18C - Culture in the Eighteenth Century Lesson
Culture in the Eighteenth Century 
The Beginnings of the Eighteenth Century
The Eighteenth Century is known as the Age of Reason because society began to understand reason and science instead of accepting what the government and church told them. Science stirred a desire for knowledge in people, and Sir Isaac Newton's scientific discoveries created a lasting impact on society. Read "New Worlds" below to further understand how science changed 18th century society.
"New Worlds" Links to an external site.
Similarly, along with the growth of science in England, the Eighteenth Century started with major expansion for England. The Acts of Union in 1707 merged England and Scotland into a single, United Kingdom named Great Britain. Queen Anne, who was already occupying the throne, became the first to rule over the newly merged countries as a whole until 1714.
When Queen Anne passed away, King George I of Germany took over the throne of Great Britain, which left the Whigs content along with full control of the government. Whig politicians believed in giving the throne to the nearest Protestant relative of the Queen, whereas Tories believed in the hereditary right of the Catholic Stuarts, who were closer than the Protestant options for the throne.
King George I was Queen Anne's closest Protestant relative (Catholics could not inherit the throne due to the beliefs of the Whigs). King George I did not speak English, and he allowed the powers of the monarchy to be in the hands of the prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole, who was a Whig leader. Therefore, during this time, the monarchy started transitioning to a cabinet government led by a prime minister.
George I died in 1727, and his son who he did not get along with, George II, took the throne. Sir Robert Walpole remained as Prime Minister and directed domestic and foreign policy.
During the Seven Years War, George II died, and his heir, George III took over the throne in 1760. George III was not ready to be a king, and he rid the parliament of all Whigs and replaced them with his Tory friends. The Tory government imposed taxes on the American Colonies who were not happy about being taxed without consent. The American Revolution began, and after the French joined the Colonists, the Americans won their independence, and Great Britain lost the most valuable part of her empire.
Eighteenth Century Time Periods Presentation
Many different ages spanned the 18th century and inspired diverse types of literature and themes in literature. View the various ages of the 18th century below in order to understand the changing themes in literature during the 18th century.Eighteenth Century Language, Literature and Culture Presentation
RESOURCES IN THIS MODULE ARE OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (OER) OR CREATED BY GAVS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. SOME IMAGES USED UNDER SUBSCRIPTION.