​It was a period that ...

• ​ended 20 years of wars.

• ​fashion - modernisation (urbanisation - largest city in Europe)

• ​burgeoning (coffee, tea and porcelain)

• ​Politics: first prime minister - in 1707 Union of Scotland and England - slave-trading - colonisation (India and USA)

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​It was a period that ...

• ​Lit: the rise of the novel with fictional characters (Robinson Crusoe) - book review gave birth to literary criticism.

• ​The novel was not novel at the beginning and it was written by women mainly

• ​copyright was established by bookselling and periodical essays

• ​The circle of "friends" dominated.

​It was a RESTORATION in...

1. ​Monarchy and the families - end of wars - beginning of colonisation - Peaceable treatment of religious and political issues - Religious toleration -

2. ​Society and culture: the emergence of modern science combined with consumer culture - the contradiction between modernity and slavery in England-

3. ​Whig vision: progress and democratic access Vs Tory vision: persistence of old traditions and religion -

​It was a RESTORATION in ....

1. ​Was it a modern society?

   1. Agriculture: 50% of the population

   2. Restorations: 100.000 deaths because of the plague and the big fire.

   3. ​Reopening of theatres: first women on stage - Aphra Behn (writer) - Nell Gwynn (actress)

   4. ​Urbanisation: London and new cities saw an increase in their population - transportation as England's integration - growing of services for the communities - streets were in poor conditions yet

   5. ​Consumer culture: "Private vices, public benefits" Mandeville (1714) - entertainment and tourism industries -

   6. ​Education: women were not allowed in universities and in schools, the education was differentiated - Dissenting universities -

​More on novels ...

• ​What are the early origins of the novel?

• ​What topics are important?

• ​What is the connection among the romance, the epic and the novel?

• ​What is its relation to history?

• What was the role of women?