British And French Change In The 17Th Century Essay, Research Paper
In the seventeenth century, the political power of the
Parliament in England, and the Monarchy in France increased greatly.
These conditions were inspired by three major changes: the aftermath
of the reformation, the need for an increased governmental financing,
and the reorganizing of central governments. These three points were
each resolved in a different way in both England and in France.
The first major point which eventually increased political power
was the aftermath of the Protestant reformation. In England, after the
establishment of the separate Anglican church of England there were
many protestant groups left in England still in conflict. These groups
all tried to push and pull parliament in their favor — which
ultimately made it so that nothing could be done. These conflicts even
came to the point of bloody civil wars and suffering on both sides of
the fighting. Parliament ultimately decided to stop these wars by
creating religious Act of Toleration (1689) for the non-conformist
protestants. For many people, this caused more unity in England and
increased power. In France, the decision was made to unify the country
through the establishment of a single religious authority, the
Catholic Church. The king of France became the heart of this policy,
which gave him control of religion when this went into effect.
The next major point was the increase in need for governmental
financing. In England, taxing had become under the control of
Parliament. In addition to this, the cost of running a government in
general had gone up and the country needed more money. Because the
king didn’t have as much power to tax as he pleases, the government
could make a firm and accurate taxation of the people. In France, the
price of government had also gone up. However, here the was a monarchy
and a king with great control over the government. Using his control
of the economy, a strong “Mercantilism” system was used aimed at
maximizing foreign exports and reserves. The king became the center of
this new power.
The last major point which increased political power was the
reorganizing of the central governments in both England and in France.
The economic changes in this century required new relationships
between the King and his subjects. In England, the parliament because
of this need, grew to have power over the king and cause great
toleration of people’s beliefs, in addition to keeping a strong
central government. In France, the Parliaments of Henry IV were
totally changed by the next active king, Louis XIV. Louis XIV created
a powerful monarchy the gave him absolute power. He used the slogans
“One king, one law, one faith” and “I am the state” to demonstrate his
attitudes toward what a leader should be in the setting of seventeenth
century France.
These three points of show how France and England adapted to the
needs of the seventeenth century. While similar pressures existed in
each county, such as finances and religious differences, each
responded in a manner based on the philosophies and cultures of their
land. This increase in political power has vastly effected the
destinies of both these countries forever.