Question

which of the following is not correct about europe in the second half of the seventeenth century? the thirty years war had ended. kings were starting to claim that they had a divine right to rule. the scientific revolution was starting to uncover new universal laws. the lives of the vast majority of people were starting to rapidly improve.

Explanation:

• The Thirty Years' War ended in 1648, which falls in the second half of the 17th century, so this statement is correct.
• The divine right of kings was a well-established claim by monarchs in earlier centuries (not starting in the second half of the 17th century), but this was still a prevailing idea, so this statement is not the incorrect one.
• The Scientific Revolution (with figures like Newton, who published key works in the late 1600s) was uncovering new universal laws in this period, so this statement is correct.
• The vast majority of Europeans (peasants, lower classes) saw no rapid improvement in their lives in the second half of the 17th century; poverty, disease, and harsh living conditions remained widespread. This statement is incorrect.

Answer:

D. The lives of the vast majority of people were starting to rapidly improve.