-
Battle of the Boyne
William III meets and defeats the Irish-French armies of James II at the River Boyne off the coast of Ireland. An estimated 50,000 to 60,000 men fight, with William’s forces numbering slightly more ("Boyne" 1). The battle aids in maintaining Protestant control over Ireland. -
Battle of Beachy Head
The Battle of Beachy Head takes place during the Nine Years’ War as a battle over control of the Channel. This event marks a significant victory for the French fleet over English and Dutch forces ("Beachy Head" 1). -
Bank of England founded
The Bank of England is established to act as the banker to the Government of England. Though a national bank was proposed three years earlier by William Paterson, the enactment is executed by Charles Montagu (Hill 231). -
Licensing Act Lapses
The Licensing Act lapses and, as a result, a relative freedom of the press is established (Hill 220). -
First Whig Junto in Majority
First Whig Junto comes into power from 1694-99. The 1695 election marks their majority in the House of Commons. Charles Montagu is appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer and later emerges as a party leader (“Whigs” 1). -
Southerne adapts Behn's Oroonoko
In Aphra Behn’s 1688 novel, Oroonoko, an African prince, is sold into slavery and meets his lover, Imoinda, in Suriname. After leading an unsuccessful slave revolt, he surrenders to the colonists and kills Imoinda to save her from a life of slavery. After attempting suicide, he is tortured to death by the colonists. The book is narrated by a female who claims to have had direct contact with Oronooko. In 1695, Thomas Southerne adapts the novel and many successful runs follow ("Oroonoko" 1). -
Treaty of Ryswick signed
The Treaty of Ryswick ends the Nine Years’ War in which France opposed the Grand Alliance of Spain, England, the Holy Roman Empire, and the United Provinces. Representatives of William III and Louis XIV draw up the terms and Spain and the Holy Roman Empire reluctantly agree. The treaty restores the land France had taken and protects other land from French control. The treaty stipulates that Louis XIV recognize William III as King ("Treaty" 1). -
Slave Trading Expands
The slave trade is opened to all -- provided traders pay a 10% duty. Previously, The Royal African Company monopolized the slave trade and made London a trade center. This change results in an economic decline in London and creates economic booms in other ports, such as Liverpool ("London" 1). -
Collier writes A Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage
Jeremy Collier writes the anti-theatrical tract, the Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage. He singles out popular playwrights, such as Congreve and Dryden, and condemns the ridicule of the clergy and their depictions of marriage with specific examples quoted and explicated. The tract proved popular and four editions are produced in only 18 months (Cordner 210). -
Thomas Savery invents practical Steam Engine
Thomas Savery invents the first practical steam engine and later demonstrates it for the Royal Society (“Thomas” 1). Historian Christopher Hill notes that of the 236 patents issued from 1660-1700, over 60 of these patents were issued in the short span between 1691 and 1693 (227). -
Bibliography 2
Hill, Christopher. The Century of Revolution: 1603-1714. New York: Norton, 1980. “London.” The Oxford Companion to Black British History. Oxford Reference Online, 2007. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. “Oroonoko.” The Oxford Companion to Black British History. Oxford Reference Online, 2007. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. -
Bibliography 3
“Thomas Savery.” The Oxford Companion to British History. Oxford Reference Online, 2009. Web. 28 Jan. 2012. “Treaty of Ryswick.” The Oxford Companion to British History. Oxford Reference Online, 2009. Web. 28 Jan. 2012. -
Bibliography 1
"Battle of Beachy Head.” The Oxford Companion to British History. Oxford Reference Online, 2009. Web. 28 Jan. 2012. “Battle of the Boyne.” The Oxford Companion to British History. Oxford Reference Online, 2009. Web. 28 Jan. 2012. Cordner, Michael. “Playwright verses Priest: Profanity and the Wit of Restoration Comedy.” The Cambridge Companion to English Restoration Theatre. Ed. Deborah Payne Fisk. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
