Louis XIV DBQ

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- CENTRAL HISTORICAL QUESTION -

WHAT TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP DID LOUIS XIV HAVE WITH THE FRENCH PEOPLE UNDER HIS ABSOLUTE RULE?

What does this pyramid suggest about the relationship King Louis XIV the French people?

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DOCUMENT 1

“I went to Saint Germain in the month of February. I caught sight of the king on his way to Mass. Although I had never seen him before and he was lost in a crowd of courtiers, I immediately recognized him. He had a grand majestic air, and by his stature and demeanor you could tell that if he hadn’t already been a king, he would have deserved to be one in the eyes of the beholders.”

SOURCE: Jean-Baptiste Primi Visconti, count of San Maiolo, 1673. Baptiste was a merchant in the Bourgeoisie class of 17th century France. His relentless hard work and thrift made him an esteemed minister by the nobility and Louis XIV. He achieved a reputation for his work of improving the state of French manufacturing and bringing the economy back from the brink of bankruptcy.

DOCUMENT 2

“It appears from all this that the person of the king is sacred, and that to attack him in any way is sacrilege. God has the kings anointed by his prophets with the holy unction in like manner as he has bishops and altars anointed. But even without the external application in thus being anointed, they are by their very office the representatives of the divine majesty deputed by Providence for the execution of his purposes....

The royal power is absolute. With the aim of making this truth hateful and insufferable, many writers have tried to confound absolute government with arbitrary government. But no two things could be more unlike, as we shall show when we come to speak of justice. The prince need render account of his acts to no one....Without this absolute authority the king could neither do good nor repress evil....”

SOURCE: Bishop Bossuet: “Politics Taken from the Very Words of Scripture,” 1679. Bossouet was Catholic member of the clergy class of French society. Additionally, he was the court preacher to Louis XIV of France, Bossuet was a strong advocate of political absolutism and the divine right of kings. He argued that government was divine and that kings received their power from God. He was also an important courtier and politician

DOCUMENT 3

“Since government is necessary for the public good, and God Himself has established it, it is consequently also necessary for those who are subject to government, to be submissive and obedient. For otherwise they would resist God Himself, and government, which should be the bond of peace and unity that brings about the public good, would become an occasion for divisions and disturbances that would cause its downfall.

The first duty of obedience to government is the duty to obey those who hold the first place in it, monarchs or others who are the heads of the body that makes up society, and to obey them as the limbs of the human body obey the head to which they are united.”

SOURCE: Jean Domat (1625-1696) was a renowned French jurist in the reign of Louis XIV. Louis XIV regarded Domat's work so highly that he assigned him a pension, and in effect the royal government sponsored his publications. This excerpt is from an essay on the benefits of absolute rule as a system of government. This excerpt was from a treatise Domat had written, released in 1697 after his death.

DOCUMENT 4

“He showed a natural kindness of heart and a sense of justice which made one regret the education, the flatteries, the artifice which resulted in preventing him from being his real self except on the rare occasions when he gave way to some natural impulse and showed that, - prerogative aside, which choked and stifled everything, - he loved truth, justice, order, reason, - that he loved even to let himself be vanquished.

...Any man could have an opportunity to speak to him five or six times during the day; he listened, and almost always replied, "I will see," in order not to accord or decide anything lightly. Never a reply or a speech that would give pain; patient to the last degree in business and in matters of personal service; completely master of his face, manner, and bearing; never giving way to impatience or anger. He did not lose control of himself ten times in his whole life, and then only with inferior persons, and not more than four or five times seriously.”

SOURCE: Duke de Saint-Simon: “A Portrait of Louis XIV, 1730. The Duke de Saint-Simon was a member of the nobility and at one point, a close friend of Louis XIV. This excerpt is from his memoirs.

DOCUMENT 5

SOURCE: Pierre Patel, 1662. Patel was an esteemed artisan of the Bourgeoisie. Patel’s depiction of the Palace of Versailles shows how Versailles looked before Louis XIV began enlarging the château.

DESCRIPTION: The original residence, built from 1631 to 1634, was primarily a hunting lodge and private retreat for Louis XIII (reigned 1610–43) and his family. Under the guidance of Louis XIV, it was transformed into an immense and extravagant complex surrounded by stylized English and French gardens; every detail of its construction glorified the king. Louis and his court made this the center of government, over 13 miles from Paris.

Such renowned architects as Jules Hardouin-Mansart, Robert de Cotte, and Louis Le Vau designed the additions. Charles Le Brun oversaw the interior decoration. Landscape artist André Le Nôtre created symmetrical French gardens that included ornate fountains with “magically” still water, expressing the power of humanity—and, specifically, the king— over nature.


COST - $2,000,000,000.00 in 1994

TWO WINGS – Each 150 yards long, main building, 500 yards long, containing 2,000 rooms altogether.

GARDENS – 15,000 acres of gardens, lawns & woods

FOUNTAINS – 1,400 fountains. Fountains would be turned on just before the King would walk by them. When Louis left, the servants would turn the water off to conserve it.

DOCUMENT 6

“All was calm everywhere. Not the slightest hint of any disturbance within the kingdom that could interrupt or oppose my plans. There was peace with my neighbors, apparently for as long as I would want it myself...”

SOURCE: Louis XIV, 1670. Memoirs for the instruction of the dauphin. Louis XIV was the monarch (i.e. King) of France from 1643 to 1715. This is an excerpt from his memoir, intended to be instructions for his heir (i.e. son) to the throne, Louis XV.

COMPLETE THIS TABLE AS YOU READ

(10 pts)

Doc #

Author: Who created this source, and what is important to note about who they are in trying to answer the central historical question?

Date of Creation: When was this source created, and what is important to note about when it was created in trying to answer the central historical question?

Content: How does this source frame or depict the relationship between Loius XIV and the people under his rule?

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As a group, write a brief claim in response to the Central Historical Question:

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HOMEWORK

DIRECTIONS: Independently research a primary source account that would add a more balanced view to this set of sources about Louis XIV. In other words, you need to locate a primary source that depicts life under Louis XIV that offers a different point of view than the one offered in this lesson.

This is a good time to practice using the resources on the LHS library website.

In the space below, offer an explanation as to how your document balances out the current view of Louis XIV’s relationship with the French people under his absolute rule. (10 pts)

Staple your primary source to this handout. (5 pts)

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