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Kingdom of Prussia Established
The establishment of Prussia was a major turning point in European affairs. It was declared by leader Frederick I and would become one of the strongest military powers in Europe in the 18th century. Over the span of two centuries, Prussia would go on to win various European wars. Its establishment also created the foundations for the unification of the Germanic states that would occur in the 19th century. -
Confucianism and Catholicism Declared Incompatable
Pope Clement IX officially condemned the practice of Chinese rites in Catholic territories in Europe. The conflict between the compatibility of Confucianism and Catholicism was frequent and had been occurring since the 17th century, and were previously banned in 1704. In 1742, Benedict XIV reaffirmed this and forbade any future discussion on the matter. Chinese rites would remain forbidden until the 20th century, showing how reluctant Catholic leaders were to accept foreign religion. -
The Beginning of the First Great Awakening
In England and English colonies, a wave of Christian revival began to occur from 1730 through the 1760s. The primary idea was the widespread conversion to Evangelical beliefs of Christianity. This would cause a division in the many Christian denominations to arise, predominantly in Protestant communities, regarding whether or not to convert to the Evangelical belief. Through this, religion was seen as an aspect of life one should feel strongly connected to, both intellectually and emotionally. -
Irish Famine of 1740-1741
One of the greatest potato famines in Ireland, killing between 10%-20% of the Irish population. A cold and harsh climate in the winter followed by drought in the spring caused crops to yield poor harvests and resulted in widespread starvation across Europe, but Ireland faced the worst effects of it. Their reliance on potatoes and other crops, which became inedible due to frost damage, led to mass starvation and death. The worst deaths would occur in 1741, also known as the Year of the Slaughter. -
The Marvel's Mill Begins Operation
England's first water-powered cotton mill, known as Marvel's Mill begins to be operated in 1742. This allowed for cotton to be spun in a quicker manner, although it was initially somewhat unsuccessful. In the next three decades, it would become defunct and no longer be functioning as a cotton-spinning mill. -
Seven Years' War (1756-1763)
The Seven Years' War involved most of the great European powers and would be fought across the world. Conflict began when British troops attacked French territories in North America but the official war wouldn't begin until alliances formed in 1756. War would officially end in 1763 with two treaties, where Britain and its allies would be victorious. From there on, Britain would become one of the strongest countries in the world, following the territory it gained from France in North America. -
Catherine the Great Ascends to the Russian Throne
Following the death of her husband, Catherine the Great of Russia ascends to the throne in a proclaimed Golden Age in Russia. She was a great patron of the arts who supported various artists and sought to introduce western ideals into Russia. Some notable social changes involved women gaining more rights to education and men being freed from mandatory military service. However, the economy still relied on the large serf population of Russia, now bound to their owners rather than the land. -
Treaty of Paris Ends the Revolutionary War
The Treaty of Paris formally ended the Revolutionary War between Britain and the American colonies and declared the boundary lines between the country and its former colonies. Britain ceded the majority of the land it owned in North America to the colonies and Florida to Spain. One of the provisions required Britain to remove its forts in the territory, but this remained violated until 1812 after the War of 1812 when the forts were officially removed. -
Tennis Court Oath
After being locked out of the meeting hall at Versailles, enraged members of the Third Estate declared to never separate unless the monarchy respected their wishes for government representation. This was a major turning point in the French Revolution, as it allowed the members of the lower class to feel empowered and state the problems they had with the upper class. The Third Estate wished for a written constitution, but after failing to receive one, they took to violence to achieve this. -
Edward Jenner Administers the First Smallpox Vaccine
Smallpox ravaged the entire European continent for centuries and was responsible for the death of hundreds of thousands. Edward Jenner noted that milkmaids who contracted cowpox were protected from smallpox, and in 1796 he put this knowledge to the test. He administered a vaccine to an 8-year-old boy and following the vaccine he did not contract the disease. Decades later, a cowpox vaccine would be administered all across Europe and would save the lives of thousands.
