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Voltaire is Born
Francois Marie Arouet was born in Paris, France into a middle class family. His father, Francois Arouet, was a minor treasury official. His mother, Marie Marguerite Daumand, came from a noble family (Liukkonen). He was the youngest of 5 siblings, however, only 3 survived (Byers 14). Voltaire began his studies at the College Louis-le-Grand at the age of 10 (Liukkonen). -
The Woolens Act is passed by the British Parliament
The British Parliament passed a law to prohibit the colonies from exporting wool and taxed wool sales. This act helped to protect Britain's wool industry.This also raised the the price of wool in the colonies, angering the colonists. This act was one of many that led up to the American Revolution ("Woolens Act, 1699"). -
The piano is invented
Bartholomeo Cristofor of Padua, Italy invented the pianoforte. In 1688, he was appointed to the Florentine court of the Grand Prince Ferdinando de'Medici to care for the court's musical instruments. one of these instruments was the harpsichord. By the 1700's, Cristofer had created an instrument similar to the harpsichoard. Today, the piano is widely used by artists from nearly every genre (Powers). -
Voltaire's Stay at Bastille
Voltaire's way of writing tended to be pushy and aggressive. In 1717, Voltaire wrote some poems about the Prince Regent of France that were considered satirical. He was in his twenties when he was arrested and imprisoned in Bastille for eleven months for insulting aristocracy (Liukkonen). He wrote his first tragedy, "Oedipe" and a poem, "La Henriade" while he was at Bastille (Johnson). -
Exile to England
In 1726, Voltaire was involved in an arguement with a nobleman which landed him in some legal trouble. Voltaire was exiled to England and was welcomed into the country because the queen loved poetry. He flourished in England: he published "La Henriade", learned the language, and met up with many famous people. He also became inspired by John Locke and Isaac Newton. In England, Volatire's ideas of equality for all men began to spread, as well (Johnson). -
Return to Paris, France
Although Voltaire loved England, he felt that it was time to return home to Paris. He was jam-packed with new ideas, so he wanted to write a book about what he learned in England. In the book, he said he prefered the English government over the French and he praised English tolerance. Knowing this book would cause commotion in Paris, Voltaire didn't publish it in French. However, the book somehow found its way to the French government and he was asked to leave Paris (Johnson). -
Georgia is Established
James Oglethorpe founded Georgia as an British colony in North America (Taylor). Georgia was named after King George II, who gave Oglethorpe a charter to establish the colony. One of Georgia's original intentions was to act as a buffer between the colonies and the Spanish Florida. Georgia was also made as a prison for debtors, where they could restart their lives and get back on track (Kelley). -
"Lettres philosophiques" is published
Better known as "Letters Concerning the English Nation," Voltaire wrote this book based on his knowledge from his exile to England. In total, this book contained 24 letters which all dealt with different matters. Some subjects of the letters included religion, politics, sciences, and the arts. These praised the English government and bashed the French government. This is the book that caused Voltaire to be exiled from Paris, causing him to go to Cirey (Renico). -
Voltaire Finds Refuge at Cirey
When Voltaire was exiled from Paris, he needed a home in a different part of France. He found refuge in Cirey with the Madame du Chatelet. Voltaire believed they were of equal intelligence and Voltaire's ideas thrived. They studied literature together, as well as studying physics and learning English. Voltaire wrote multiple works while he was here. Although Madame had three children, she and Voltaire had an affair. In 1749, Madame died so Voltaire had to find refuge elsewhere (Byers 15). -
Refuge with Fredrick II of Prussia
In 1736, Fredrick the Great, the Crown Prince of Prussia, invited Voltaire to live with him in Prussia. Voltaire finally accepted this offer at the death of the Madame in 1749. Fredrick's hospitality astonished Voltaire at first. However, their personalities clashed and quarrels became frequent. Voltaire left in 1753 angrily (Johnson). They both exchanged angry gestures, but in the end, Fredrick got Voltaire put under a week's house arrest and had his money taken away from him (Byers 15). -
The French and Indian War officially begins
Between the French in Canada and the British in the U.S., the tension began to rise. Both countries wanted to increase the size of their territory. In the fall of 1753, General George Washington and the French had a falling out that marked the unofficial beginning of the war. For the first three years, the French dominated the English in battle. In 1758, the tables turned and the British were winning. The war ended in 1763 with British victory ('The French and Indian War: General Summary"). -
Published Candide
"Candide," in a nutshell, is a comical story about some difficult aspects of life. Major themes include power, love, wealth, religion, and optimism. It is a tale of star-crossed lovers. A man falls for a woman of a higher social class and he ends up in many bad situations while trying to be with her. In the end, the two end up together. In this book, Voltaire stressed equality and other ideas from the Enlightenment. However, it was banned within a month of it's release (Shmoop Editorial Team). -
Voltaire's "Dicionnaire philosophique" is published
This "dictionary" was actually more of a series of essays arranged alphabetically. Voltaire expressed his views on many subjects in this book. This book was offensive to the French government, as most of Voltaire's works were. These essays were written about topics including atheism, faith, freedom of thought, equality, religion, political views, and much more. He questions society as a whole, causing others to question. society, as well ("Philosophical Dictionary"). -
Boston Massacre
British taxation in the colonies had begun to sky-rocket. The colonists were angered by all of the money being taken from them. In the evening of March 5, civilians taunted the man standing guard outside the customhouse. The guard called for back-up, so Captain Thomas Preston and seven of his men joined him. Amongst the chaos, the soldiers could not hear the correct order from Preston.The soldiers shot into the crowd, killing five men and wounding others (Zobel 512). -
Declaration of Independence
Patriots in the colonies finally decided to break free from Great Britain. The declaration was written up mainly by Thomas Jefferson along with John Adams, Robert Livingston, Benjamin Franklin, and Roger Sherman. On the 4th of July, the Continental Congress accepted the declaration. It announces that Britain has become a tyrant to the colonies. Britain denied the colonies of their basic rights, like equality for all men, and that is why independence was in need ("Declaration of Independce"). -
Voltaire dies
Voltaire died at the age of 83. He had recently bought a new house in Paris and he planned to start a new life there. He is now remembered as an unconventional author, playwright, and historian who often questioned authorities. Voltaire made the French people think about the faults in their government. He was a major part of the French Enlightenment, which led up to the French Revolution. Ultimately, Voltaire made people realize they deserved a government who fought for them (Johnson).
