Absolutism: A Form Of Government In The Seventeenth Century

The seventeenth century was a time of tremendous transformation throughout Europe. Poverty and constant war over religious and dynastic disputes were just a couple of problems the seventeenth century faced. During this time, rulers would either rule with absolute power or fairly governed the land by making laws. Absolutism is a form of government rule where one individual is given complete power and is not challenged by whether he is right or wrong. This form of government was “given by God.” Rulers discovered or found the law and demanded that everyone respect and follow it. An example of an absolutist king is Louis XIV of France.
Other kings ruled fairly; they set a law for their land and made sure that everyone abided by it-- even the kings themselves. This was constitutionalism, a form of government that is limited by the law. In constitutionalism, there is balance within the government-- the authority one’s government has and the rights of the subjects. These governments had constitutions that were enforced whether they were written or not. An example of a constitutional country is the Netherlands.
In the late …show more content…
Even towns within a providence were extremely self-governing. Regents, rich businessmen, handled domestic affairs and provincial Estates held all power. States General tended to foreign affairs like war but had to go back to the Estates for the final approval. Standholders held ceremonies and was in charge of military defense in each province. Holland dominated out of the Netherlands’ seven provinces because it had the largest navy and the most money. The economy was successful due to the Netherlands’ commercial achievements. There is evidence that racism toward Jews was very real, but Jews were accepted and assimilated into Dutch business to a degree. The Dutch were very tolerant religiously, which was explained why the country received a great amount of foreign capital and