Daily Curiosityby Erudico

Same year · Question

In 1687, Isaac Newton published Principia. Which form of government was firmly established in France?

Answer

Absolute monarchy

The story behind the answer

Absolute monarchy is correct because, under Louis XIV (“the Sun King”), royal power in France was centralized and unchecked by representative bodies. Louis ruled by divine right, sidelined the nobility at Versailles, used royal intendants to administer provinces, and avoided convening the Estates-General (which wouldn’t meet again until 1789). His policies—like revoking the Edict of Nantes in 1685—show the crown’s sweeping authority.

To remember this, pair Newton’s Principia (laws that pull everything together) with Louis XIV’s “gravitational” pull over France: nobles orbited Versailles, drawn into the king’s absolute center. As a contrast, just a year later England’s 1688 Glorious Revolution entrenched constitutional monarchy—highlighting how France and England moved in opposite political directions.

More to discover

In 1776, the American Declaration of Independence was signed. Which major Enlightenment thinker died that same year? In 1799, Napoleon seized power in France. Which pope was head of the Catholic Church at the time? In 1804, Napoleon crowned himself emperor. Which Caribbean colony declared independence the same year? In 1815, the Battle of Waterloo took place. Which European political order was restored afterward?