Limited Monarchy and Republics (15.

4)
Not all European states had absolute monarchy.

The Weakness of the Polish Monarchy

Marrige of Jagiello, grand prince of Lithuania, and Polish queen Jadwiga made a Lithuanian-
Polish ginormous Christian state.
Ruled much of East Europe + Ukraine, nobles elected and controled king, keeping serfdom.
After Jagiello, outsiders like Sigismund III became new king, who wanted to include Poland,
Russia in Sweden (failed to do so)
The Sejm or Polish diet, was a two-chamber assembly where landowners dominated, and who
shared power with the king, making sure central authority wouldn't efffect local interests.
Liberum veto allowed Sejm to be stopped by a single dissenting member brought chaos
Became a battleground for foreign powers, and a confederation of semi-independent states.

The Golden Age of the Dutch Republic

The United Provinces were an Atlantic power of the Netherlands, becoming the core of the Dutch
state, recognized by the Peace of Westphalia.
Each province had a stadholder repsonsible for leading the army and maintaining order.
William of Orange and the house of Orange dominated the stadholder positions in most of the 7
provinces, favoring centralized government with Orange as monarch.
The States General an assembly of representatives from every province, opposed Orangist
ambitions, advocating for a decentralized government
William III of Orange established a monarchical regime but, after William III's death, the
republican forces won again, a persistent struggle.
Dutch became head of European trade, but wars w/ France and England burdened Dutch finance
and manpower as well as English shipping competition.

Life in 17th Century Amsterdam

Amsterdam was financial + commercial hub of Europe, with many Spanish Netherlands refugees
and an "urban expansion plan" that increased city territories.
Tall narrow fronted houses, canals allowed merchants + artisans to use upper stories of
houses as storerooms.
Shallow-draft Dutch merchant ships called fluyts allowed transportation of large amounts of
goods a factor in Amsterdams success.
Dam Square was a place where cargos were unloaded.
Amsterdam was Chief port for the Dutch West Indian and East Indian trading companies, as well
as an importaint city from refining raw materials to finished goods, as well as war goods.
The Exchange Bank of Amsterdam and Amsterdam Stock Exchange led to it's importance as
a financial center.
Calvinist Amsterdam burghers were minimalists, but began to reject Calvinist heritage and adopt
more elaborate and colorful clothes.