HIST 383 Lecture : The Paradoxy of the 18th Century
Document Summary
Lecture 2: the paradoxy of the 18th century. The eighteenth century begins in 1660: the 18th century begins halfway through the. Alternatively 1688, or the hanoverian succession of 1714. 1660 the date of the restoration of the monarchy (charles ii) Revolutions of 1640-1660 haunts the rest of the 18th c. Tried to go back to the way things were before the civil wars; people had enough of the bloodshed. The paradox: restoration can never fully work, because the trauma of the last 20 years remains. Another paradox: britain is the first modern society, but still one of the most traditional. At the beginning of the century, the country was a madhouse to the other european nations. The breakdown sets up a system that is trying to adapt itself and not go back to the cri- sis years. No relapse into regicide and civil war: instead of revolution, reform is received. Reform becomes the new theme of the long 18th century.
