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1469
Isabella & Ferdinand unify Spain
Through their marriage, Isabella and Ferdinand brought their two countries together, Aragon and Castile, to become the basis of Spain -
Period: 1509 to 1547
Henry VIII rules in England
Henry VIII established the Church of England and the Royal Navy, but he is most well known for his six wives. -
Period: 1558 to
Elizabeth I rules England
Elizabeth I was the last monarch of the Tudor Dynasty and a very popular ruler. -
Edict of Nantes is created
The Edict of Nantes was a law that provided religious tolerance for French Protestants in a country that was mainly Roman Catholic. -
Don Quixote is published
Don Quixote is a Spanish book about an aging knight who sets out on his old horse to seek adventure. -
Period: to
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War started as a battle between the Catholic and Protestant states in the Holy Roman Empire, but the reasons for the wars changed numerous times. -
Petition of Right is signed
The Petition of Right was a legal petition that Parliament sent to Charles I complaining about a series of breeches of law. -
Long Parliament
Charles I assembled Parliament to ask it to pass finance bills. This assembly was called Long Parliament to distinguish it from Short Parliament, which happened earlier in the year. -
Period: to
Louis XIV rules as king of France
Louis XIV was known as the Sun King and reigned over France for 72 years, which was longer than any other European ruler. -
Peace of Westphalia is signed
The Peace of Westphalia was a series of peace treaties that ended the Thirty Years' War and the Eighty Years' War. -
Thomas Hobbes publishes "Leviathan"
Leviathan was a foundational work in political philosophy that concerns the structure of society and legitimate government. -
Period: to
Charles II rules England
Charles II was known as "the Merry Monarch" and he was able to guide England through religious unrest between the citizens during his reign. -
Period: to
Peter the Great reigns as tsar of Russia
Peter the great founded the Russian Navy and worked to modernize Russia during his reign. -
Period: to
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution was a peaceful sequence of events that overthrew King James II and established Parliament as the ruling power of England. -
John Locke publishes "Two Treatises of Government"
The Two Treatises on Government outline a theory of civil society and emphasize 3 principles of how we should think about the state. -
English Bill of Rights is signed
The English Bill of Rights is an original act of Parliament that established the principles of frequent parliaments, free elections, and freedom of speech within Parliament. -
Daniel Dafoe publishes "Robinson Crusoe"
"Robinson Crusoe" is a novel about a man that was cast away on an island in the Caribbean for 26 years. -
Jonathan Swift publishes "Gulliver's Travels"
Gulliver's Travels is about a practical-minded English surgeon named Lemuel Gulliver who takes to the seas when his business fails. -
Johann Sebastian Bach at the height of his career
Bach is regarded as perhaps the greatest composer of all time. He was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violinist, and more. His most famous composing was "Mass in B Minor." -
Period: to
Frederick II rules Prussia
Frederick II was a brilliant military campaigner who expanded Prussia's territories and made Prussia the foremost military power in Europe. -
Baron de Montesquieu publishes "The Spirit of Laws"
"The Spirit of Laws" reflects the influence on society, the separation of political powers, and the need for checks on a powerful executive office. -
Period: to
Denis Diderot publishes his "Encyclopedia"
Denis Diderot's Encyclopedia is a set of books that contains 28 volumes. These volumes contained articles and essays about the Enlightenment from many leading scholars of Europe -
Period: to
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a large imperial war between Great Britain and France that was fought both in North America and Europe. -
Voltaire publishes "Candide"
Candide was an adventure story about whether the world was a good or bad place. Voltaire wrote Candide to get rid of the theory of optimism, and it is known as his best work. -
Period: to
George III rules England
George III was king of England during the American Revolution. -
Jean Jacque Rousseau publishes the "Social Contract"
The Social Contract was about moral and political rules of behavior between people. This contract was created so that people could live together in harmony. -
Period: to
Catherine the Great rules Russia
Catherine the Great expanded the borders of Russia and led her country into full participation in the political and cultural life of Europe during her reign. -
Period: to
Joseph II rules Austria
Joseph II was the Holy Roman Emperor and dedicated to the principles of the Enlightenment. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a street fight between colonists and British soldiers, in which the soldiers ended up shooting several of the colonists. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was an act of protest where members of the Sons of Liberty threw 342 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were a series of 4 laws meant to force the rebellious colonies back into place. These laws were the Boston Port Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice Act, and the Quartering Act. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord marked the start of the American Revolution -
Period: to
American Revolution
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Adam Smith publishes the "Wealth of Nations"
The Wealth of Nations was the "first formulation of a comprehensive system of political economy." -
Declaration of Independence is signed
The Declaration of Independence announced the separation of the 13 colonies from Britain. -
Period: to
Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown was the final battle of the American Revolution. -
Treaty of Paris is signed
The Treaty of Paris ended the American Revolutionary War. -
U.S. Constitution is ratified
The Constitution of the United States defines the foundation of America's government. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man is created
The Declaration of the Rights of Man is a fundamental document of the French Revolution that stated the basic liberties of every human. -
Tennis Court Oath
The Tennis Court Oath was a pledge taken by the Third Estate, and was a major turning point in the French Revolution. -
Storming of the Bastille
The storming of the Bastille occurred in Paris and was the first significantly violent event of the French Revolution. -
Women's March on Versailles
The Women's March on Versailles was a riot that occurred when women from the marketplaces of Paris marched to Versailles, complaining over the high price and scarcity of bread. -
Declaration of the Rights of Woman is created
The Declaration of the Rights of Woman outlines the basic rights that should be extended to women. -
Mary Wollstonecraft publishes "A Vindication of the Rights of Women"
"A Vindication of the Rights of Women" argued that females should be regarded as full human beings who deserve all the same rights as men. -
Period: to
Radical Phase
The Radical Phase was the creation of a French republic that allowed more rights. -
National Convention is formed
The National was a form of government founded during the French Revolution. It was the first French government formed as a republic. -
Committee of Public Safety is created
The Committee of Public Safety was a political body of the French Revolution that gained virtual control over France during the reign of terror -
Period: to
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror was a period of mass executions and state-sanctioned violence where France's revolutionary government ordered the arrest and execution of thousands of people. -
Period: to
Five Man Directory is created
The Five Man Directory was a five member committee that governed France before Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power. -
Napoleon Bonaparte becomes Emperor
Napoleon Bonaparte was one of the most successful generals in the French Revolution. He crowned himself emperor after the Reign of Terror. -
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a naval battle during the Napoleonic Wars that established British naval supremacy for more than 100 years. -
The Battle of Austerlitz
The Battle of Austerlitz was one of Napoleon's most significant victories, with his 68,000 troops defeating 90,000 Russians and Austrians. -
Battle of Leipzig
The Battle of Leipzig was a decisive defeat for Napoleon, which resulted in the destruction of French power in Germany and Poland. -
Period: to
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was an assembly that reorganized Europe after the Napoleonic Wars. -
Napoleon is exiled to Elba
Austrian, Prussian, and Russian forces allied against France, forcing Napoleon to abdicate the throne, and he was exiled to the island of Elba. -
Napoleon is exiled to St. Helena
After Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, he abdicated the throne again and was exiled for the second time, this time to the island of St. Helena, where he lived out the rest of his days.