EURO1004 Chapter 2: Enlightenment Europe Notes
WEEK 2 – Enlightenment Europe
Textbook reading: 'The condition of Europe
c
. 1789', in William Simpson and Martin
Jones (eds),
Europe: 1783-1914
, Third edition (London and New York: Routledge,
2015), pp. 1-15.
CH 1: THE CONDITION OF EUROPE C. 1789
Europe’s extent and the concept of Europe
• The Ancient Greeks were the first to use Europe as a geographical term, denoting first
the Greek mainland, and by 500 BC the northerly landmass that lay beyond it in
contrast to Asia to the east and Libya to the South
• Two of the greatest minds of that century: Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) and Isaac
Newton (1642-1727) wrote their main works in Latin
• With the fall of the western Roman empire in the fifth century AD came the so-called
Dark Ages and the breakdown of the existing political structures in many areas
• The spread and imposition of Christianity throughout Europe during this time was a
long process, and was eventually achieved with the conversion of Hungary in the 14th
century and the conquest of the Moors in Spain in the 15th.
• Europe’s emergency as the engine of world commerce, the birthplace of large-scale
industry and the fount of political authority over large parts of the world are essential
features of its history in the 19th century
• By the end of the 18th century the concept of Europe denoted a distinct geographical
are who inhabitants inherited from the past a fund of common experiences, and which
enabled them to feel a common identity when they faced Muslims and races of other
colours
The social and economic background
•
Population:
- There is little dispute over the main trends which show that Europe’s population
was rising constantly from about 1750s onwards, if not at a uniform rate
•
Agriculture:
- “Agriculture was the principal source of employment and wealth, the most
significant sector of the economy, the basis of the taxation, government, ecclesiastic
and seigneurial, that funded most other activities” (J. Black,
Einteenth Century
Europe, London, Macmillian, 1990, p.19)
- In some parts of France, it has been calculated, 74% of the population were
engaged in agriculture
- The general picture is one of the gradual increase in food production as more land
was brought into cultivation and new techniques were applied which still failed to
meet the needs of a rising population
Industry and trade
• Throughout Europe industry was mainly small scale and rural in 1800, as it had been in
1700
• Industry and commerce were mutually dependent, without markets and financial
institutions needed to sustain them, industry could not prosper
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