Europe to 1815 Test Two Study Guide
Diggers- Diggers were a group of English radicals who were active during the mid-seventeenth
century. They were significant for espousing a radical ideology that went even beyond that of the
Levellers. While the Levellers used property ownership in determining who can vote and focused
on Parliament for reform, the Diggers denied the claim of Parliament to speak for Englishmen
and emphasized property being held in a communal fashion rather than privately. Perhaps even
more significant is that the Diggers never attained a wide following.
The Cortes- Cortes was a general name for the Spanish Parliaments of each individual realm.
Throughout the second half of the sixteenth century during the reign of Philip II, each Cortes
gained significance for the limitations that it placed upon royal power. These limitations were the
result of the Cortes having to be consulted in order to achieve compliance with royal edicts. A
specific limitation is maintaining the right to approve special taxes, of which the refusal
contributed to Philip II declaring bankruptcy at the beginning and end of his reign.
Philip II- Philip II ruled Spain for much of the second half of the sixteenth century. He inherited
the Netherlands, Spanish colonies in the Americas, and parts of Italy. His significance lies in
ruling during the height of Spanish power, but failing to use that power responsibly. This failure
was from making religion a focus to the point of secular irresponsibility. Philip II believed that
God would assure victory, which led to plans like the Ridolphi Plot to place Catholic Mary
Stuart on the English throne in an effort to restore Catholicism despite the logistical limits.
Battle of Lepanto- This naval battle took place in 1571 between the Ottoman navy and the
combined navies of Spain and Austria. This battle is significant because the Ottoman defeat
because it spared the undefended south of Spain from possible invasion. In addition, the Ottoman
threat in the western Mediterranean came to an end.
Moriscos- Moriscos were Moors (Spanish Muslims) who had converted from Islam to
Christianity. During the second half of the sixteenth century in Spain, this group gained
significance for facing extreme persecution. From 1560-1610, the moriscos suffered harassment
for doubt over their devotion to Christianity. This harassment took the form of burning Arabic
books, banning Moorish dress, and culminated in the expulsion of moriscos from Spain in 1610.
This removal hit Valencia particularly hard since nearly a third of its population was moriscos.
Glorious Revolution- The Glorious Revolution took place in England from 1688 through the
1690s. James II abdicated the English throne when William III at the invitation of Parliament
flooded England with propaganda and then led an invasion. Mary joined William III as an equal
co-ruler. This event placed limitations on the monarchy and continued Anglicanism as the state
religion. The Bill of Rights limited the monarchy by establishing basic individual rights and
making permanent parliamentary privileges. An act of tolerance maintained Anglicanism as the
state religion, but did abate persecution of Catholics and Protestant dissenters on a religious
level. In addition, journalism and novels expressed dissenting viewpoints as a result of
decreasing censorship, although there were repercussions for critical works and unpopular ideas.
Levellers- Levellers were a group of English radicals who were active during the mid
seventeenth century. They were significant for supporting electoral reform, but in a form more
moderate than that of the Diggers. While the Diggers denied the claim of Parliament to speak for
, Englishmen and emphasized communal property, the Levellers supported expanding suffrage to
all male property owners with some more radical Levellers desiring universal male suffrage. In
addition, the Levellers also supported toleration of Catholics and other religions.
Charles I- Charles I ruled England from 1625-1649. He pursued policies that led to religious
division and the belief that he was unjustly exercising power. Charles I appointed Arminians to
key government positions and promoted Arminian over Anglican beliefs. This convinced many
that a popish plot or Catholic conspiracy was underway. Also, use of questionable practices to
raise funds and crushing taxes led Parliament to increasingly resist the king. All together, these
actions were crucial in initiating the English Civil War and the removal of Charles I.
Oliver Cromwell- After establishing himself as the leading proponent for the execution of
Charles I, Cromwell established the Puritan Commonwealth and assumed the title of Lord
Protector. As Lord Protector, he had Independent leanings and based his power in heading the
New Model Army. Cromwell in many ways was stricter than Charles I with arbitrary taxation,
established a more widespread rule, and stripped Catholics of political and property rights. In
addition, Scottish and Irish rebellions were put down rather brutally. Together, all of these
actions helped to lead to anger and disdain that resulted in the restoration of Charles II.
