10 Absolute Monarchs: France (1550-1715)

Free Bell Ringer: Louis the 14th THE SUN KING

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King Louis XIV (1638-1715), known as the “Sun King,” was born in 1638 and inherited the French throne at just four years old, eventually growing up to become one of Europe’s most powerful absolute monarchs. Because he was too young to rule initially, the country was managed by advisors during his childhood, but he took full control of the government in 1661 with his famous belief that “I am the state.” He famously chose the sun as his personal emblem to symbolize that he was the center of the nation, claiming he brought “light” and order to France. To display his immense power and keep a close eye on his nobles, he built the dazzling and extravagant Palace of Versailles, moving the entire royal court there in 1682. He figured if he created a lavish lifestyle for royal nobles, and they realized their lifestyle was dependent on him, they would never want to rise against him so that they could continue enjoying the riches and entertainment he gave them.  He transformed France into a cultural and military superpower. However, his luxurious lifestyle, grand palace upkeep, and numerous expensive wars drained the national treasury and heavily taxed the common people, planting the seeds for future economic crisis. He also revoked religious freedom for French Protestants, known as Huguenots, causing hundreds of thousands of skilled workers to flee the country. When he died in 1715, he left behind a brilliantly shining legacy of arts and culture, but also a deeply indebted nation that would struggle for generations to come.

 

Here is a FREE BELL RINGER TO USE IN CLASS as a Printable or Electronic Resource in Google Classroom or Other Platforms: Click below:

FREE BELL RINGER: King Louis the 14th

 

Free Bell Ringer on Constitutional & Absolute Monarchs

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A Constitutional Monarch is a king or queen whose power is limited by laws or a constitution. This means they must share power with a group, such as a parliament, that helps make decisions for the country. The ruler cannot do whatever they want; they have to follow the law in terms of what power they actually have as monarch. For example, King William III and Queen Mary II of England, who ruled from 1689 to 1702, agreed to the English Bill of Rights, which gave more power to Parliament and less to the monarchs. This created a government where the king and queen had to work with representative Members of Parliament instead of ruling alone. An Absolute Monarch is a ruler who has total control over their country. They make all the laws, command the army, and decide how people live without needing anyone’s permission. For example, King Louis XIV of France, who ruled in the 1642 to 1715, believed he was chosen by God by Divine Right to rule and that his word was law. He forced many Nobles to live in the Palace of Versailles to control them. Another example is Catherine the Great of Russia, who ruled from 1762 to 1796, expanded her empire and made important decisions by herself. She initially thought about freeing the serfs, peasants who worked lands they could never own, but went against this and crushed serf revolts against her rule. 

 

Here is the FREE Bell Ringer you can use in class!

FREE BELL RINGER: Absolute vs. Constitutional Monarchs

Absolute Monarchs: France (1550-1715)

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This product includes a Power Point and Printable Student Notes. Also, if you don’t want to teach this material through a presentation, there is a reading guide worksheet to do instead. There is also an extra vocabulary worksheet and other resources. The items come in Microsoft and PDF formats. The content covered is as follows:

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