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8/7/2019 Essay Comments

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Class: -'-"""",Ii:.-l-.c:...:.::::.....-__Free Response Essay Rubric

Strong Essays: 9-8 (A) Has a clear, well developed, sophisticated thesis Is well organized

o Information is discussed in logical ordero Each paragraph has a topic sentenceo Argument is easy to follow

Completely and fully addresses ALL of the terms of the question Supports the thesis with SPECIFIC EVIDENCE Demonstra tes insiihtful and critical analysis - more than just a regurgitation of someone else's

ideas.Good Essays: 7-6 (B)

Has a clear, well developed, sophisticated thesis Is well organized

o Information is discussed in logical ordero Each paragraph has a topic sentenceo Argument is easy to follow

Addresses all parts of the question adequately. but may be more complete on one part of thequestion than another.

Supports the thesis with SPECIFIC EVIDENCE A n s w ~ r s the question adequately, bu t does not demonstrate outstanding i n s i ~ t i ~

analysIS. / \Mixed Essays: ~ . _ ~ 0

Contains a t b e s i s , b u L t h i t i s _ ~ simplistic 0Res onds to the uestion uneve ,5'f.3

May conWn erron. cither factual 0 ' inte'P"tive - a:0Weak Essays: 3-2 (D) V

Thesis is confused, absent. or merely restates the question - 1 ~ S Misconstrues the question Partial but inadequate response to question - omits major tasks JP r S- May contain major errors May contain vague or irrelevant information Contains minimal relevant supporting evidence - few appropriate specific facts

Poor Essays 1-0 (F) W riring is off task or irrelevant Major errors of fact


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-------------------------------------------Using examples from at least two different states, analyze the key features of the "new

monarchies" and the factors responsible for their rise in the period 1450 to 1550.

Jeffrey ShihAP European History - Czech

Ms. DunkelApril 15,2011


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Sh i h i

From the late 15 th to the early 16th century, Europe was undergoing one of its mostr M t ~ ) I ~ M developing periods in history. Perhaps, the ongoing Renaissance ~ r e a d its refonning ideals ?rn.Jnot only socially and intellectually but politically as well. Europe witnessed the rise of "new"monarchies from 1450 to 1550. Prior to this period, kings did not possess absolute rulingauthority. The occurrence of severe conflicts such as the Hundred Years' War between Franceand England provided a flux in monarchical power in said countries. In addition, monarchs werecontested by the power of feudalism and ruled under the consent of their vassals. However, withthe end of battle, they were able to establish themselves fIrmly within the state. Also, theeventual insufficiency of the nobility to maintain the wellbeing of the state led to feudalism's

\ .decline and subsequently an overriding influence by themonarchy. "Consolida[tingj .. royalr0rity in France, England, and Spain," (Winks and Wandel 32) the new monarchies helped ....~ v > - / \ ..

-->~ ~ a m p the state ofEurope from a downturn caused by strife and feudalism. Associated with an @inclination towards absolutism, these monarchical regimes were successful catalysts of European '\ r'" ;l

~ ' ( ~ - \


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,1. :vo V\ o t N \ ~ h i h 3~ ~ L P ~ 0 7 century approached, it became increasingly obvious t h a ~ could not sufficientlysustain Europe (Winks and Wandel 32). The failure of feudalism to form a rigid, stabilized armythat corresponded with the status of the state caused them to submit to the new monarchs. Alongwith feudalism's decline, in France, "the misery and humiliation of the Hundred Years' wa r )produced a nationalist reaction" (Slavin 3). Around this time, a major rivalry between theBurgundians and Annagnacs had destabilized the state. Joan ofArc, the chier inspirer of a rJ{i'PFrench patriotism movement, led the forces of the weak King Charles VII and drove the English Iout ofOrleans. T h O ~ U Swas eventually burned at the stake for witchcraft and heresy by the. ? s.p-e c.of.'c.......French Inquisition, effo s were not in vain, for Charles VII managed to sustain France 'sstrength and expand its military (Winks and Wandel 42-43). Furthermore, when Louis XI came

'?to reign, he consolidated the crusade of Joan ofArc, c r u s ~ feudal_ i p ~ e p e n d e n c e and expandedV\(JnAFrance at the cost ofweaker states. ~ s p ~ o w ~ in this example of territorial and

Yl {)IJ j CJ.. ~ ' - h 2 K ' monarchical expansion (Slavin 3). in England, The War of the Roses, lasted from-1455 to 1485 and left Henry VII (Henry Tudor) victorious as the new monarch ofEngland rulingover a new dynasty, the Tudors (Winks and Wandel 50). It is interesting to note that theestablishment ofmonarchical power began to arise after serious strife, suggesting that themonarchs used the upheaval produced by war to their advantage to rally support for their rule.

