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    The Eighteenth Century

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    Carlota Dcp
    The 18th century in Britain saw the rise of industry and trade, which replaced France as the dominant European power. The development of capitalism led to immense social changes as millions joined the urban workforce. Politically, Parliament's power grew at the expense of the monarchy. The century also saw Britain's involvement in numerous global conflicts with France, resulting in British control over much of India and Canada. Culturally, the era saw advances in journalism, literature, and the development of the novel as a new form of popular entertainment.

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    The Eighteenth Century

    Uploaded by

    Carlota Dcp
    48 views11 pages
    The 18th century in Britain saw the rise of industry and trade, which replaced France as the dominant European power. The development of capitalism led to immense social changes as millions joined the urban workforce. Politically, Parliament's power grew at the expense of the monarchy. The century also saw Britain's involvement in numerous global conflicts with France, resulting in British control over much of India and Canada. Culturally, the era saw advances in journalism, literature, and the development of the novel as a new form of popular entertainment.

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    The 18th century in Britain saw the rise of industry and trade, which replaced France as the dominant European power. The development of capitalism led to immense social changes as millions joined the urban workforce. Politically, Parliament's power grew at the expense of the monarchy. The century also saw Britain's involvement in numerous global conflicts with France, resulting in British control over much of India and Canada. Culturally, the era saw advances in journalism, literature, and the development of the novel as a new form of popular entertainment.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    48 views11 pages

    The Eighteenth Century

    Uploaded by

    Carlota Dcp
    The 18th century in Britain saw the rise of industry and trade, which replaced France as the dominant European power. The development of capitalism led to immense social changes as millions joined the urban workforce. Politically, Parliament's power grew at the expense of the monarchy. The century also saw Britain's involvement in numerous global conflicts with France, resulting in British control over much of India and Canada. Culturally, the era saw advances in journalism, literature, and the development of the novel as a new form of popular entertainment.

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    The Eighteenth Century

    Introduction
    Along the century, Britain replaced France
    as the leading European power. The
    sources of its power were industry and
    trade. Steep population rise.
    The development of capitalism and
    industry caused tremendous social
    dislocation. Inequality increased and
    millions of people were forced to join the
    urban proletariat in industrial cities like
    Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester,
    Liverpool or Glasgow.
    The supremacy of Parliament over royal
    authority was undisputed.
    The upper middle classes associated
    themselves with the nobility in the
    exercise of power.
    On the whole, it was a period of political
    stability in Britain.
    Cronology of the Hanover dynasty
    (Georgian) period (1714-1837)
    • 1714. George I
    • First Prime Minister: Robert Walpole (1721-42)
    • 1727. George II
    • 1760. George III
    • 1775-76: American War of Independence
    • 1780’s. Industrial revolution starts
    • 1789. French Revolution
    • 1800. Act of Union. Ireland joins England, Wales and Scotland.
    • 1820. George IV
    British politics
    • Establishment of the Bank of
    England for the government to
    borrow money (1694).
    • The Act of Settlement (1701)
    excluded Catholics and gave the
    throne to George of Hannover.
    There were Jacobite (pro-Stuart)
    rebellions from 1715, ultimately
    crushed in Culloden in 1746.
    Destruction of the Highland clan
    system.
    • Acts of Union between England and
    Scotland (1706, 1707). Kingdom of
    Great Britain. Background:
    Scotland’s economy had been badly
    damaged by the Navigation Acts,
    the Anglo-Dutch war and the failed
    Darién scheme. Scotland was
    offered refinancing of the debt and
    access to English trade.
    British politics #2
    • Robert Walpole is considered the first
    British Prime Minister (1721-1742). He
    develops the concept of the Cabinet.
    Two political parties: Whigs and Tories
    (Whig supremacy 1714-1760).
    • Limits to the monarchy were clearly
    defined: the king couldn’t be a
    Catholic, remove or change laws.
    Parliament controled finances and the
    army. The king appointed ministers but
    they must have Parliament’s support.
    • Walpole’s main rival was William Pitt,
    later known as Lord Chatham (1766-
    1768)
    Conflict with France
    • Under Lord Chatham’s government, Britain
    built the largest navy in the world and set
    out to challenge France’s trade. The
    objective was to take over as many as
    posible of France’s trading posts abroad.
    • War with France broke out in 1758 and
    had a global character (within the Seven
    Years’ War). The British, led by James
    Wolfe, captured French Canada in 1759-
    60. The French navy was destroyed off the
    coast of Spain.
    • In India, the army of the East India
    Company, led by Robert Clive, defeated
    the French in the Carnatic Wars (1746-
    1763). Britain went on to control most of
    India by conquest or treaty with the
    princes.
    Atlantic triangular trade

