Early Modern Age: Discoveries, Monarchies, and Transformations
The Early Modern Age
Started in 1492 and ended in 1789 with the outbreak of the French Revolution.
Political, economic, and social changes brought about a new system called Ancient Régime.
- Europeans’ discovery and conquest of new lands increased economic, social, and cultural exchange.
- European monarchs became more powerful, exerting their authority over feudal lords and all three estates of the realm.
- New forms of skilled craftsmanship increased trade and created a new open economy. The bourgeoisie acquired more wealth and power.
- With the invention of the printing press in 1440, it facilitated the exchange of information and ideas. More open attitudes challenged the conservative religious views of the Middle Ages.
- A rebirth of interest in the classical cultures inspired the Renaissance style of art. The Baroque style was more religious, but it also influenced secular art.
The Age of Discovery
The fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks interrupted traditional transport and trade routes between Europe and Asia. As a result, Europeans couldn’t import silk, gold, etc., from the East.
New routes to East Asia.
Spain and Portugal started making voyages to find alternative routes to Asia. This was successful because of:
- Spanish and Portuguese navigators had a lot of experience.
- They had special ships for long ocean voyages (caravels).
- Compasses and more accurate maps helped them to navigate.
Portuguese explorers followed the coast of Africa, and in Spain, Columbus decided to go through the Atlantic Ocean looking for a western route to Asia. In 1492, instead of arriving in Asia, he discovered America.
After his discovery, Spain and Portugal fought for the control of the Atlantic trade routes. In 1494, they signed the Treaty of Tordesillas, which divided the world into two zones. They gave Spain the western part of an imaginary line crossing the Atlantic, and Portugal had control of the eastern part.
Consequences of discoveries.
After the discovery of America, the Atlantic Ocean became the most important maritime trading route in the world. There were other enormous consequences for both Europe and the New World.
In Europe, they were mostly economic and social.
- Massive amounts of gold and silver were brought to Europe from America. European currencies were devalued, so the prices of goods increased.
- New agricultural products were imported from America, such as corn, potatoes, cocoa, and tobacco. This led to changes in people’s diets.
- Many Europeans emigrated to America. These colonists constituted a new market for European exports, such as wheat, rugs, lamps, etc. European production increased.
- The discovery of new lands, plants, and animals led to advances in cartography, navigation, etc.
In the New World, the consequences were social and cultural.
- New plants were imported from Europe, such as coffee, and colonists also brought European livestock with them, such as horses and sheep.
- Colonists brought diseases, such as smallpox and influenza. Native people died because of them.
- After many native people died from diseases or harsh working conditions, slaves were imported from Africa to provide labor.
- When mixed-race children were born, new ethnic groups appeared.
- The Spanish language and culture were imposed on Native Americans and African slaves. Missionaries, such as the Jesuits, Franciscans, and Dominicans, also spread Catholicism to the New World.
Monarchy during the Early Modern Age
There were three types of monarchy: authoritarian, absolute, and parliamentary (in England).
Authoritarian Monarchy.
Monarchs were described as authoritarian because they had forced the nobility to accept their authority. They had to respect institutions that limited their power, such as the ‘cortes.’
They implemented various measures:
- They unified all their territories.
- They established administrative unity for the entire kingdom.
- They created royal armies to end their dependence on the nobility for military support.
The high point of Spanish power.
In Spain, an authoritarian monarchy was established by the Catholic Monarchs, who expanded their kingdoms in Italy, North Africa, and the New World.
In the 16th century, the authoritarian monarchy was consolidated by Carlos I and his son Felipe II. In this period, Spain became a global imperial power.
Absolute Monarchy.
In the 17th century, it became predominant in Western Europe. It was called absolute because the crown had unlimited authority, which was believed to come from God.
The absolute monarchs exerted this authority in:
- They did not allow representative bodies that could limit the crown’s power to meet.
- They controlled the government and economy.
- They expanded the army to increase their control.
Spanish political decline
Spain began to decline. The causes of this included the Spanish defeat in the Thirty Years’ War, as well as Portugal’s independence from the Spanish crown.
(The king always called the parliament.)
(The first battle that the Spanish army (the tercios) lost was during the Thirty Years’ War, in 1643.)
Parliamentary Monarchy.
In England, there was a civil war between supporters of Parliament, known as Parliamentarians. As a result, the Parliamentarian monarchy was replaced by a republic, under the control of Oliver Cromwell.
After Cromwell’s death, the absolute monarchy was restored, but it only lasted until the Glorious Revolution of 1688. This led to the establishment of a parliamentary monarchy, in which the monarch’s powers were limited by Parliament.
The Bill of Rights in 1689 established the need for regular Parliaments and stated that the monarch could not impose taxes without Parliament’s consent.