The intense decline of feudalism that began with the new monarchs was sustained throughout the monarchs' reign. In England, not only did the new government suppress feudalism, they attempted to exploit its economic aspects and establish a source of income from feudal revenue, clearly shown from the reigns ofEdward IV and Henry VII (Bean 235). Both rulers hoped to "tame [the nobility] and make them serve the monarchy" (Edwards 85). Edward IV may have been more generous than the ftrst Tudor monarch, and despite his overall wish to } ) A 1 0 ~


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Shih 4

"scourge the 'ovennighty subject'," (Edwards 55) by the end of his reign, he provided thenobility with even greater power. His actions were due to the nobles still possessing a fair degreeof power at this point; their loyalty provided the monarch a substitute for a standing army orpolice force that helped maintain public order. Edward even created positions for various nobles("one duke, eight earls and six barons in the first d e c a d e ~ (Edwards 56) ) and distributed greatprizes from his victories. Without the nobility, it was hard 10 say that Edward could keephiG..)throne. The only thing that fell in line with his original motive was his passing of an Act in 1468that prohibited the nobles from keeping retainers, yet it excluded domestic servants among who

r-zwere many nobles. Though he did not seriously address the issue of bastard feudalism, Edwardwas perhaps the first English new monarch that sought to promote a gradual transmittance of~ ~ e r from the nobles to the monarchy. Decades later, Henry VI decided to take things up a

1. notch. learly, he had more absolute power than his predecessor, partly due to the fuel that byr}-J!:i is time, there were few nobles with royal power that could contest his. During his reign, the

monarch exercised his authority vastly and used attainders 10 cancel the civil of the nobility,establishing simultaneous punishment for and control over feudal behavior. Other threats andpenalties included "fines for breaches of the law (or sales of pardons), bonds and recognisances,and the exploitation of royal feudal r i g h t s ~ (Edwards 8 enrydiscarded all of Edward's policies regarding governing his state by way of the nobility to preventany potential mighty opposition, and his rule indicated a major landmark of feudal decline inEnglish history. Since the Hundred Years' War had not only affiicted England, the issue ofbastard feudalism was also occurring in France. Yet, Louis XI had virtually eliminated this issueat his death in 1483. Even in Spain, the nobility could not challenge the absolute power from thejoint reign ofFerdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile. There was a constant rejection of the


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Shih 5nobles, for Isabella rose against them by allying herself with the middle class. The queenpreferred to extract military support from small town militias rather than relying on feudal levies(Winks and Wandel 53). Ultimately, the exploitation, elimination, and rejection of feudalism inthese three monarchical states during this time period played major roles in feudalism's decline.With a firmer governing foundation, Europe now entered a more politically stable andprosperous state.

With the rise of the new monarchs came religious reformation. Among the threemonarchical states, Spain arguably imposed the most rigorous authority in this matter. Themarriage ofFerdinand and Isabella in 1469 resulted in the dynastic alliance ofAragon andCastile and thus unified Spain. Aside from weakening the nobility, Isabella decided to exerciseher royal authority to purify the church from corruption. She was granted permission by thepapacy to appoint Spanish bishops and also had a chiefminister, Cardinal Jimenez de Cisneros,who carried out her purging policies. Eventually, the Spanish Inquisition was established in 1478as the ultimate body to enforce universal Catholicism and weed out individuals from ethnic ' : \ &

? ~ v - . -groups, especially Jews and Muslims, w h did not c o m ~ e t e l Y follow the Catholiccontinued to practice their former religion secretively. Unconverted Jews in 1492 were given theoption to choose baptism or exile with the loss of their property and a decade later, Muslimswere only faced with baptism (Winks and Wandel 53). The Spanish Inquisition instilled fearwithin many Spanish inhabitants, forcefully yet efficiently establishing religious conformity.Being an instrument of the royalty rather than the papacy, it shows the gradual elevation ofabsolute monarchical power. Similarly in England, Henry VIII decided impose his ownecclesiastical order with the Act ofSuccession and Act ofSupremacy in 1534, which called forloyalty to the king as the supreme head of the Church ofEngland. Though he retained the

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