Norton I Intro on the Restoration Norton I Introduction on the Restoration and 18th Century

The Period of the 18th Century in England was a time of great expansion and change.

People began moving from the country to the city/town during this time.

New likes were established that varied from the traditional arts scene.

The people living in town began to more openly express their likes/dislikes and the monarch became less an influence in deciding what was appropriate and what was not.

The country of England became divided politically as new parties emerged to represent its citizens.

The Tories supported the Crown, while the Whigs formed with a more progressive outlook and included nobles and clergymen.

The Toleration act provided freedom of worship.

Such acts and provisions would eventually become more commonplace as people began to realize differing viewpoints of the world.

Theories of old such as those of Aristotle became defunct as scientists such as Galileo uncovered scientific theories explaining much of lives phenomena.

A new interest in science and scientific theory developed among people due to a revolution in science during the 18th century.

The "Plurality of Words" became the topic du' jour within many towns and cities, as theories related to time and space "exploded."

Slave trade became a staple of the national economy during the 18th century.

Though England had not yet been a powerhouse of the slave trade, many other countries sought out slaves and engaged in frequent trade.

The industry resulted in a great loss of life and humanity at a time when most of humanity was just beginning...

The explosion in theory and thought that occurred at this time was due in part to new discoveries by individuals such as Galileo and Kepler (NAEL, 2003). People living during this century began to realize that the ideas of ancient philosophers were just that, simply ideas. Many went as far to label their ancestral thinking partners as "ignorant" (NAEL, 2003). A "revolution of science" (NAEL, 2003) took place during this time, which sparks new sources of interest and caused a move from traditional values amongst the people of England and particular. Greek and Roman ideals of art and beauty were still of great importance during this time, however people began moving away from the philosophies of old that deemed the ancient philosophers as all knowing. People began realizing that there was much more to the world than meets the eye.
The revolution in science that occurred marked a move toward an emphasis on reason vs. emotion and institution as the prime source of knowledge and reality (NAEL, 2003). The revolution in fact, may be considered the cause of this movement in thinking. Prior to the 18th century, the universe "had often seemed a small place, less than six thousand years old" (NAEL, 2003) whose…