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William Blake publishes Songs of Innocence
William Blake published his second collection of poetry, Songs of Innocence, in 1789. He published it with the accompanying illustrative plates, a feat accomplished through an engraving and illustrating process of his own design. The publication of Songs of Innocence began his series of “Illuminated Books,” in which Blake combined text and visual artwork to achieve his poetic effect. -
Charles and Mary Lamb publish Tales from Shakespeare
The two selected 20 of Shakespeare's best-known plays and set out both to make them accessible to children and to pay enthusiastic homage to the original works. Together the Lambs distilled the powerful themes and unforgettable characterizations of Shakespeare's plays into elegant narratives--classic tales in their own right. -
Brother's Grimm begin to publish Grimm's Fairytales
The stories collected by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in the early 1800s serve up life as generations of central Europeans knew it—capricious and often cruel. The two brothers, patriots determined to preserve Germanic folktales, were only accidental entertainers. -
United States declares war on Great Britain
On June 12, 1812, the United States declared war on Great as a result of numerous disputes between the two countries. The British continuously engaged in impressment and forced US citizens to serve in the Royal Navy. The British also attacked the USS Chesapeake and this nearly caused a war two year earlier. Additionally, disputes continued with Great Britain over the Northwest Territories and the border with Canada. Finally, Great Britain’s blockade of France during the Napoleonic Wars served -
Jane Austen publishes Pride and Prejudice
It portrays life in the genteel rural society of the day, and tells of the initial misunderstandings and later mutual enlightenment between Elizabeth Bennet, whose liveliness and quick wit have often attracted readers and the haughty Darcy. The title Pride and Prejudice refers among other things to the ways in which Elizabeth and Darcy first view each other. -
Mary Shelley publishes Frankenstein
Frankenstein is infused with some elements of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement and is also considered to be one of the earliest examples of science fiction. -
Noah Webster publishes An American Dictionary of the English Language
The American Dictionary of the English Language is based upon God's written word, for Noah Webster used the Bible as the foundation for his definitions. -
Victor Hugo publishes The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is a novel by Victor Hugo published in 1831. The title refers to the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, around which the story is centered. -
Charles Darwin serves as naturalist on HMS Beagle during expedition along the coast of South America
In 1831, Charles Darwin joined Captain FitzRoy on the HMS Beagle as the ship's naturalist for a trip around the world. Instead of the planned two years, the voyage took nearly five years. -
Slavery is abolished in British Empire
Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833. This act gave all slaves in the British Empire their freedom. The British government paid compensation to the slave owners. The amount that the plantation owners received depended on the number of slaves that they had.
