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Treaty of Utrecht
Ended Britains Involvement in the War of Spanish Succession. -
The Rape of the Lock
The revised, five canto version, of The Rape of the Lock is published. -
Queen Anne Dies.
George I accedes to the throne. -
The Riot Act
Made it unlawful for 12 or more people to gather, forcing them to disband or face legal consequences. -
General Election.
A general election was held in February 1715, and, due in part to royal influence, the Whigs won 341 seats to the Tories’ 217. In December the Old Pretender landed in Scotland, provoking an armed rebellion that was quickly suppressed. The proved involvement of a small number of Tory landowners led to Tories being purged not only from state office but also from the higher ranks of the army and navy, the diplomatic service, and the judicial system (Yadav). -
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Joacobite Uprsising
In September 1715, John Erskine, Earl of Mar, raised the standard for a 'Jacobite' rising, intended to restore the exiled Stuart monarchy to the throne, and proclaimed James Francis Edward Stuart (James II's son) king of Scotland. The Jacobites were defeated by government forces at the battles of Sheriffmuir and Preston in November 1715. Three months later the rebellion had been quashed. The Jacobite leaders were impeached and some were executed. (BBC) -
Anglo-French Alliance
Formed, among other reasons, to try and prevent the expansion of the Spanish Empire. -
Septeniel Act
To make their capture of the state even more secure, the Whigs passed the Septennial Act in 1716. It allowed general elections to occur at seven-year intervals instead of every three years, as mandated by the Triennial Act of 1694. The intention was to tame the electorate, which during Anne’s reign had shown itself to be volatile and far more inclined to vote Tory than Whig. (Britannica Online). -
Inaguratuin of the Union of The English Freemasons Grand Lodge.
Inauguration of the Union of the English Freemasons Grand Lodge. On 24 June 1717 four London Lodges, which had existed for some time, came together at the Goose and Gridiron Tavern in St Paul’s Churchyard, declared themselves a Grand Lodge and elected Anthony Sayer as their Grand Master. This was the first Grand Lodge in the world. (Yadav) -
The Transportation Act of 1718
In 1718, the Transportation Act introduced penal transportation. People convicted of capital crimes had their sentences 'commuted' to 14 years or life in the Americas. Convicts found guilty of non-capital crimes received seven-year sentences. Between 1718 and 1776, over 50,000 convicts were transported to Virginia and Maryland in the modern United States. The American Revolution made further transportation impossible.
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Innoculation for Smallpox
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, observed innoculation of smallpox in her travels to the Ottoman Empire. Upon her return to England she introduced Britain to treatment of the horrible disease. -
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War of the Quadruple Alliance
Britain, France, Dutch Republic, and the Holy Roman Empire against Spain. -
Peerage Bill Defeated
Leaders of the Whig party tried to introduce a bill designed to make the house of lords be ruled by them in perpetuity.
Walpole, himself lacking in aristocratic parentage, led the opposition to this "blatant attempt to establish the British aristocracy as an inaccessible caste" (Yadav). -
Robinson Crusoe
Defoe published Robinson Crusoe.
