1701
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- Death of James II while in exile in France
- Captain William Kidd executed for piracy in London
- War of Spanish Succession begins in Europe
- Louisiana becomes province of France
- Society for the Propagation of the Gospel is established
- War of the Spanish Succession begins
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1702
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- Death of William III and accession of Queen Anne
- Daily Courant, England's first daily newspaper, begins publication
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1703
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- The Grand Alliance proclaims Austria's 18-year-old archduke Karl (Charles) king of Spain
- Journalist and pamphleteer Daniel Defoe (who would later write Robinson Crusoe) placed in pillory for his satirical attacks on Church
- Guadeloupe's governor Jean-Baptiste Labat arms the Caribbean island's black slaves to augment his forces and keep the English from taking the French possession
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1704
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- Battle of Blenheim won by troops under the command of the Duke of Marlborough
- Imprisoned Daniel Defoe begins his weekly newspaper The Review
- Boston News-letter, first newspaper in America to survive, begins weekly publication
- The Battle of the Books by English satirist Jonathan Swift is a travesty on the controversy over ancient and modern learning
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1707
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- Act of Union between England and Scotland, and the creation of Great Britain
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1709
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- The Evening Post begins publication
- The Tatler begins publication
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1710
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- First Copyright Act asserts the rights of authors over printers
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1711
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- Holy Roman Emperor Josef I dies of smallpox
- The Tatler is succeeded by the Spectator--founded by Joseph Addison and Richard Steele
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1712
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- Stamp Act introduces taxes on newspapers, pamphlets and newspaper advertisements
- Medley and some other newspapers forced to close following Stamp Act
- Thomas Newcomen introduces first practical steam engine
- Pennsylvania Assembly bans future slave imports
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1713
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- Treaty of Utrecht ends War of the Spanish Succession and Spain cedes Gibraltar and Minorca to Britain
- The South Sea Company receives asientos to import 4,800 African slaves per year into Spain's New World colonies for the next 30 years
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1714
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- Death of Queen Anne and accession of George I
- Typewriter patented by Englishman, Henry Mill
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1715
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- First Jacobite rebellion
- France's Louis XIV dies at Versailles at age 76
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1716
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- The Historical Register published
- John Law introduces paper currency into France
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1717
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- Handel's "Water Music" first performed in London
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1718
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- Edward "Blackbeard" Teach blockades Charleston, South Carolina. He is later captured and killed by the British in battle off Virginia coast
- Colonist William Penn dies at age 73
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1719
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- French explorer Pierre de Charlevoix travels up the St. Lawrence River, through the Great Lakes, and down the Illinois and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans
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1720
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- South Sea Bubble, frenzied speculation in shares issued by the South Sea Company ends with its financial collapse
- Spain's Felipe V joins the Quadruple Alliance of Britain, France, Holland, and Austria
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1721
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- Sir Robert Walpole (1676-1745) becomes Britain's first prime minister
- The New England Courant begins publication
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1723
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- Yellow fever appears in Europe
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1725
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- New Stamp Act closes loopholes in 1712 Stamp Act, but no newspapers are forced out of business
- Russia's Peter I (the Great) dies at St. Petersburg
- The New York Gazettepublishes
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1726
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- Lloyd's List published in London twice weekly
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1727
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- Death of George I and accession of George II
- Death of Sir Isaac Newton
- The Royal Bank of Scotland founded at Edinburgh; will invent the bank overdraft which gives depositors a standing line of credit attached to a checking account
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1729
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- Treaty of Seville November 9 ends a 2-year war between Spain and an Anglo-French alliance
- Methodism has its beginnings at Oxford University, where fellow students call Charles Wesley, 22, a "methodist" because of his methodical study habits
- Ben Franklin purchases Pennsylvania Gazette
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1730
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- Grub Street Journal begins publication
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1731
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- Gentleman's Magazine begins monthly publication at London
- The Library Company, founded by Benjamin Franklin, is the first circulating library in North America
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1732
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- Poor Richard's Almanack begins publication at Philadelphia as an agricultural handbook
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1733
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- Britain's new Sugar and Molasses Act imposes taxes on molasses from non-British colonies
- John Kay introduces flying shuttle to textile production, revolutionizing the hand loom
