English Enlightenment Literature (1688–1800)

1. Royal Society receives first royal charter

   Jul 15, 1662Labels: Royal Society, Charles II

   • Royal Society DE
   • Royal Society

2. Newton publishes Principia, boosting scientific worldview

   Jan 1, 1687Labels: Isaac Newton, Principia

   • Britannica

3. Glorious Revolution reshapes political legitimacy

   Nov 1, 1688Labels: Glorious Revolution, William III

   • Britannica

4. Locke’s Two Treatises argues for government by consent

   Dec 1, 1689Labels: John Locke, Two Treatises

   • Britannica
   • Two Treatises

5. The Licensing Act lapses, widening print freedoms

   Jan 1, 1695Labels: Licensing Act, print culture

   • Licensing Act

6. Acts of Union create Great Britain

   May 1, 1707Labels: Acts of, Great Britain

   • Britannica

7. Statute of Anne establishes modern copyright framework

   Apr 10, 1710Labels: Statute of, copyright

   • Avalon
   • Statute Anne

8. Addison and Steele launch The Spectator essays

   Mar 1, 1711Labels: Addison and, The Spectator

   • Britannica
   • Spectator

9. Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe expands the English novel

   Apr 25, 1719Labels: Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe

   • History com
   • Crusoe

10. Swift publishes Gulliver’s Travels as political satire

    Oct 28, 1726Labels: Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels

    • Britannica
    • Gulliver

11. Pope publishes The Dunciad, a satire of print culture

    Jan 1, 1728Labels: Alexander Pope, The Dunciad

    • Britannica
    • Folger

12. Fielding’s Tom Jones models an organized comic novel

    Feb 28, 1749Labels: Henry Fielding, Tom Jones

    • Tom Jones

13. Johnson publishes his Dictionary, standardizing English usage

    Apr 15, 1755Labels: Samuel Johnson, Dictionary

    • Johnson Dict

14. Walpole’s Castle of Otranto launches Gothic fiction

    Dec 24, 1764Labels: Horace Walpole, The Castle

    • Britannica
    • Otranto

15. Johnson’s Shakespeare edition elevates modern literary criticism

    Jan 1, 1765Labels: Samuel Johnson, Shakespeare edition

    • Britannica

16. Wollstonecraft’s Rights of Woman extends Enlightenment equality

    Jan 1, 1792Labels: Mary Wollstonecraft, Rights of

    • Britannica
    • Smithsonian

17. Godwin’s Caleb Williams popularizes radical critique in fiction

    Jun 2, 1794Labels: William Godwin, Caleb Williams

    • Caleb Williams