    • By the end of the century, the West


    Indies were the most profitable part of
    the Empire.
    • Weapons, textiles and other
    manufactured goods were taken to West
    Africa and exchanged for slaves. These
    were taken to the West Indies and the
    ships returned to England carrying sugar,
    tobacco and cotton grown by slaves in
    plantations.
    • Britain’s colonies were an important
    market where the British sold the goods
    they produced.
    The American
    Revolutionary War
    • The 13 colonies were largely autonomous and
    commercially prosperous. After the war with
    France, Britain increased taxes to meet its
    financial needs: Stamp Act (1765), Townshend
    Acts (1767). The colonists reply was ‘no taxation
    without representation’.
    • 1773: The ‘Boston Teaparty’marked the beginning
    of the rebellion.
    • 1774: The First Continental Congress met in
    Philadelphia. The Second Congress issues the
    Declaration of Independence, drafted by
    Jefferson, on July 4th.
    • 1775: Skirmish at Lexington. Creation of the
    Continental army, commanded by George
    Washington.
    • 1777: Decisive American victory at Saratoga.
    Secured the assistance of France and Spain. 1781:
    American victory in Yorktown.
    • 1783: Treaty of Paris. Britain recognises American
    Independence.
    Ireland during the 18th
    century
    • James II had tried to get back to the throne
    from Ireland. He was defeated by William of
    Orange in 1690. This was followed by intense
    repression.
    • Laws were passed to prevent Catholics from
    taking any part in national life: Catholics
    couldn’t vote, hold office or public post or
    study at the University. Catholic schools were
    forbidden.
    • In Ulster, Protestants formed the first ‘Orange
    Lodges’ to exert pressure against any
    freedom for the Catholics.
    • In order to increase British control, Ireland
    was united with Britain in 1801 and the
    Dublin parliament closed.
    Culture and literature in the
    18th century
    • Establishment of a literary market. Two landmarks: expiry
    of Licensing Act (1695), granting liberty of press; and
    creation of writer’s copyright (1709). Growing readership.
    Successful authors didn’t need patrons.
    • Rise of journalism and the periodical essay: The Spectator,
    The Tatler.
    • John Locke (1632-1704): political philosophy. Concept of
    the contract between ruler and people.
    • Jonathan Swift: political satire (Gulliver’s Travels, 1726).
    • Samuel Johnson: essay and philology (literary criticism,
    English Dictionary, 1755).
    The rise of the novel
    (Ian Watt’s study)
    • Daniel Defoe (c.1660-1731). Defoe reflects economic
    individualism, the somewhat secularized Puritanism of
    the trading middle classes and the increasing feminine
    component of the public. Robinson Crusoe (1719), Moll
    Flanders (1722).
    • Samuel Richardson (1689-1761). Epistolary novels full
    of introspection, emotion and moral conflict. Middle-
    class morality. Pamela, or, Virtue Rewarded (1740),
    Clarissa (1748).
    • Henry Fielding (1707-1754). Shamela (1741), a satire of
    Richardson’s morality. Tom Jones (1749), a panoramic
    novel with a comprehensive view of English society.
    Picaresque elements.

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