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Period: to
Europe in the 18th Century
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Sir Isaac Newton Publishes Opticks
After his publication of Principia Mathematica, Isaac Newton published his major work in optics. In this, Newton reports on his studies of the reflection of mirrors, diffraction, and dispersion using a prism to divide white light into a spectrum of colors. This work has proven to be the foundation of the modern study of optics and continued ideas of the scientific revolution. His studies show advancements in academics that continued through this time. -
Treaty of the Union
The Treaty of the Union united Scotland and England (Great Britain) under one rule. King James VI of Scotland inherited the English throne during the Union of the Crown. This expanded Great Britain's rein and limited land disputes in the bordering area. Also, they gained power of the seas with the coast of Scotland and changed the name of the countries to The United Kingdom of Great Britain. -
Louis XIV of France Dies
Louis XIV of France died in the Palace of Versailles, his expensive palace. Following Louis' death, the French monarchy will never be as decedent as his reign. France was left in financial and social crisis, from his spending, providing ground for the beginnings of the French Revolution. The French Revolution fought for the ideals of government previously theorized by the enlightenment thinkers with qualities of democracy. This later influenced other European nations change in government -
Proletarianization
This change in the 18th century, was a result of the Enclosure Movement. Many of the low-income farmers that had been subsisting off of public lands were forced to look elsewhere, no longer allowed to utilize this formerly open land. They became landless and had to find another way to support themselves and their families. This set a strong precedent for the Industrial Revolution, where these landless wage earners could find work much more easily. -
The Illegitimacy Explosion
This was the sharp increase in out-of-wedlock births that occurred caused by low wages and the lack of community controls. Before, premarital sex was rare since it was frowned upon. Many unwed mothers became prostitutes and left their babies in foundling hospitals or orphanages. The increased social mobility, allowed young couples to move away from their parents. New ideas about love also led people to desire to choose their own mate rather than following their family's arranged marriage. -
Seven Years War
The Seven Years War (AKA The French and Indian War) was between the French and British colonies in the Americas for 7 years. Native Americans sided with the French as they were treated better by the French. By the end of the war, the British won and gained the French American territory as resolved in the Treaty of Paris. The new territory gave the British a reason to tax the colonists more and an economic advantage. -
Navigation Acts Were Revised
Parliament made significant changes to the Navigation Acts in order to increase colonial revenue, directly influencing the onset of revolution in the colonies. The acts turned English port cities into hubs of commerce thanks to the exclusion of foreign shippers. The colonists resented these restrictions leading to declaring independence. The colonists ignored these laws and began smuggling goods. The Navigation Acts are considered one of the direct causes of the American Revolution. -
Pugachev's Rebellion Begins
A poor serf named Emelyan Pugachev caused the largest peasant revolt of the reign of Catherine the Great. By imprisoning her husband, Peter III, setting up a second bureaucracy and attempting to overthrow Catherine's government. This is an example of a group inspired by the French Revolution. Catherine struck down hard, squelching the rebellion, executing Pugachev, and placing harsh restrictions on the Russian serfdom. -
Peak of the Atlantic Slave Trade
The Transatlantic Slave Trade lasted from the 16th-19th century in the Americas, but the peak happened in 1780. Slaves were brought from Africa to be used on plantations where the goods produced were then shipped to Europe. The American colonies were used as pawns to serve mother countries and with slave labor, production increased meaning European countries made more money. The use of slaves also created job insecurity for colonists as only the wealthy could afford enslaved peoples -
Cure for Small Pox
Smallpox was a disease that killed many Native Americans and Europeans during the colonial times. Edward Jenner in England created the smallpox vaccine which was the first form of prevention for this disease as there was also no cure. His discovery influenced further medical research of disease and the creation of vaccines. The impact of the vaccine aided the population boom of the time by improving the health of Europeans.
