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Emperor Ferdinand II took away religious freedom from his citizens. This upset citizens because this went against the Peace of Augsburg, which granted the citizens the right to religious freedom. In a rage, Protestant Nobles threw some royal officials out of a castle window. This event triggered a revolt and turned into a war. During the war, both sides suffered from depopulation.
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The English Bill of Rights was several acts passed by Parliament in 1689. This made Parliament superior to the monarchy. It made sure the monarchy was able to control the spending of the House of Commons. It banned Roman Catholics from becoming Kings or Queens. It also gave traditional rights to English citizens. This helped to get rid of fines and "cruel and unjust" punishment.
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The War of the Austria succession started when Frederick II took the Hapsburg province. Emperor Charles VI did not have any sons. His daughter, Maria Theresa was next in line to the throne, but no women had ruled during this time. He was able to convince other rulers that they should recognize his daughter as heir. When he died, Prussia was seiged. This started the 8-year war of the Austrian Succession. Maria Theresa preserved the empire. She strengthened Hapsburg and improved tax collection.
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The Stamp Act was the act that taxed the Bristish on items like newspapers and pamphlets. During this period, a lot of violent acts were committed. A famous event that took place was the Boston Tea Party. Colonists tossed a large shipment of tea into the harbor. This event is important because the battle of Lexington took place and the American Revolution started.
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The American Revolution was fought by American colonies against the ideas of Britain. The colonist were at a disadvantage. They had a smaller number of soldiers, while the British had huge fleets and plenty of money. Even though they were disadvantaged they were able to win their independence. They were led by George Washington. This was important because the Americans won the Battle of Saratoga and this persuaded France to ally with them and gain support.
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The treaty of Paris ended the American Revolution. A peace treaty was negotiated by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams with the British. This treaty meant the British recognized the independence of America. This was important because the Americans were able to expand to the West. -
The Storming of Bastille was when the people of Paris believed that royal troops were going to occupy the capital. They gathered outside a prison known as Bastille. The crowd demanded the weapons that were at the prison. The commander would not comply to open the gate and instead opened fire on the crowd. Many people were killed but some were able to break through the gates. The commander was killed and prisoners were released. This lead to the end of absolute monarchy. -
The deputies of the Third Estate met on an indoor tennis court. There, they promised not to separate until a new French constitution had been formed. -
The French Revolution began because of riots in Paris. There was an economic crisis. The people were poor and unemployed. They began to fight the government.
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Reign of terror was an event that lasted between 1793 to 1794. They were public death trials that they called, “Death to Traitors.” The guillotine was used. This was lead by Maxmillien Robespierre. During this reign, over 300,000 people were arrested and 17,000 were killed by execution.
