Possible extended questions
What influence did the ideas of John Locke have on the Declaration of Independence? Support your answer with specific details.
All people are born free and equal, with three natural rights— life, liberty, and property. The purpose of government, said Locke, is to protect these rights. If a government fails to do so, citizens have a right to overthrow it. Locke's theory had a deep influence on modern political thinking. His belief that a government's power comes from the consent of the people is the foundation of modern democracy. The ideas of government by popular consent and the right to rebel against unjust rulers helped inspire struggles for liberty in Europe and America.
What was the impact of European exploration and colonization of the Americas?
As Europeans moved beyond exploration and into colonization of the Americas, they brought changes to virtually every aspect of the land and its people, from trade and hunting to warfare and personal property. European goods, ideas, and diseases shaped the changing continent.
Many historians think of Louis XIV as the perfect example of an absolute monarch. Do you agree? Explain why or why not?
I agree, He controlled the economy, regulated worship, weakened the nobility, built a magnificent palace to show his power. The palace was called the palace of Versailles. He required all the great nobility of France, to come live at Versailles for at least part of the year. This has the effect of reducing one major threat to his power - Nobility.
What inspired Europeans to begin exploring foreign lands in the 1400s? What made it possible for them to begin these explorations?
In the beginning Europeans had neither the interests or the ability to explore foreign lands. That changed in the early 1400's when their desire to grow rich and wealthy and to spread Christianity. Also, the advances in technology made it possible for them to travel overseas. The triangular sails in a caravel and the navigational techniques such as the astrolabe and the magnetic compass were some examples of how technology has advanced.
What was so revolutionary about the Scientific Revolution?
Scholars replaced old assumptions with new theories, they launched a change in European thought that historians call the Scientific Revolution. The Scientific Revolution was a new way of thinking about the natural world. The scientific revolution was so revolutionary because people started to use experimentation, the scientific method, and math to discover the world and prove things. Common people were able to gain knowledge for themselves instead of believing old teachings and the Catholic Church for information.
What is the scientific method? How does it differ from the methods used by scholars in medieval times?
The scientific method is a logical procedure for gathering and testing ideas. It begins with a problem or question arising from an observation. Scholars generally relied on ancient authorities, church teachings, common sense, and reasoning to explain the physical world. In time, scholars began to use observation, experimentation, and scientific reasoning to gather knowledge and draw conclusions about the physical world.
What was mercantilism? How and why did it encourage European colonization of the Americas?
The theory of mercantilism held that a country's power depended mainly on its wealth. It allowed nations to build strong navies and purchase vital goods. It could establish a favorable balance of trade in which it sold more goods than it bought. A nation's ultimate goal under mercantilism was to become self-sufficient, not dependent on other countries for goods. Colonies provided silver, gold, raw materials, and a market which the home country could sell its goods to its colonies.
