Conflict between absolutism & freedom

England underwent a revolution in the sixteenth century that differed from the Wars of Religion which ravaged the European continent during the same period. The Glorious Revolution was indeed bloodless. It also set the stage for the ascension of Parliament to a position of power so that no monarch after this time would try to govern without parliament. Another result of the Glorious Revolution would be the institution of civil liberties in the Bill of Rights. The revolution also meant a number of things that were not so beneficial to England over time, such as the consolidation that took place in the position of large property owners, local magnates whose political and economic power base found on their estates and in their rural constituencies has been threatened by the interventions of Charles II and James II. The revolution was not a major advance forward but was instead a restoration of the status quo on behalf of a wealthy social and economic order. While the revolution was bloodless, it was not without its victim

. . .
f a kind of war fought in the absence of civil government as roving bands of armed men wandered the country fighting and plundering. Leaders found it easy to find followers given the poor economic and social conditions of the time. The Huguenots were led by personages of rank. They were opposed by a Catholic party under the Guise family, who wished to govern France. The Huguenots wanted to drive the Catholics out of power and perhaps out of France. Catherine de MTdici played the two parties against each other until she decided to rid herself of the leaders of the Huguenots. The resulting massacre led to the arousal of the remaining Huguenots and a renewal of civil war, much of it fought by mercenary soldiers. Protestant towns appealed to the English, but Queen Elizabeth was preoccupied with her own problems and gave little assistance (Palmer and Colton 116-117). What developed in time was a third force, the politiques, or "politicals," and they concluded that too much was being made of religion to justify these long-lasting wars. They took a secular view and believed primarily in the state and not the church, and they identified the state with obedience to the monarch. Jean Bodin was the first modern theorist of soverei
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Meacham Burns, Palmer Colton, Treatises Government, Louis XIV, , France Catherine, French Revolution, Germany France, Bill Rights, Renaissance Italy, louis xiv, palmer colton, war fought, glorious revolution, lerner meacham burns, lerner meacham, absolutism france, sixteenth century, henry iv, estates-general convened, meacham burns,
Approximate Word count = 1371
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

More Essays on Conflict between absolutism & freedom