Enlightened Rulers
and the French and Indian War
Enlightenment and the Monarchy
• Many rulers began to embrace some of the
concepts some of the concepts put out by the
enlightenment thinkers.
• Wanted to make countries stronger and rule
more effectively
Fredrick the Great
• King of Prussia
• Granted many religious freedoms/improved
education
• “First servant state”
• Reforms only went so far
Joseph II (Austria)
• Introduced legal reforms and freedom of the
press
• Abolished serfdom
• Most of his reforms were undone after his
death.
Catherine the Great
• Recommended religious toleration, abolishing
torture, and capital punishment
• Greatly expanded Russia into Poland
Setting the Stage( French and Indian
War)
• Also known as Seven Years War
• Two front war( one in NA and one in Europe)
The First World War
• War fought in the colonies was over land
(Virginias encroaching on French territory)
• Quickly Spread to Europe mainly fought over
land in Germany( Prussia vs Austria)
The War ends
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Ended with the Treaty of Paris of 1763
series of land exchanges
British gain possession of India from French
included French ceding all NA possessions to Britain as
well as Spanish Florida
• Prussia makes large gains in Germany
Legacy of the French and Indian War
• Left Britain with a huge war debt
• Trained future US officers (GW)
• Ended period of salutary neglect.