable for foreign
affairs,defense,finance and
currency

17. WAR OF SUCCESION
 In 1700, Charles II, the
last Spanish monarch of
the House of Habsburg,
died without issue
 He bequeaths his
possessions to Philip,
grandson of his half-
sisterand King Louis XIV
of France.
 The war was centered in
Spain and West-Central
Europe
 The war was concluded by
the treaties of Utrecht
(1713) and Rastatt (1714).
As a result, Philip V
remained King of Spain
but was removed from the
French line of succession,
averting a union of the
two kingdoms. The
Austrians gained most of
the Spanish territories in

18. Nueva Planta decrees
 These acts constituted
the first realization of
Spain as a centralized
country.
 Courts were abolished
except Castilla
 Court cases could only
be presented and
argued in Castilian .
 Abolishing the
Parliament
 The viceroy is replaced
by a General Master.
 A new territorial
organitation appear

19. Territorial uniformism
 The territory was
divided into provinces
ruled by a governor
called General Captain
 Courts were created
to control Justice
 Sheriffs were
nominated to rule the
towns
 Taxex were collected
by intendants

20. The bourbon Reformism
 There were cimportants
followers of the
Enlightenment such as
Marques de la Ensenada,
Floridablanca…
 Tne conservatism of the
intellectual classes and
the importance of the
catholic church made it
difficult for the
Enlightenment ideas to
become widespread

21. Esquilache´s riot
 It happened in Madrid in
1776
 Esquilache prohibited the
wearing of long coats
and broad-cap hats
because there were too
many crimes,so
imposed wearing shorter
coats
 It is believed that the riot
was instigated by
conservatives and the
increase in the price of
wheat

22. The growth of XVII
Spain was a rural
and estated country
Agriculture was poor
and Nobility
controlled the land
This reforms
improved the situation
Population and
agriculture production
increased

23. Reforms
 The liberation of trade
allowed for the spread of
commercial companies
 Crown manofacures
were created
 Private manofactures
were protected
 Duties protected our
products
 Problems : Nobody
wanted to change the
agricultural structure