18thB-History


=__History of the Restoration and the 18th Century (1660-1798)__= =Jessica Glover = Great changes came about not just in England, but the world in this time period. The world began to modernize and Britain became to be known and recognized as a major world power. In 1707, Wales and Scotland joined England to form "Great Britain" in the Act of Union. As the world modernized, Great Britains people moved from rural areas to towns and cities.

Scientific modernization occurred as well. As microscopes and telescopes were invented, scientists rapidly came by numerous scientific discoveries. Before the invention of the telescope, our knowledge concerning the universe and space consisted of Earth surrounded by a perfect, crystalline sphere with stars attached, rotation around the Earth. Finally, our ideas of space expanded and our knowledge of planets and their orbits grew. These discoveries and advancements were thrilling to people of the time because they contradicted ideas that ancient scientists, such as Aristotle and Ptolemy, had stated. A famous scientist alive during this time period was Isaac Newton, who believed in a divine being of higher intelligence. He developed a collection of laws to help describe optics and celestial mechanics. Robert Boyle, in 1662, developed Boyle's Law, establishing that the volume of gas varies inversely with pressure. This is commonly learned and taught in modern chemistry classes.

The Age of Exploration began in this time period. Excitement was felt throughout the world, especially in the world's most powerful country, Great Britain, for the colonization of new land. Many settlements in North America occurred in many locations. Places that were colonized in the year 1660 include Newfoundland, Maryland, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Connecticut. Other places throughout the world that were colonized outside of North America include Surinam, the Grenadines, St. Vincent, Jamaica, Bermuda, Belize, Barbados, Bahamas, and the Leeward Islands.

The Great Plague occurred in 1665. This was the last great outbreak of the plague in Europe, killing 75,000 in England alone. Thousands of people fled the nation to escape the devastating effects of the Plague, and public fasts and prayers were often conducted. Many people believed that this was punishment from God for the corruption and licentiousness of the times. Soon, large troughs were used to store the thousands of dead bodies that resulted from this devastating illness.

Works Cited:


 * 1) Yadak, Alov. "Overview". Historical Outline of Restoration and 18th-Century British Literature. 11/16/09 <[]>
 * 2) "Restoration and the Eighteenth Century: Overview". The Longman Anthology of British Literature. 11/16/09 .
 * 3) Yadak, Alov. "The Great Plague of 1665". Historical Outline of Restoration and 18th-Century British Literature. 11/16/09 [|.
 * 4) "The Great Plague 1665 ". HistoricUK.com. 11/16/09 <[]>.
 * 5) "The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century: Topics ". The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 11/16/09 <[]>.