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Literary, Social, and Political Events of the Romantic Period
The Romantic Period was yet another major era of enlightenment, mostly in the areas of the arts and humanities. Art turned more harsh, and philosophy became more nihilistic. -
The American Revolution
As tension between the colonies and the Crown across the pond escalated, the colonies took their rightful freedom - and it was bloody. A simple civil war quickly turned international, and the battles continued for years after Britain's surrender. -
William Blake publishes "Songs of Innocence"
Blake's various poetry often seems to express the stark contrast between the safety, happiness, and innocence of childhood and the harsh reality and pains associated with adulthood. He often portrays himself as the enemy of authority or, at least, a victim of it. -
Charles and Mary Lamb publish "Tales from Shakespeare"
This compilation was originally written by the Lamb siblings as a newer adaptation of Shakespeare's works in prose form for children to understand. Mary wrote 14 of the 20 comedies, and in 1909 Arthur Rackham added illustrations. -
Brother's Grimm begin to publish "Grimm's Fairytales"
The first published text contained 209 tales collected by the brothers Grimm, not written by them, contrary to popular belief. The original versions of many popular children's stories such as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty are much more adult and even grisly than we are led to believe. -
The United States declares war on Britain
Frequent disputes over territory and military sovereignty led to numerous battles between these two major countries. Each country was already having difficulties with other borders, and the added strain of another war stretched the countries' resources and militias very thin. -
Jane Austen publishes "Pride and Prejudice"
This novel is a lighthearted portrayal of rural life and the misunderstandings between the personalities living it. After its publication, Austen wrote to her sister telling that she was mostly satisfied with the finished work but felt it lacked depth. -
One of a series of ineffective Factory Acts prohibits employment of children under 9
Child labor was more heavily relied upon than slave labor during a particularly dark time in US history. Children in factories were often "gifts" from their parents to pay debts over time, only coming home after the debts were completely repaid in trade. Babies would work as soon as they could walk and handle the equipment. -
Noah Webster publishes "An American Dictionary of the English Language"
Webster was the first to compile the first "truly American" dictionary, for which he dutifully taught himself 26 languages and researched endlessly. He was the first to carefully cite several words that were born in the English language, and the finished work contained more than 70,000 separate entries. -
Victor Hugo publishes "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"
This novel was never just about an ugly bellman stalking about a tower; it is a complex story of love, anger, and agony. This tragedy was even difficult for Hugo to finish, as he freely attested. -
Charles Darwin serves as naturalist on HMS Beagle during expedition along the coast of South America
Darwin smooth-talked his way onto this ship heading for South America, returning with notebooks of sketches and notes upon notes of new species.
