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St.Petersburg founded
Peter the Great, a Russian leader who promoted Westernization, founded St.Petersburg in 1703. He wanted to establish a modern capital. He chose this location because he needed the capital to also be a seaport. St.Petersburg is on the Baltic Sea. The city was used to flaunt Peter's absolute power in Russia. -
Isaac Newton Publishes Opticks
During the Scientific Revolution, Isaac Newton published his major work in optics. Newton reports on his studies about the reflection of light, diffraction, and the use of a prism to create a spectrum of colors. This publication is the foundation of the modern study of optics. Newton's works contributed greatly to the increasing influence of science in Europe. -
End of the War of Spanish Succession
The Treaties of Utrecht end the War of Spanish Succession. Britain signs after fearing an alliance between Spain and Austria. The British receive what they rename Nova Scotia. They also receive fur trading posts in the Hudson Bay area. Philip V is recognized as King of Spain. Spain's loses much of its empire, with Savoy getting Sicily and part of Milan, Naples, Sardinia, part of Milan and possession of what had been the Spanish Netherlands -
End of the Great Northern War
In 1700, the armies of Denmark, Saxony and Russia invade different parts of Sweden's empire, launching a war which last for twenty-one years - referred to as the Northern War. This was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Europe. The war ended in 1721 with the defeat of Sweden, leaving Russia as the new dominant power in the Baltic region and as a new major force in European politics. -
Maria Theresa takes power in Austria
Following the failure of the Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor, Joseph I, and his successor Emperor Charles VI to produce a son and heir, the throne was given to Charles VI's daughter, Maria Theresa. In 1736, when Maria Theresa was twenty, Emperor Charles arranged her marriage to Francis of Lorraine. With Maria Theresa, whose reign began in 1740, the House of Habsburg became the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. -
Enlightenment Ideas Spread
Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Rousseau all publish works that spread across Europe. Voltaire promoted freedom of religion and speech. Montesquieu came up with the theory of checks and balances and separation of powers. Rousseau came up with the idea of a "social contract" and power of the majority. These philosophers set the stage for democracy in Europe. -
Start of Seven Years' War
This war is considered to be the first global conflict because of fights in the North American colonies of Great Britain and France.This war was the first continental alliances war waged over the balance of power in Europe fought largely in central Europe and the Americas.France and Austria fought agaiant Britain and Prussia in an attempt to curtiail their power, but eventually failed. -
Start of Industrial Revolution in Britain
As cities grew in England and technology became more advanced (spinning jenny, etc) cities became more industrialized. Tradesmen, who previously had only one or two apprentices, began to take larger teams of workers. This process transformed itself into the paid employment of labor in industry. A similar shift took place in rural areas, with "putting out" or "cottage industry", where agricultural workers would take raw materials from contractors and use them to produce finished goods. -
King George puts restrictions on colonies
King George III of Britain decides to punish lawbreakers in the colonies. He closes Boston Harbor and expands the powers of his governor in Massachusetts. Local elections in Massachusetts are curtailed. Town meetings are forbidden and colonists are obliged to pay for the tea dumped into the bay. Many throughout the colonies feel threatened. Delegates from the colonies meet at the "First Continental Congress" to discuss grievances. The Congress drafts a letter that is sent to the king. -
Storming of the Bastille
Parisians storm the Bastille. The National Assembly abolished the feudal system. and proclaims The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen. The revolutionaries who stormed the Bastille were mostly craftsmen and store owners who lived in Paris. They were members of a French social class called the Third Estate. There were around 1000 men who participated in the attack. It signaled the start of the French Revolution.
