Contextualization

Introduction

Absolutist Monarchies were the main model of government in Europe during the 16th to 18th centuries. We could think of an absolutist monarch as someone with "absolute" power over all functions of the State. In this type of system, kings had total control over laws, justice, army, among others.

This period of history was marked by significant transformations in various aspects of society, especially in the political and economic fields. Political centralization in the hands of the monarchs and the rise of mercantilism were fundamental characteristics of these reigns.

Absolutist monarchies united their nations and built efficient and powerful States, which managed to maintain relative internal stability and conduct overseas expansion, giving rise to the first modern states.

Contextualization

Studying absolutist monarchies is essential to understand the formation of the Modern State and, consequently, the political organization of our current world. The consolidation of power in the hands of a single figure, the King, provided the formation of strong and unified nations, which was fundamental in the process of exploration and colonization of new territories around the world.

Furthermore, the absolutist system and its mercantilist policies were precursors of the capitalist system we live in today. Through them, we can understand the processes of wealth accumulation and the strategies of trade and exploration that gave rise to capitalism.

Recommended Sources:

• Book: "The Old Regime and the Revolution" by Alexis de Tocqueville
• Documentary: "Inside the court of Henry VIII" from BBC available on YouTube
• Website: School Summary, which contains information about various absolutist monarchies and provides an overview of the topic

Practical Activity: Absolutism Report

Project Objective

To understand the concept of Absolutism and how it impacted the society, economy, and culture of Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries. The activity will align history and literature by focusing on developing research, critical thinking, writing, and teamwork skills.

Detailed Project Description

Each group of students (3 to 5 people) will be responsible for choosing and researching a specific absolutist monarchy in Europe (for example, the reign of Louis XIV in France, the Tudor Dynasty in England, etc.). The idea is for each group to immerse deeply into the life, government, and policies of that monarch, and create an imaginary "autobiography" of that monarch, making the history more engaging and personal.

Necessary Materials

• Books, internet, videos, and other reliable sources of information for research.
• Paper, pencils, and/or computers to write the autobiography.
• Creative materials such as cardboard, colored pens, props, etc. to elaborate a visual representation of your monarch.

Step by Step

1. Divide the students into groups and assign an absolutist monarchy to each one.
2. Instruct the students to research intensively about their specific monarch, focusing on the following topics:
   • Monarch's personal life.
   • Main achievements and failures.
   • Imposed mercantilist policies.
   • Social and cultural impact of their reign.
3. Students should use this information to write an imaginary "autobiography," telling the monarch's story from his own point of view.
4. Alongside the autobiography, students should also create a visual representation of the life and reign of their monarch.
5. Finally, students should produce a formal report including:
   • Introduction: Address the relevance and application of the theme in the real world as well as the objective of this project.
   • Development: Provide the theory behind absolutism, detail the activity carried out, the methodology used, and present and discuss the results obtained.
   • Conclusion: Revisit the main points of the project, highlight the learnings obtained, and draw conclusions about absolutism and the role of the monarch in their historical context.
   • Bibliography: Indicate all research sources.

The activity should last approximately 12 hours per student. This time should be divided between research, writing the autobiography, creating the visual representation, and writing the final report.

Project Deliverables

The project should result in two main deliverables:

1. The written "autobiography" and the visual representation of the selected monarch's life serve to make the learning experience more participative and engaging. Students should be able to explain how their monarch contributed to the characteristics and impacts of absolutism.

2. The formal report allows students to consolidate their learning, apply an academic approach, and practice writing skills. It should connect the practical experience of the "autobiography" and visual representation with the theoretical research conducted, demonstrating the students' understanding of the topic.

These deliverables should work together to give students a comprehensive and multidimensional understanding of absolutism, as well as provide an opportunity for collaborative and creative learning.