Mary Tudor- Mary Tudor was the English queen from 1553-1558. She was a staunch Catholic
and rolled back nearly all Protestant reforms in favor of Catholic practices. Some exceptions,
however, included the confiscation of chantries and monasteries. Most notable was her
persecution and often execution of high profile Protestants such as Thomas Cranmer, which
earned her the name of Bloody Mary and the extensive anger of the English people. In addition,
her marriage with Philip II of Spain marked a joint attempt with Spain to restore Catholicism.
William III- William III was the English king from 1689-1702 and came to the throne with Mary
when he flooded England with propaganda and then launched an invasion that drove James II
from power. Before this, he was the stadholder of Holland. William III supported religious
freedom and a more limited monarchy. The Tolerance Act was passed and allowed religious
freedom for Protestant dissenters and Catholics, which did include civil freedom. Also, a Bill of
Rights was passed that required the king to respect individual rights and privileges of Parliament.
Charles II- Charles II ruled England from 1660-1685 and ascended to the throne upon the
restoration of the monarchy with the promise to not be as authoritative and respect established
law. During his reign, Parliament rolled back laws against dissenting Protestants, although they
were excluded from government as were Catholics. Charles II actually had Catholic sympathies
and wished to see Catholicism gain a foothold, but there was never a favorable time for that as
both Parliament and the people would never have stood for any catholic patronage. Instead,
Parliament during the reign of Charles II became dominated by Anglicans and reestablished
Anglicanism as the state religion.
Queen Elizabeth- Queen Elizabeth ruled England for much of the second half of the sixteenth
century. During her reign, England permanently and self consciously became Protestant.
Anglicanism dominated the state while Catholicism became a small minority religion. Catholics
were allowed to practice their beliefs, but were restricted by making it treasonable for Catholics
to seek out religious education on the continent or never attend Anglican services. Fear of
Diggers- Diggers were a group of English radicals who were active during the mid-seventeenth
century. They were significant for espousing a radical ideology that went even beyond that of the
Levellers. While the Levellers used property ownership in determining who can vote and focused
on Parliament for reform, the Diggers denied the claim of Parliament to speak for Englishmen
and emphasized property being held in a communal fashion rather than privately. Perhaps even
more significant is that the Diggers never attained a wide following.
The Cortes- Cortes was a general name for the Spanish Parliaments of each individual realm.
Throughout the second half of the sixteenth century during the reign of Philip II, each Cortes
gained significance for the limitations that it placed upon royal power. These limitations were the
result of the Cortes having to be consulted in order to achieve compliance with royal edicts. A
specific limitation is maintaining the right to approve special taxes, of which the refusal
contributed to Philip II declaring bankruptcy at the beginning and end of his reign.
Philip II- Philip II ruled Spain for much of the second half of the sixteenth century. He inherited
the Netherlands, Spanish colonies in the Americas, and parts of Italy. His significance lies in
ruling during the height of Spanish power, but failing to use that power responsibly. This failure
was from making religion a focus to the point of secular irresponsibility. Philip II believed that
God would assure victory, which led to plans like the Ridolphi Plot to place Catholic Mary
Stuart on the English throne in an effort to restore Catholicism despite the logistical limits.
Battle of Lepanto- This naval battle took place in 1571 between the Ottoman navy and the
combined navies of Spain and Austria. This battle is significant because the Ottoman defeat
because it spared the undefended south of Spain from possible invasion. In addition, the Ottoman
threat in the western Mediterranean came to an end.
Moriscos- Moriscos were Moors (Spanish Muslims) who had converted from Islam to
Christianity. During the second half of the sixteenth century in Spain, this group gained
significance for facing extreme persecution. From 1560-1610, the moriscos suffered harassment
for doubt over their devotion to Christianity. This harassment took the form of burning Arabic
books, banning Moorish dress, and culminated in the expulsion of moriscos from Spain in 1610.
