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Charles XI ► Charlotte I 377
of establishing a unified northern state. After conquering Poland (1655— 56), he won back lands in southern Sweden from Denmark by the Treaty of Roskilde (1658).
Charles XI Swedish Karl (b. Nov. 24, 1655, Stockholm, Swed.—d. April 5, 1697, Stockholm) King of Sweden (1660-97). At age five he succeeded his father, Charles X Gustav, and the kingdom was ruled under a regency of aristocrats until Charles came of age in 1672. The regents drew Sweden into the Dutch War (1672-78), but Charles took control of the armies and won favorable results for Sweden by the Treaties of Nijmegen, after which he maintained a foreign policy of neutrality. Within Sweden, Charles expanded royal power at the expense of the higher nobil¬ ity and established an absolutist monarchy.
Charles XII Swedish Karl (b. June 17, 1682, Stockholm, Swed.—d. Nov. 30, 1718, Fredrikshald, Nor.) King of Sweden (1697-1718). Son of Charles XI, he became absolute monarch at age 15. He defended his coun¬ try for 18 years in the Second Northern War, gradually taking increased responsibility for planning and executing armed operations. He launched a disastrous invasion of Russia (1707-09) that resulted in the collapse of the Swedish armies and the loss of Sweden’s status as a great power. Rul¬ ing early in the Enlightenment, he promoted significant domestic reforms. He was killed during an invasion of Norway.
Charles XIII Swedish Karl (b. Nov. 8, 1622, Nykoping Castle, Swed.—d. Feb. 13, 1660, Goteborg) King of Sweden (1809-18) and first king of the union of Sweden and Norway (1814-18). Second son of King Adolf Frederick (1710-71), he served as admiral of the fleet in the Russo- Swedish war. On the death of his brother Gustav III (1792), Charles became regent for his nephew Gustav IV. After the latter’s deposition in 1809, Charles was elected king. He was prematurely aged and childless. In 1810 Jean-Baptiste Bemadotte (later Charles XIV John) was named heir apparent; from then on, Charles was eclipsed by the crown prince.
Charles XIV John Swedish Karl Johan orig. Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte (b. Jan. 26, 1763, Pau, France—d. March 8, 1844, Stock¬ holm, Swed.) King of Sweden and Norway (1818-44). He became an ardent supporter of the French Revolution and rose rapidly in the army ranks to brigadier general (1794). Named marshal of France in 1804, he supported Napoleon in several campaigns (1805-09) but subsequently shifted his allegiance. In 1810 he was invited to become crown prince of Sweden; taking the name of Charles John, he assumed control of the gov¬ ernment. He helped defeat Napoleon at the Battle of Leipzig, then defeated France’s ally Denmark, forcing that country to transfer Norway to the Swedish crown. On the death of Charles XIII in 1818, Charles John became king of Sweden and Norway. His foreign policy led to a long and favour¬ able period of peace.
Charles Albert Italian Carlo Alberto (b. Oct. 2, 1798, Turin, Pied¬ mont, French Republic—d. July 28, 1849, Oporto, Port.) King of Sardinia-Piedmont (1831-49). A member of the house of Savoy, he ascended the throne after the death of Charles Felix in 1831. He mitigated the harsh administration of his country and accelerated its economic and social development. The spread of revolutionary ideas forced him to grant a statute for representative government in 1848. After the election of Pius IX as pope and the Austrian occupation of Ferrara, he sought to lead the liberation of Italy. He went to war against Austria in 1848 and again in 1849, but, after his defeat in the Battle of Novara, he abdicated in favor of his son, Victor Emmanuel II.
