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Thirty Years War
By the 1600's the Holy Roman Empire had broken up, resulting in small fragmented states, and a power vacuum which led to political and religious conflict, and then inevitably, war. This war, the Thirty Years War, began between Catholics and Protestants across what was left of the Holy Roman Empire. However, soon it turned into a battle for power and land. This event is significant because it generally politically created what is now modern Europe. -
English Bill of Rights
After a revolution led by Protestants in fear of Catholic persecution, (called the Glorious revolution, known for its lack of bloodshed) King James' rule fell. this allowed his daughter, Mary, and her cousin, William of Orange to take charge and become King and Queen. This was okay by the English parliament. However, to be careful, they decided to draft a bill that would limit monarchical power, and increase parliamentary and civilian rights. This was known as the English Bill of Rights. -
War of the Austrian Succesion
Maria Theresa, the daughter of Charles VI, a ruler of the relatively new Austrian state, became her father's successor after his death. Afterwards, the ruler of Prussia, Frederick II, seized the Silesia province of Austria. This led to another war, the War of Austrian Succession, lasting eight years. Despite not winning back Silesia, Maria still strengthened Austria by improving certain parts of the government. This war is significant due to it's creation of Prussia as a more powerful state. -
American Revolution
The American Revolution, was a revolution that sought to achieve independence for the British colonies in the Americas from the British Crown. The American Revolution began in 1765 and ended in 1783 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. During this revolution, many battles were fought both politically and physically. This event was beyond important because it led to the creation of one of the most influential countries in the world, America, which went on to majorly impact other countries. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was an act that was passed by the British parliament, which put taxes on certain American paper items indirectly. This was done in order to pay back money for the Seven Years War. The act was met with immediate backlash by colonists. Americans felt it was unfair to have decisions made without colonial representation. The concerns that the Stamp Act raised remained among Americans, which led to more rebellion and soon set the stage for the American Revolution. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was a document signed by American, British, and French diplomats in 1783, officially ending the Revolutionary War. One of the major factors that allowed British Parliament to give in was the defeat at Yorktown, where George Washington, alongside the French, caused the British to surrender. The Treaty of Paris is significant for the same reasons the American Revolution is, without it, America as we know it would not exist today. -
French Revolution
The French Revolution was a revolution by the people of France against their own monarchy and royal family, because of corruption and wealth inequality. There were also three "Estates" (social classes) in France at the time. The Third Estate, consisting of commoners and civilians, had limited rights. The French Revolution sought to overturn this. This revolution is significant because it set the modern expectations politically for relationships between the state and those it governed. -
Tennis Court Oath
People were elected to represent the Third Estate of France. However, when voting on certain things, their votes counted less. They demanded this to be fixed, however it wasn't done. Soon, the Third Estate declared themselves to represent the people of France as the "National Assembly" A few days later, they found their meeting hall locked. So, they had to use a Tennis Court to meet, where they made an oath to never separate and meet where they must until they made a fair constitution for all. -
Storming of the Bastille
The storming of the Bastille prison by French civilians and revolutionaries was the first opening event for the French Revolution. The French mob eventually broke through the gates, executed the Governor, and paraded his head through the streets. For the French revolutionaries, the Bastille, a mainly political prison, represented inequality and the old way. The storming of the Bastille was a powerful move and showed people that there was a path towards freedom. -
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror, or the final major event of the French Revolution, lasted an entire year, or from Sept. 1793 to July 1794. The Reign of Terror was a serious of executions, not without trails (though very messy and uncareful) that led 17,000 people to be executed, under cause of "resisting the Revolution" The guillotine executions of the French Revolution are still famous to this day, and are heavily associated with revolutions and overturning the 1%. The popular imagery persists today.