This removal hit Valencia particularly hard since nearly a third of its population was moriscos.
Glorious Revolution- The Glorious Revolution took place in England from 1688 through the
1690s. James II abdicated the English throne when William III at the invitation of Parliament
flooded England with propaganda and then led an invasion. Mary joined William III as an equal
co-ruler. This event placed limitations on the monarchy and continued Anglicanism as the state
religion. The Bill of Rights limited the monarchy by establishing basic individual rights and
making permanent parliamentary privileges. An act of tolerance maintained Anglicanism as the
state religion, but did abate persecution of Catholics and Protestant dissenters on a religious
level. In addition, journalism and novels expressed dissenting viewpoints as a result of
decreasing censorship, although there were repercussions for critical works and unpopular ideas.
Levellers- Levellers were a group of English radicals who were active during the mid
seventeenth century. They were significant for supporting electoral reform, but in a form more
moderate than that of the Diggers. While the Diggers denied the claim of Parliament to speak for
, Englishmen and emphasized communal property, the Levellers supported expanding suffrage to
all male property owners with some more radical Levellers desiring universal male suffrage. In
addition, the Levellers also supported toleration of Catholics and other religions.
Charles I- Charles I ruled England from 1625-1649. He pursued policies that led to religious
division and the belief that he was unjustly exercising power. Charles I appointed Arminians to
key government positions and promoted Arminian over Anglican beliefs. This convinced many
that a popish plot or Catholic conspiracy was underway. Also, use of questionable practices to
raise funds and crushing taxes led Parliament to increasingly resist the king. All together, these
actions were crucial in initiating the English Civil War and the removal of Charles I.
Oliver Cromwell- After establishing himself as the leading proponent for the execution of
Charles I, Cromwell established the Puritan Commonwealth and assumed the title of Lord
Protector. As Lord Protector, he had Independent leanings and based his power in heading the
New Model Army. Cromwell in many ways was stricter than Charles I with arbitrary taxation,
established a more widespread rule, and stripped Catholics of political and property rights. In
addition, Scottish and Irish rebellions were put down rather brutally. Together, all of these
actions helped to lead to anger and disdain that resulted in the restoration of Charles II.
Mary Tudor- Mary Tudor was the English queen from 1553-1558. She was a staunch Catholic
and rolled back nearly all Protestant reforms in favor of Catholic practices. Some exceptions,
however, included the confiscation of chantries and monasteries. Most notable was her
persecution and often execution of high profile Protestants such as Thomas Cranmer, which
earned her the name of Bloody Mary and the extensive anger of the English people. In addition,
her marriage with Philip II of Spain marked a joint attempt with Spain to restore Catholicism.
William III- William III was the English king from 1689-1702 and came to the throne with Mary
when he flooded England with propaganda and then launched an invasion that drove James II
from power. Before this, he was the stadholder of Holland. William III supported religious
freedom and a more limited monarchy. The Tolerance Act was passed and allowed religious
freedom for Protestant dissenters and Catholics, which did include civil freedom. Also, a Bill of
Rights was passed that required the king to respect individual rights and privileges of Parliament.
Charles II- Charles II ruled England from 1660-1685 and ascended to the throne upon the
restoration of the monarchy with the promise to not be as authoritative and respect established
law. During his reign, Parliament rolled back laws against dissenting Protestants, although they
were excluded from government as were Catholics. Charles II actually had Catholic sympathies
and wished to see Catholicism gain a foothold, but there was never a favorable time for that as
both Parliament and the people would never have stood for any catholic patronage. Instead,
Parliament during the reign of Charles II became dominated by Anglicans and reestablished
Anglicanism as the state religion.
Queen Elizabeth- Queen Elizabeth ruled England for much of the second half of the sixteenth
century. During her reign, England permanently and self consciously became Protestant.
Anglicanism dominated the state while Catholicism became a small minority religion. Catholics
were allowed to practice their beliefs, but were restricted by making it treasonable for Catholics
to seek out religious education on the continent or never attend Anglican services. Fear of
