Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and exercises for History for University

European Absolutism and Liberalism's Emergence

Absolutism, a form of absolute rule often associated with Spain and the Habsburg monarchy, concentrated power entirely in the hands of the monarch, disregarding popular participation. It was prevalent across several European nations:

• Spain
• France
• The Austrian Empire (including parts of the former Holy Roman Empire)
• Sweden (which gained prominence in the 17th century)
• Prussia (in northern Germany)

Absolutism featured absolute monarchs, typically hereditary heirs from the aristocracy. In contrast, liberalism saw power shift away from the high aristocracy (descendants of medieval nobles) towards the middle class (those enriched by trade and industry). While liberalism could still feature kings, they were...

National Personifications

Britannia - a national personification of the United Kingdom. The name 'Britannia' symbolizes Britain and British patriotism.

Caledonia

Latin name given by the Romans to the land north of their province of Britannia, roughly corresponding to modern-day Scotland.

Cambria

Name for Wales, being the Latinized form of the Welsh name for the country, Cymru.

Hibernia

Classical Latin name for the island of Ireland.

Eire

Irish for 'Ireland', the name of an island and a sovereign state.

Erin

Hiberno-English derivative of the Irish word 'Éirinn'.

The Emerald Isle

Poetic name for Ireland due to its green countryside.

the Union Jack

National flag of the United Kingdom.

John Bull

National personification of the United Kingdom.

Historical Events

Wars

The Popular Front in Spain: February-July 1936

Formation and Political Context

In February 1936, elections took place in Spain, following the dissolution of the Cortes by President Alcalá-Zamora, who believed the Republic needed to shift towards the center. The preceding four years had seen a political pendulum swing: the first two years were governed by left-wing parties, while the subsequent two were dominated by the CEDA and Lerroux's Radical Party.

The rising tide of fascism and Nazism across Europe, coupled with the Comintern's (Third International, ruled from Moscow) rejection of an immediate move into class struggle, significantly favored the creation of left-wing party alliances. The term Popular Front was coined by communists, notably...

THOREAU’S CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

Perhaps the most famous text in the literature of romantic reform is Henry David Thoreau’s essay, Resistance to Civil Government (1849), better known as Civil Disobedience. The occasion of the essay was Thoreau’s refusal to pay a poll tax in the town of Concord in protest of the United States war with Mexico (1846– 1848). Thoreau regarded the war as a conspiracy to seize Mexican lands and enable the expansion of southern slavery. Thoreau was jailed for his refusal to pay the tax. His essay is a defense of his actions as well as a treatise on the moral and political responsibilities of the citizen. In Civil Disobedience, Thoreau argues that, in an ideal world, governments would be rendered unnecessary;

MARGARET

Book

Author: Josiah Gregg

Date: 1831

After the Mexican Revolution in 1821, U.S. merchants began trading in the Santa Fe, New Mexico, area. Josiah Gregg was one of those early traders. Based in Independence, Missouri, Gregg began his southwestern travels in 1831. Commerce of the Prairies, a record of Gregg's experiences, was a complete success. His descriptions of the region's human and physical geography and the maps he made were the best available at the time. Nowadays, it is still considered a classic description of the North American Southwest before the coming of the railroads and an excellent history of the early Santa Fe trade.

Gregg died of exposure and starvation while on an exploratory trip in California's Coast Range in 1850.

Gregg's 1839

American Involvement in World War I

• After the outbreak of war in 1914, the USA declared itself neutral, arguing that it was a European conflict that did not concern America.

• Initially, public opinion was in favor of staying out of the war, despite strong sympathies for Britain and her Allies, and the potential damage to U.S. economic interests.

• President Wilson sent his aide Colonel House to try to broker a peace, but to no avail.

• In 1915, circumstances changed when the British passenger liner Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat, killing 1,200 including 128 Americans.

• Wilson demanded an immediate end to unrestricted submarine warfare, but his declaration that America was ‘too proud to fight’, meaning that America should...

The Renaissance and Early Modern Europe (1450-1600)

1450: Constantinople Falls, Renaissance Dawns

• Ottoman Turks seize Constantinople.
• The Renaissance begins.

1517: Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation

• The Reformation starts with Martin Luther, emphasizing inner-directed faith.

1534: Calvinism's Rise in France

• Calvinism emerges in France, defining the relationship with God as a legal covenant.

1545-1563: The Council of Trent and Catholic Reform

• The Council of Trent addresses education and strengthens the Inquisition.

1555: Peace of Augsburg

• The Peace of Augsburg establishes a religious settlement for 60 years, involving Charles V and the Schmalkaldic League.

1562-1598: Huguenot Wars in France

• Conflicts between Huguenots and French Catholics, including

Beowulf Character List

(with alternate spellings)

• ❖ Beowulf - the epic hero; the ideal warrior. He is originally a thane, but later becomes a feudal lord and king of the Geats.
• ❖ Grendel - the huge monster who terrorizes Herot, the mead hall of King Hrothgar. He cannot be destroyed by the weapons of men, but Beowulf kills him with his bare hands.
• ❖ Grendel’s mother (also known as the troll wife and Grendel’s dam) - She wants to avenge her son’s death, so she attacks the mead hall.
• ❖ Dragon - A fire-breathing, snake-like monster who ultimately kills Beowulf, but not before it meets its own death.
• ❖ Hrothgar - king of the Danes; He is a wise and generous ruler, but is too old to protect his people from the attack of Grendel.
• ❖ Unferth