Restoration and 18th-Century Period (c. 1660–1800)

The Restoration and 18th-Century Period (c. 1660–1800) in English literature marks a time of major political, cultural, and literary change. Here's a simple breakdown to help you understand it:

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⚜️ What is the Restoration and 18th-Century Period?

This era begins with the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, when King Charles II was brought back to the throne after the Puritan rule of Oliver Cromwell. It stretches through the Age of Enlightenment, ending around 1800 as the Romantic era begins.

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🕰️ Historical Context

• 1660 – Charles II restored to the throne → monarchy and arts return.
• Glorious Revolution (1688) – Political shift toward constitutional monarchy.
• Rise of science, reason, and philosophy → Enlightenment thinking.
• Industrial Revolution begins late in the century.

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🖋️ Literary Characteristics

• Satire and wit were highly valued (writers poked fun at society, politics, and human folly).
• Reason and logic were emphasized more than emotion.
• Growth of new forms: journalism, essays, the novel.
• Literature began to reflect middle-class values and concerns.

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✒️ Key Writers & Works

Author	Notable Work(s)	Notes
John Dryden	Absalom and Achitophel	Master of political satire
Aphra Behn	Oroonoko	One of the first professional women writers
Alexander Pope	The Rape of the Lock, Essay on Man	Known for sharp wit and poetic form
Jonathan Swift	Gulliver’s Travels, A Modest Proposal	Brilliant satirist
Samuel Johnson	A Dictionary of the English Language	Influential critic and lexicographer
Daniel Defoe	Robinson Crusoe	Early novel, realism
Henry Fielding	Tom Jones	Development of the English novel

Restoration and 18th-Century Timeline (England)

🏛️ 1660 – The Restoration

• Charles II returns to the throne → end of Puritan rule.
• Theater, arts, and literature are revived.
• John Dryden becomes the leading literary voice.

🎭 1660s–1680s – Restoration Drama & Satire

• Restoration comedy flourishes: witty, scandalous, urban.
• Aphra Behn becomes one of the first professional women writers (Oroonoko).

⚖️ 1688 – The Glorious Revolution

• James II is overthrown.
• William and Mary take the throne → constitutional monarchy begins.
• Growing middle-class readership influences literature.

🧠 1700s – The Age of Enlightenment

• Reason, logic, and order dominate thought and writing.
• Essay and satire become popular forms.
• Jonathan Swift writes A Modest Proposal (1729) and Gulliver’s Travels (1726).
• Alexander Pope pens The Rape of the Lock and Essay on Man.

📚 Mid-1700s – Rise of the English Novel

• Fiction becomes more realistic and accessible.
• Daniel Defoe writes Robinson Crusoe (1719).
• Samuel Richardson and Henry Fielding develop the novel form.
• Fielding's Tom Jones (1749) mixes humor and social commentary.

📖 1755 – Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary

• First major English dictionary → a milestone in English language and literature.
• Johnson becomes a leading literary critic and thinker.

🕊️ Late 1700s – Seeds of Romanticism

• Shift toward emotion, nature, and individualism begins.
• Writers like Thomas Gray (Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard) hint at Romantic themes.