The Enlightenment, or Age of Reason, or Neoclassical Age

1660-1780

The Reign of Charles II (an astute politician, at first won the support of Parliament

Great Plague of 1665

Great Fire of London 1666- destroyed 80% of the city

Charles is succeeded in 1685 by James, his Catholic brother- determined to restore Catholicism (Parliament forces him to abdicate)

Glorious Revolution

1688 William of Orange peacefully took the

throne after Parliament forced James II to abdicate it

Showed Parliament had power and kings did not, in fact have a divine right

William & Mary ruled from 1688-1702 One year before William’s death

Parliament passed a law permanently barring Catholics from the throne

House of Hanover

Anne, Mary’s Sister was the last of the Stuart family to rule then it passed to the Hanover family

Eventually the position transferred to a prime minister

William Pitt eventually became prime minister and led the country to victory in the Seven Years’ War (called the French and Indian War in America)

Two groups--the Tories, who favored royal power, and the Whigs, who favored reforms, progress, and parliament--still argued over who should have power, parliament or the monarchy.

The Whigs favored leniency toward Protestant dissenters and wanted to stop French expansion in Europe

The Tories wanted to avoid a war with France

The King favored the Tory party, because the Tories supported royal authority whereas the Whigs wanted to limit it

(Reign of Charles II- French sophistication- supported by Tories, limited by Whigs)

1600-1700 Age of Reason or Enlightenment

Rationalism was the ideal. (Reason, not sensory experience or faith, became paramount in answering life’s basic questions.)

People tried to use reason to make sense of the world

The Enlightenment was characterized by:

Freedom from

1. intellectual constraints

2. religious persecution

3. superstition in religion and politics

Scientific Method

Sir Isaac Newton set the tone for the era

Newton’s Scientific Method became popular- using a hypothesis, analyzing facts, and testing with experimentation

Much of the writing was based on classical (Greek and Roman) models. Hence, the name Neoclassical Age for Age of Reason.

Writers and thinkers became obsessed with manners, morals, and society.

Parliament gained supremacy, along with the prime minister, under William and Mary.

Great Imbalance in Socitey

The middle class gained influence.

The working class grew as industrialization began.

There was still widespread inequality of wealth. Women were still not usually educated and could not own property. (Primogeniture in effect)

Beginnings of Principles of Democracy

In literature, the periodical was popular. The Spectator and The Tatler were periodicals.

Essays, satires, and realistic novels replaced tragedy as the popular literature of England.

Other influential works: Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations, Voltaire’s Candide, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, The Declaration of Independence, and Rousseau’s Social Contract.

Literature of the Times

The popularity of journalism and other forms of “real-life” writing

Neoclassical writing- including the writing of Swift & Pope

Nonfiction published during the “Age of Johnson

Women writers, including Wollstonecraft begin to emerge

The growing middle class increased the demand for new types of literature