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A Proclamation for the King Suppression of Coffee-Houses
King Charles II of England, claims that in coffeehouses, “divers false malitious and scandalous reports are devised and spread abroad to the Defamation of his Majestie’s Government”. This is from his Proclamation for the Suppression of Coffee Houses on December 29, 1675, which is significant because his attempt to ban coffeehouses led to strong opposition, demonstrating England's ability to rise beyond the shadow of its despotic monarchs and claim civic liberties for the common person. -
Le Cafe Procope
This engraving, by Jean Francois Badoureau in 1789 located in “La Musée de la Ville de Paris, Musée Carnavalet” in France, was significant as it allowed individuals to unite. It was a common meeting place for philosophes to share their ideas, in which it depicts Denis Diderot, Voltaire and more who have visited. The rise of open discussions in coffeehouses shaped society during this period of contagious intellectual energy; ideas started to form, but this was only the beginning. -
The British-Brazilian Treaty of 1826
The British-Brazilian Treaty of 1826 was a treaty between the United Kingdom and the Empire of Brazil, signed in Rio de Janeiro on 23 November 1826. In this treaty, Brazil agreed to ban the African slave trade, this is significant because it contributes to the efforts against the slave conditions in the colonies, as Brazil had lots of slaves working in their plantations; the Brazilian economy was reliant on coffee, and coffee was reliant on Brazilian slave labour. -
Slave Uprising
The rebellion of the Haitian slaves in 1791 is depicted by Jean-Pierre Ulrick in this painting. This slave revolt is particularly significant because Toussaint Louverture’s (leader of the slave revolt) fight for freedom led up to the only major victorious slave insurrection in modern European history. Ulrick’s work alludes to remembering the past to not repeat its mistakes in the future, coming to represent the independence Haiti has come to symbolize.