From Puritanism to
Enlightenment
1640-1780
Great Fire of London
• September 2, 1666 fire broke
out in London bakery
• Lasted four days
• Destroyed much of the city
• Five people killed
• 100, 000 Londoners were
homeless
Customs
• Swearing in public was punished
by paying a hefty fine determined
by your social ranking
• Tea was the common drink but
cost nearly 10 pounds a pound;
annual income was between 15
and 50 pounds a year
• Stagecoaches took a day to travel
84 miles
Slave Trade
In 1672 a group of merchants formed
the slave trade, Royal African
Company, in West Africa. The RAC
transported an average of 5000
Africans a year between 1680 and
1686. Shortly after, between all slave
trade companies over 160,000 slaves
were transported a year at 25 pound
per person.
State of the Union
In 1707, the Act of Union
established the state of Great
Britain, composed pf England
and Scotland. Once London was
rebuilt, it continued to grow and
became Europe’s largest city by
1750.
Historical, Social, and Cultural
Forces
When James I succeeded the
throne, he upheld the principle of the
Divine Rights of Kings (the regent
derives power directly from God).
Catholics were forbidden to
celebrate Mass and Puritans could
not gather for religious meetings.
Catholics went to France and Italy
and Puritans went to Holland and
North America.
Historical, Social, and Cultural
Forces
Charles I, James’s son, came
to power in 1625. Charles
believed if he gave up power he
would be committing a sin
under the Divine Right. In 1629,
Charles dissolved Parliament.
Charles called Parliament back
in 1640, but it was too late for
compromises.
Historical, Social, and Cultural
Forces
Parliament called for a new
constitution where they would
control churches, military,
judges, and ministers. This
began a war between the king
and the government called the
English Civil War.
Historical, Social, and Cultural
Forces
The English Civil War was fought
between Royalist Cavaliers (loyal to
king) and the Puritan Roundheads.
Parliament won, due largely to Oliver
Cromwell, a Puritan extremist. In
1646, Charles surrendered to the
Scots who turned him over to
Parliament for a large ransom.
Charles was tried and found guilty of
being a tyrant, among other things;
he was beheaded publicly.
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell became the
Lord Protector of the country.
Until his death in 1658, he
imposed strict laws on behavior
and religion. He banned
theaters, dancing, music, and
religious icons. He also forbade
the celebration of Christmas.
Restoration
In 1660, Parliament invited
Charles II to return from exile
and reclaim the throne. Charles
restored many banned activities
such as theaters, public
festivals, new fashioned
clothes, and food. Intellectual
life began to flourish again.
Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was a
European philosophical and literary
movement often called The Age of
Reason. It is characterized by
profound faith in human reason and
devotion to clarity in thought.
Neoclassicism is also a literary
movement which reached its
pinnacle in the poetry, prose, and
criticism of Samuel Johnson.
Puritanism
Puritanism was a radical
form of Calvinistic
Protestantism that
acknowledged only the “pure”
word of God as revealed in their
interpretations of the Bible.
John Milton, a Puritanist, valued
civil liberties and was zealous
in defending his beliefs, like
many other Puritans of the time.
Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was a
European philosophical and literary
movement often called The Age of
Reason. It is characterized by
profound faith in human reason and
devotion to clarity in thought.
Neoclassicism is also a literary
movement which reached its
pinnacle in the poetry, prose, and
criticism of Samuel Johnson.
Plague
In 1665, the bubonic plague broke
out. The College of Physicians
ordered houses infected to be nailed
shut and the people in them to be
left to their fate. So many died that
their bodies were buried in
communal pits rather than individual
graces. More than 68,000 died.
Including the Quakers and Jews, at
least 100, 000 deaths total.
Revolution
Charles II granted charter to
the Royal Society of London for
the Promotion of Natural
Knowledge. This consisted of
scientists, astronomers,
architects, etc. Members
included Edmund Halley and
Isaac Newton.
Rule of Reason
The society emphasized the
importance of experiment and
observation. They started a
journal, Philosophical
Transactions, which is still
published today.
Time Line
• 1667 Milton publishes Paradise
Lost
• 1685 Charles II dies, James II
takes throne
• 1707 England and Scotland unite
as Great Britain
• 1714 Alexander Pope published
Rape of the Lock
• 1726 Jonathan Swift published
Gulliver’s Travels
• 1768 Encyclopedia Britannica
begins publication