This is a timeline created for an extra credit assignment. The objective of the assignment is to encourage you to review course material at midterm and at the end of the semester. To earn extra credit,
you can add two events that include a 3-4 sentence description and an image related to a historical or cultural event. 

Extra Credit Assignment #1: deadline Tuesday, February 24: add 2 events for the period of 1660-1830 

(5 points)

Extra Credit Assignment #2: deadline Tuesday, April 28: add 2 events for the period of 1831-Present 

(5 points)

Timeline


Table of Events


Date Event Created by
1660

The Restoration of the Monarchy

The Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660 marked the return of Charles II after years of Puritan rule. This period brought a cultural shift away from strict religious control, allowing theaters to reopen and literature to become more playful and critical. The Restoration helped shape later literary movements by reintroducing art, performance, and social commentary into English culture.

Kinsley Robeson
1680-1820

The Age of Enlightenment

The Age of Enlightenment, spanning from roughly 1680-1820, is considered to be a period of scientific discovery and expansion. The seven major disciplines of the enlightenment age included the natural world, archaeology, art and civilization, classification of the world, ancient scripts, ritual and religion, and foreign trade. However, also during this time, Britain became a massive power through the global expansion of European colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade.

Alexandra Bernreuther

Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution began in the late 1700s in Great Britain. It introduced machines like the steam engine that basically showed that goods could be produced quickly and more effeciently. But at the same time, it also led to harsh working conditions and child labor. It was quite odd at the time to see a performance of it at the London Olympics.

Aghogho Edafemuoke

Era of Romanticism

This was a movement that began in the late 1700s. There was a strong emphasis on emotion and the beauty of nature. Writers like William Wordsworth explored deep feelings and personal experiences in their works. It was also partly a reaction against the Industrial Revolution and the focus on reason during the Enlightenment.

Aghogho Edafemuoke
1789

The French Revolution

 

The French Revolution began in 1789 and had a huge impact on the Romantic period we talked about in lecture. At first, many British writers felt hopeful and inspired, seeing the revolution as a promise of freedom and equality. When the Reign of Terror began, that excitement turned into fear and disappointment, especially as violence and extremism took over. This emotional shift shows up in Romantic literature through intense feelings, distrust of authority, and a stronger focus on individual experience.

Kinsley Robeson
1803-1815

The Napoleonic Wars

From 1803, Britain was at war with Napoleon's France, ending with his defeat at Waterloo in 1815. The Napoleonic wars played a large part in the shift in tone within Romanticism. Literature and public sentiment changed from revolutionary hope to a more disillusioned literature caused by an increase in nationalism and anxiety towards the government and revolution. 

Alexandra Bernreuther

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