SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. (1600-1700.) FRANCE, under Louis XIV., now becomes the leading power in Europe, and makes great accessions of territory. ENGLAND also becomes one of the important states of Europe, and, besides being engaged in civil and foreign wars, is planting colonies in America and in India. Union of the crowns of England and Scotland takes place in 1603. AUSTRIA increases her power in Italy and Hungary. The SPANISH monarchy is quite broken up, and Spain sinks to an inferior position. PRUSSIA first rises into prominence in this century under the great elector, Frederick William. The UNITED PROVINCES hold a high place at this period, and are engaged in a long struggle with France. ITALY has fallen to a low condition. SAVOY is slowly gaining in power, and VENICE is engaged in wars with the Turks. SWEDEN in this century is at the height of her power and possessions. RUSSIA is rapidly rising, and POLAND is declining. The TURKS press forward into Austria, from which they are driven out, and make some important conquests in other parts; but their power is on the decline. PORTUGAL is freed from the Spanish yoke in 1640, but is of little account at this time. SCOTLAND. Union of the crowns of England and Scotland takes place in 1603. In AMERICA, colonization is rapidly going on, the English and Dutch taking the lead in planting new settlements. The Spaniards hold their first conquests, but with a rapid decline of power. The French lay claim to the great territory beyond the English possessions, and are engaged in frequent wars with the English in the New as in the Old World. A. D. 1600-A. D. 1700. CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 1603. Union of the crowns of England and Scotland. 1607. English settlement in America at Jamestown, Va. 1608. Quebec founded by the French. 1609. Hudson River discovered (Dutch). 1610. Expulsion of the Moors from Spain. 1612. English establishment in Hindostan. 1614. New York founded by the Dutch. 1618. Beginning of the Thirty Years' War. 1619. Discovery of the circulation of the blood by Harvey. 1620. Settlement by English Puritans at Plymouth, Mass. 1623. English settle New Hampshire. 1624. New Jersey settled by the Dutch. 1627. Delaware settled by the Swedes. 1632. Battle of Lutzen. 1633. Settlement of Connecticut. 1634-1635. Settlement of Maryland. 1635. Rhode Island settled. 1638. Solemn League and Covenant signed by the Scots. 1640. Portugal independent of Spain. 1640. The Long Parliament in England. 1640-1650. North Carolina settled. 1642-1646. Civil war in England. 1643. Confederacy of the New England colonies for mutual defence. 1643. Assembly of Divines at Westminster. 1648-1653. War of the Fronde. 1648. Peace of Westphalia, or Münster. End of the Thirty Years' War. 1649. Execution of Charles I. The Commonwealth, until 1660. 1654. Cromwell declared Protector. 1660. Restoration of Charles II. 1664. New Jersey passed to the English with New York. 1665. Great plague in London. 1666. Great fire in London. 1669. South Carolina settled (English). 1682. Settlement of Pennsylvania. 1685. Edict of Nantes revoked. 1688. "The Glorious Revolution" in England. 1698. Colonization of Louisiana. PROMINENT NAMES OF THE CENTURY. FRANCE. Kings. Henry IV., Louis XIV. ENGLAND. -- Queen. Elizabeth. Kings of Great Britain. -James I., Charles I., The Commonwealth (Oliver Cromwell), Charles II., James II., William and Mary. Tycho Brahe, Beza, Scaliger, Shakespeare, Cervantes, Beaumont, Raleigh, Bellarmine, Fletcher, Bacon, Kepler, Lope de Vega, Ben Jonson, Rubens, Vandyck, Galileo, Richelieu, Descartes, Harvey, Selden, Cromwell, Pascal, Bega, Poussin, Jeremy Taylor, Rembrandt, Molière, Milton, Spinoza, Turenne, Hobbes, Butler, Murillo, Corneille, Condé, Calderon, Bunyan, George Fox, Boyle, Baxter, Racine, La Fontaine, Dryden, Locke, Bossuet, Bayle, Boileau, Fénelon, Burnet, Leibnitz, Addison, Marlborough, Newton, Steele, Swift, Le Sage. ILLUSTRATIONS. THE AGE OF ELIZABETH. SEE under the last century, page 355. THE THIRTY YEARS' WAR. THIS important event, in which both religion and politics were concerned, continued from about 1618 to 1648, and consisted of a series of wars between the Roman Catholic and Protestant leagues in Germany, the house of Austria being at the head of the former party. Various powers of Europe were drawn into it to assist the Protestant princes of Germany; at first Denmark and Sweden, and later France. It was closed by the Treaty of Westphalia, 1648. The great sufferer by the war was Germany, becoming a mere loose collection of distinct governments of minor importance; and the Holy Roman Empire, becoming thoroughly weakened, ceased to exist, except in name. By the Treaty of Westphalia religious freedom was guaranteed to all the German states; the independence of Switzerland was formally acknowledged; Spain at last recognized the inde |