1. UNIT 1: The Ancien Regime
1.KEY WORDS. Match each word with its correct definition.
Capitalism mercantilism Ancien Régime Bourgeoisie protectionism
Enlightenment Bourbon Despotism Tax Heir
Money that a government collects from the inhabitants of the country ___________
Dynasty which ruled Spain from the 18th century  _____________
Person with the legal right to someone´s property or position after they die_______
Economic system in which production and trade are controlled by private
businesses________________
Political and social system which emerged in Europe during the Early Modern
Age____________
Economic system designed to maximize a country´s exports and its accumulation of
gold and silver____________
Upper middle class, in particular merchants and businessmen who dominate
trade___________
Describes measures designed to protect a country´s industries from foreign
competition, usually by taxing or limiting imports __________
Exercise of absolute power by one person, called a despot _____________
2. Fill in the gaps with the words from the exercise above
1. One of the main developments in the 18 th century was an intellectual movement
called the ____________
2. The wealthy middle class, or ___________, became more important and tried to
gain more political power.
3. Europe´s absolute monarchs imposed a new economic system called ____________,
which was based in the idea that a country´s wealth depended on how much gold and
silver it possessed.
4. Philip of Anjou, the official ________, who was supported by France, and the Crown
of Castilla.
5. The Spanish __________, inspired by French centralized government, took measures
to establish administrative uniformity in their territories.
6. This was where laws were passed, including laws related to colonial _______.
7. Enlightened ____________ was a new form of government that developed in some
European countries in the 18th century.
8. It lasted from approximately 1492 to 1489. The political, social and economic system
is known as the ______________.
9. The following developments encouraged economic growth and the emergence of
commercial ____________.
10. In order to accumulate more gold and silver, monarchs implemented
______________ policies to limit imports and encourage exports.

2. 3. Are these sentences true or false? Correct the false sentences.
a) The 18th century was a period of transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern Age.
b) The Enlightenment was an artistic movement that began in Europe.
c) Enlightenment thinkers wanted to change the structures of the Ancien Régime
d) Absolute monarchs did not permit their subjects to participate in choosing their
governments.
e) The middle class became less important during the 18th century
4. Listen and complete the text using these words: dogma, enlighten,
law, liberty, reason, rights, science, source.
Enlightenment thinkers argued that ________was the true _______ of
knowledge, not beliefs or _________. They wanted to reform and
_________ society through _________ and education. Equality and
________were key principles of the Enlightenment: all people should have
the same ________ and freedoms under the __________.
5. Match the people to the ideas associated with them.
Diderot
Jovellanos
Montesquieu
Rousseau
Voltaire
social reforms in Spain
popular sovereignty
a parliamentary system
the separation of powers
the Encyclopaedia

3. 6. Copy and complete the sentences choosing the correct words.
a) Enlightened despotism combined absolute monarchy / democracy with the ideas of
Enlightenment thinkers.
b) Enlightened despots wanted to worsen/ improve their subjects` quality of life.
c) Enlightened despots used centralized / decentralized governments to implement
their decisions.
d) Some monarchs asked peasants/intellectuals to be government ministers.
7. Match the people to the descriptions
-Carlos II
-Felipe V
-Archduke Charles
of Austria
-Carlos III
was the last Spanish king from the Hapsburg dynasty.
had the support of Austria and the Crown of Aragon during the
War of Succession.
became the first Spanish king of the Bourbon dynasty.
established a system of enlightened despotism after he became
King of Spain.
8. Find the mistakes in these sentences and correct them in your exercise
book.
a) The kings of the Bourbon dynasty were inspired by the Russian form of government.
b) The Bourbon kings established many provincial cortes around Spain.
c) Aragon´s laws were imposed on Castilla as a punishment after the War of
Succession.
d) Juan Carlos I was the first Bourbon king after the War of Succession.