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1735
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- Daily Gazetteer begins publication as a government newspaper, replacing the Daily Courant and other titles
- Scarlet fever strikes New England in a devastating epidemic
- Parliament passes a Copyright Act (Hogarth Act) to protect artists against pirating of their work in cheap copies
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1736
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- Britain repeals her statutes against witchcraft after centuries of oppressing women, many of them midwives who compete with physicians
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1737
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- Licensing Act restricts the number of theatres in London and elsewhere
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1742
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- Sir Robert Walpole falls from power
- The wood-burning Franklin stove invented by Benjamin Franklin
- The centigrade scale of temperatures devised by Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius
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1745
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- Second Jacobite rebellion
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1746
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- Jacobites defeated at the Battle of Culloden
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1748
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- Subscription library opens in Charleston, South Carolina
- London Stock Exchange moves from Jonathan's Coffee House on Change Alley to new building on Threadneedle Street
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1750
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- The Iron Act prohibits Britain's American colonists from manufacturing iron products
- Johann Sebastian Bach suffers a stroke and dies
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1751
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- Hallifax Gazette, first newspaper in Canada, is launched
- First volume of Diderot's Encyclopedie
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1752
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- Public Advertiser begins publication
- The Gregorian Adjustment--adding 11 days to the calendar--occurs in Britain resulting in widespread rural unrest as people protest against the government "stealing" time from them
- Benjamin Franklin flies a kite during a thunderstorm at Philadelphia and demonstrates that lightning is an electrical phenomenon
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1753
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- British Museum established
- Hans Sloane, physician and scientist, offers his library and collections to the nation: becomes the foundation of the British Museum
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1754
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- Royal Society of Arts founded in London
- Scotland's Royal and Ancient Golf Club has its beginnings in an organization founded at St. Andrews
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1755
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- Dr. Samuel Johnson publishes his Dictionary of English Language
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1756
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- Seven Years War begins--also known as French and Indian Wars in American colonies
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1757
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- London Chronicle begins publication, the first newspaper to combine news with feature articles
- Admiral Byng executed by firing squad for not doing his utmost in Battle of Minorca
- Battle of Plassey--Robert Clive's victory in Bengal begins British colonial dominance of India
- Master printer Charles Baskerville introduces his typeface
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1758
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- The Annual Register, edited by Robert Dodsley, is launched
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1759
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- British Museum opens to the public at Montague House
- British forces under Wolfe capture Quebec from the French, leading to British dominance of Canada
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1760
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- Death of George II and accession of George III
- London's Botanical Gardens open at Kew
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1761
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- London physician John Hill makes the first association between tobacco and cancer
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1762
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- Britain declares war on Spain as the Seven Years' War threatens to engulf all of the European powers
- Catherine the Great becomes ruler of Russia
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1763
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- Treaty of Paris ends the Seven Years War
- Spain cedes Florida to Britain and regains all of Britain's conquests in Cuba
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1764
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- John Wilkes tried and found guilty for seditious libel for his attack on George III's government and the Treaty of Paris
- The Currency Act passed by Parliament forbids Britain's colonies from printing paper money
- The Connecticut Courant begins weekly publication at Hartford
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1765
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- British Parliament issues Stamp Act for taxing American colonies; a declaration of rights and liberties is drawn up at the Stamp Act Congress in New York by the delegates from nine colonies
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1766
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- Russia's Catherine II (the Great) grants freedom of worship
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1767
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- Public protests in Boston against taxes on imports imposed by Townshend Revenue Acts
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1768
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- Massachusetts Assembly refuses to assist collection of taxes
- Boston citizens refuse to accommodate British troops
- First of the weekly number of 'Encyclopaedia Britannica'
- First Royal races held at Ascot Park outside London
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1769
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- James Watt patents improved piston engine steam engine
- England's first Shakespeare Festival opens at Stratford-upon-Avon
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1770
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- Boston Massacre, a confrontation between Boston citizens and British troops
