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This was a period of war that began with Ferdinand, the Catholic King of Bohemia, who wanted to have power over the Protestants. Ferdinand was elected the Holy Roman Emperor and other countries began to fight, though seemingly religious, most had more political reasons for gifting one another. After 30 years of fighting, it is estimated that 1/3 of the Germanic peoples died. The fighting ended in 1648 leading to the power of Austria and Prussia. (435-437)
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The Bill of Rights was designed to have the English Parliament maintain authority over the monarchy. Before William and Mary could be crowned, they needed to accept the Bill of Rights. These Rights also helped regular citizens have more equal rights like a trial by jury. This was a stepping stone to a constitutional government. (449)
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After the death of Charles VI, the War of Austrian Succession (1740-1748) began to honor a pledge to have Maria Theresa rule the lands of Hapsburg. She pleaded with the Hungarians and also got help from Russia and Britain. She became the absolute monarch and worked to limit the power of the nobles and the Church.
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There were many tensions between the American colonists and the British Parliament. The Parliament and George III wanted the colonists to pay for their own defenses.The Sugar Act was a tax for goods that were imported and the Stamp Act was a tase on newspapers and pamphlets. These acts led to violence and contributed to declaring independence in 1775. (462) Ellis, Elizabeth Gaynor and Anthony Esler. "World History", Pearson, 2016.
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There were two large battles in Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts, between colonists and British soldiers. This amplified the American Revolution and a Army was organized with George Washington voted to take control. Thomas Jefferson wrote much of the Declaration of Independence and it was signed on July 4th, 1776. This was a very monumental step on the road to independence from Britain. (462-463)
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A derisive battle and victory for George Washington was the defeat of the British at Yorktown, Virginia. The French played a part in this victory and this loss led to the end of the British efforts to defeat the Americans. The Treaty of Paris was signed by the Americans, British and French. The significant part of this was that Britain formally recognized the independence of the United States of America.
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France was almost bankrupt and many nobles were upset with the royal family. A group of delegates went to Versailles and try to solve France's financial crisis and work on reform. They were concerned that the King would be upset with them and in fact, they were locked out of their meeting place. They then gathered on an indoor tennis court and took an oath to never separate.
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France had very poor economic conditions and in 1789 was controlled by three estates. The first was the clergy, the second was the nobles and the third was the rest off the citizens. The revolution lasted from 1789 until 1799 when democratic ideals were established.
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The Bastille was a medieval castle in Paris. The peasants had a very difficult time and had very little money and food. They were very discontent and in 1789 about 800 Parisans gathered in front of the Bastille. They believed there was gunpowder and weapons stored inside. The commander at the Bastille ordered the peasants to be fired upon and eventually the peasants made it inside the Bastille. (470)
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The Revolution was from 1789-1799. In 1793 France was at war with many of its neighbors and a 12 member public safety committee was preparing for war. Young men and women were encouraged to do their part to defend the new republic. The saying "death to traitors" was often spoken as France went after any who would not defend the republic. This was one step in changing France to bringing the Church under control of the state and overthrowing the monarchy. (478-479)