Charles Edward, the Young Pretender orig. Charles Edward Louis Philip Casimir Stuart known as Bonnie Prince Charlie (b. Dec. 31, 1720, Rome—d. Jan. 31, 1788, Rome) Claimant to the British throne. He was the son of the royal pretender James Edward and grandson of the exiled James II of England. Seeking to regain the throne, in 1745 the “Young Pretender” landed in Scotland, where he raised an army of 2,400 among the clans. After taking Edinburgh and routing the English at Prestonpans, he crossed the English border and reached Derby, but a lack of strong support from the Jacobites and the French forced his retreat into Scotland. He was decisively defeated at the Battle of Culloden (1746) and, aided by Flora Macdonald (1722-90) and disguised as her maid, escaped to France. He wandered about Europe trying to revive his cause, but his debauched behaviour alienated his friends. He settled in Italy in 1766. He later became romanticized in ballads and legends.
Charles Martel \mar-'tel\ Latin Carolus Martellus ("Charles the Hammer") (b. c. 688—d. Oct. 22, 741, Quierzy-sur-Oise, Fr.)
Carolingian mayor of the palace (715—41). He was a child born out of wedlock to Pippin of Herstal, mayor of the palace and virtual ruler of the Frankish realm in the waning days of the Merovingian dynasty. On his father’s death he overcame family opposition and rivals among the nobil¬ ity to reunite and rule the entire Frankish realm. He subdued Neustria (724), attacked Aquitaine, and fought against the Frisians, Saxons, and Bavarians. His victory at the Battle of Tours/Poitiers (732) stemmed the Muslim invasion, and he controlled Burgundy by 739. He also supported the activities of St. Boniface and other missionaries. In Frankish royal tra¬ dition, he divided the kingdom between his sons Pippin III and Carloman who succeeded him as mayor; his grandson was Charlemagne.
Charles of Anjou See Charles I (Naples)
Charles of Luxembourg See Charles IV (Holy Roman Empire)
Charles River River, eastern Massachusetts, U.S. The longest river wholly in the state, it flows into Boston Bay after a course of about 80 mi (130 km). Navigable for about 7 mi (11 km), its estuary separates the cities of Boston and Cambridge.
Charles Robert of Anjou See Charles I (Hungary)
Charles the Bad See Charles II (Navarre)
Charles the Bald See Charles II (France)
Charles the Bold (b. Nov. 10, 1433, Dijon, Burgundy [France]—d. Jan. 5, 1477, near Nancy, Lorraine) Last of the great dukes of Burgundy (1467-77). An opponent of Louis XI of France, Charles tried to make Bur¬ gundy an independent kingdom. He had great success until 1474, casting off French rule, extending Burgundy’s possessions, and building a cen¬ tralized government. Charles brutally quelled a revolt in Liege (1468) and invaded Normandy (1471). Through negotiation, warfare, and purchases, he sought to extend his territory as far as the Rhine, but a coalition of Swiss, Austrians, and towns on the upper Rhine resisted him. He suffered defeats by the Swiss in 1476 and was killed in battle near Nancy.
Charles the Fair See Charles IV (France)
Charles the Fat See Charles III (Holy Roman Empire)
Charles the Well-Beloved See Charles VI (France)
Charles the Wise See Charles V (France)
Charleston Social jazz dance popular in the 1920s and later, charac¬ terized by its toes-in, heels-out twisting steps. Originally a Southern black folk dance, it had parallels in dances of Trinidad, Nigeria, and Ghana. It was popularized by its appearance in the black musical Runnin ’ Wild in 1923 and took its name from one of the show’s songs, written by James P. Johnson.
Charleston Seaport city (pop., 2000: 96,650), southeastern South Caro¬ lina, U.S. Originally called Charles Towne, it was founded by English colonists in 1670. During the American Revolution it was held by the Brit¬ ish (1780-82). Known as Charleston from 1783, it was the chief U.S. winter port until the War of 1812. In 1861 the Confederate capture of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor precipitated the American Civil War. Blockaded by Union forces, it was under siege (1863-65), then evacuated by Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman’s forces. It was seriously damaged by an earthquake in 1886 and a hurricane in 1989. It is the site of the College of Charleston (1770), The Citadel (1842), and the Charleston Museum (1773), the oldest museum in the U.S.