- Industrial revolution begins spreading over Europe
- The Massachusetts Spy begins publication
- Captain James Cook discovers Botany Bay in Australia
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1771
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- Lloyd's of London insurance founded at Lloyd's Coffee Shop
- Richard Arkwright introduces his patented mechanical water frames to cotton mill: creates first industrial era factory
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1772
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- Boston Assembly threatens secession, demands rights of colonies
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1773
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- Boston Tea Party
- Philadelphia Museum founded
- Explorer James Cook crosses the Antarctic Circle
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1774
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- A new Quartering Act passed by Parliament requires colonists to house British troops in their own homes where barracks, barns, or public inns are not available
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1775
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- The American War of Independence begins April 19 at the Battles of Lexington and Concord
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1776
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- Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense--a pamphlet that leads public opinion in favor of American independence
- Adam Smith publishes An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
- The Declaration of Independence signed July 4 in Philadelphia
- The Continental Congress starts a national lottery to raise money for the Continental Army
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1777
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- Bass Ale is introduced at Burton-upon-Trent by English entrepreneur William Bass
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1779
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- Robert Walpole and scores of other British merchants smuggle arms and provisions to the American colonies through the West Indies
- Actor-playwright-theater manager David Garrick dies at age 61
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1780
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- Anti-Catholic Gordon riots in London
- The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is founded at Boston
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1781
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- Lord Cornwallis surrenders to Gen. George Washington at the Battle of Yorktown, the last major conflict of the War of Independence
- The Continental Congress charters the Bank of North America
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1782
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- London's Newgate Prison is completed to replace an earlier prison burnt down in the Gordon riots of 1780
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1783
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- William Pitt the Younger becomes Prime Minister at the age of 24
- Britain recognizes independence of the U.S
- Montgolfier brothers successfully demonstrate hot air balloon flights
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1785
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- Daily Universal Register launches, precursor to The Times
- Power loom developed by Edmund Cartwright which further fuels British dominance of global textile market
- Congress establishes the dollar as the official currency of the new United States
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1787
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- The First Fleet, transporting convicts to Australia, leaves London
- William Wilberforce introduces motion for the abolition of the slave trade to Parliament where it fails
- Marylebone Cricket Club founded: codifies laws of cricket
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1788
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- Daily Universal Register becomes The Times
- King George III suffers first bouts of mental illness
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1789
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- Fall of the Bastille in Paris and beginning of the French Revolution
- George Washington becomes first U.S. President and Constitution of the United States goes into effect
- The Mutiny on the Bounty--Capt. Bligh set adrift in South Pacific
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1791
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- The Bill of Rights becomes U.S. law
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1792
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- Libel Act ends government prosecutions of newspapers for seditious libel
- Denmark abandons the slave trade and becomes the first nation to do so
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1793
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- Louis XVI of France, and Queen Marie Antoinette executed
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1794
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- France's Convention frees slaves in all French colonies, making France the first nation to emancipate her slaves
- Eli Whitney patents cotton gin--leads to major expansion of cotton industry
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1795
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- Beethoven recognized in Vienna as a musical virtuoso
- English physician Edward Jenner pioneers the use of vaccination against smallpox
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1797
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- Naval battle of Cape St Vincent won through the actions of Horatio Nelson
- John Adams becomes second U.S. President
- Naval mutinies at Spithead and the Nore raise concerns that French republicanism is spreading to England
- Hatchards on Piccadilly founded, widely regarded as oldest English bookshop
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1798
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- Naval battle of the Nile won by forces under Horatio Nelson
- Thomas Malthus publishes Essay on Principle of Population: his forecast of a famine induced population crash influences a generation of social and political reformers
- William Wordsworth publishes Lyrical Ballads--launches Romantic period in British literature
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1799
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- Napoleon assumes power in France as First Consul
- The world's first general income tax bill passes Parliament
- Rosetta Stone discovered, instrumental in understanding hieroglyphic writings
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1800
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- The Library of Congress is established at Washington, D.C.
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