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George II
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George II |
George II (1727-60) continued the Hanoverian
rule. Early in his reign (1736) John Wesley began preaching in England.
The subsequent Wesleyan societies and later Methodist churches acted
as a conservative deterrent to the tide of social unrest and political
radicalism that swept much of Europe during the 18th century.
The Bonnie Prince. In 1745, the Young Pretender, Charles Stuart
(Bonnie Prince Charlie) landed in Scotland. There he built support,
and bolstered by early successes, marched into England.
Instead of the popular uprising he had counted on, he met apathy. Although
he reached as far south as Derby, indecisive leadership and lack of
popular support meant that Charles had little option but to retreat
into Scotland. There he was eventually brought to bay at Culloden Moor,
near Inverness, where the Stuart cause finally ended in slaughter. Charles
himself escaped to the Isle of Skye and eventually to France, where
he ended his life a pathetic drunkard.
It has been said that "Life in early Georgian England was stable,
placid, and self-satisfied". This accounts in part for the failure
of the Stuarts to raise support for the '15 and '45 rebellions. Despite
the Stuart rebellion, the years between 1720-1780 were remarkable for
their social stability. This stability was founded upon a system that
depended upon the exercise of influence and put the interests of landowners
first.
The British Museum. On a happier
note, 1753 saw the founding of the British Museum. To the private collections
of Sir Hans Sloane and Sir Robert Cotton were added the library of the
earls of Oxford and the old Royal library founded by Henry
VII. The museum was originally stored in Montagu House, purchased
with the proceeds of a public lottery. By the mid 19th century the collection
had outgrown Montagu House, so it was torn down and the present building
erected under the supervision of Sir Robert Smirke.
The Seven Year's War. England
then embarked upon the Seven Years War
with France (1755-63). England was victorious just about everywhere,
gaining territory in Canada, Florida, Grenada, Senegal, and in America
east of the Mississippi.
Success in India. Overseas, the
East India Company had established
trading posts at Calcutta and Madras. From there they fought with the
French for trade supremacy in India. Under Robert
Clive ("Clive of India"), the English defeated a combined
Indian and French force at Plassey in 1757, and the subcontinent was
open to a monopoly by the East India Company.
MORE Georgian Britain:
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