British History - The Eighteenth Century

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The Eighteenth Century The eighteenth century is a very important age in the British history, because the modern society was born in these years. England was Europe’s leader country; by fighting France it owned all of the big trade areas and colonies. The middle class became rich and important. It got as many power as the aristocrats. The power of the king was not so important any more, but the government power largely increased. In consequence of enclosures of village farmland many people from the countryside went into towns to look for work. Because of the industrial revolution England needed workers, but it took advantage of their situation. There was a huge conflict between rich and poor, but it did not end with a revolution like in France. Queen Anne, the last of the Stuarts dead in 1714. After her death nobody knew who would be the king, so in 1715 a rebellion was started for the throne. The Tories wanted, that the son of James II returned as James III to Britain. But the Whigs did not want to hear about a Catholic king, and James III did not give up his religion. That is why after the death of the Queen George I, Elector of Hanover arrived very quickly in the country. Stuart supporters, the “Jacobites” started a rebellion against George I, which was in a few month defeated. So the Whigs could form their own government, build their own world. There could be no more thinking in terms of mixed Whig and Tory ministries. George I was not very interested in the affaires of England, so the power of the government became stronger than ever. The new government had to fight with huge financial problems. The country had fought a long war with France which had created a big national debt. In 1720 the South Sea Company offered to pay off the government’s national debt if it had received the monopoly rights to trading in the South Seas. People became excited, so it
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