Unit 3 Study Guide: The Rise of Constitutional States (1648–1815)

Absolutism

A political system where sovereignty resides in the king, granting him absolute power.

Constitutionalism

A governing system where the ruler's power is limited by law, balancing government authority and subjects' rights.

Sovereignty

The ultimate power held in a constitutional state, residing in the law and the representative body rather than a monarch.

Republicanism

A form of government where power rests with the people, typically through representatives.

Divine Right of Kings

The belief that monarchs are appointed by God and thus answerable only to God.

Ship Money

An extra-legal tax levied by Charles I to fund the government without Parliament's consent.

Cavaliers

Supporters of King Charles I during the English Civil War, consisting mainly of nobility and rural gentry.

Roundheads

Supporters of Parliament during the English Civil War, including urban merchants and Puritans.

Oliver Cromwell

Leader of the Roundheads who established a military dictatorship during the Interregnum.

New Model Army

A disciplined military force created by Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War.

The Commonwealth

The republican government established in England after the execution of Charles I, functioning largely as a military dictatorship.

Lord Protector

Title held by Oliver Cromwell as the head of state during the Commonwealth.

Navigation Act (1651)

Legislation requiring that English goods be transported on English ships, aimed at undermining Dutch trade.

The Merry Monarch

Nickname for Charles II, who restored the monarchy after Cromwell's death.

Test Act (1673)

Parliamentary law excluding Catholics from voting, holding office, or teaching.

Glorious Revolution (1688)

The peaceful transfer of power from James II to William and Mary, marked by minimal bloodshed.

The Bill of Rights (1689)

A document accepted by William and Mary, establishing Parliamentary sovereignty and limiting the powers of the monarch.

John Locke

Philosopher who argued for the right to change a government that fails to protect life, liberty, and property.

States General

The federal assembly in the Dutch Republic responsible for foreign affairs and war.

Stadtholder

A military leader in the Dutch Republic, usually from the House of Orange.

Oligarchy

A political structure where real power rests with a small group of wealthy individuals, such as urban gentry and merchants.

Calvinist

A branch of Protestantism to which most Dutch citizens adhered, allowing for some degree of religious toleration.

Dutch East India Company (VOC)

A joint-stock company that controlled trade between the Netherlands and Asia.

Finite Wealth

The belief in mercantilism that wealth is limited; one nation's gain is another's loss.

Balance of Trade

The economic goal of exporting more than importing to enhance national power.

Zero-Sum Game

A situation in which the gain of one participant directly results in the loss of another.

Mercantilism

An economic theory advocating for government regulation of the economy to increase state power through trade.