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Period: to
18th Century
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Steam Engine
Invention of the steam engine. The steam engine changed many areas of European life, from transportation to factories. It is often credited with starting the Industrial Revolution. It helped the Industrial Revolution by helping factories to be built anywhere, not just along rivers. By the end of the 18th centuries, steam-powered locomotives were very close to being developed. The first one would be in 1804. -
Peace of Utrecht
The Peace of Utrecht. It ended the War of the Spanish Succession. It made it so that France and Spain can’t be unified. Historians have argued that this played a role in developing the national identity of these countries. This continued the division between these two countries, as they had had divisions and arguments in the past. -
Russian Orthodox Church Reforms
Peter the Great reforms the Russian Orthodox Church. This is important because it introduced a period of caesaropapism in Russia. The power of the Church itself was decreased as it became governed by a committee which was appointed by the emperor. This represents a change as it shows how Europe was being governed by more absolutely powerful leaders. Peter the Great also had a greater influence on society, because he ruled Russia not only politically but also religiously. -
The Little Ice Age Peaks
The Little Ice Age influenced Europe economically by slowing down agricultural production in particular. Despite some agricultural advances, Europeans were still at the mercy of the climate. Socially, the Little Ice Age led to a sometime violent search for scapegoats. Jewish people were blamed for the ice age, as were some women accused of witchcraft. Throughout European history, these groups of people have been blamed for disasters and persecuted. -
The Social Contract
The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau is published. This book argued against the idea that monarchs are given the divine right to rule. It argued that the right to rule rested in the people and only because of a “social contract” where the people gave up some rights in exchange for protection could a ruler rule. It helped inspire political reforms in Europe. It would influence the French Revolution. It represents a change in ideas about who possesses authority in government. -
The Spinning Jenny
The Spinning Jenny is a spinning machine with multiple spindles. The Spinning Jenny help transition the textile industry from the home to factories. While James Hargreaves may have invented the original Spinning Jenny for his wife at home, eventual improvements led it to be more practical un factories. However, a continuity was that textile production continued to be viewed as a women’s job, leading to many textile factories being predominantly female. -
The Wealth of Nations
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith is published. In this book, Adam Smith explained how nations became wealthy and advocates for capitalism. It examines free markets and mercantilism. The Wealth of Nations did have noticeable influence in government, particularly in England, inspiring taxes and being cited in speeches. It would help influence the beginning Industrial Revolution. -
Inclosure Act 1773
This act continued the enclosure movement which had been happening since the 17th century, when the first Enclosure Acts were passed. It enabled enclosure of land by the wealthy. While this act did require the landowner to go through several steps, this procedure was often abused. It also limited the commoners’ use of the land. It helped hasten enclosure in England, which affected the life of the commoners changed the land division of England. -
French Revolution
The French revolution would drastically change European society. In France, the monarchy was overthrown and this had consequences for the nobility. While some supported the revolution, many lost their privileges and their titles. This had implications for the upper class in other countries: if the common people in France could overthrow the upper class, could it happen in their country too? This is shown by the lack of support for the French Revolution by elites in other countries. -
End of Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company dissolves. The Dutch East India Company was beginning to financially decline and their charter expired in 1799. Some of its possessions would go back to the Dutch but many of them went to Britain. The Dutch East India Company was once one of the most powerful players in European and International trade, drawing on concepts of capitalism. The decline of the Netherlands, too, was happening around this time.
