The Scottish Enlightenment
Introduction
Below you will find a timeline based upon the Scottish Enlightenment from 1707-1800, this was the period in 18th century Scotland characterised by an outpouring of intellectual and scientific accomplishments. By the eighteenth century, Scotland had a network of parish schools in the Lowlands and five universities. The Enlightenment culture was based on close readings of new books, and intense discussions took place daily at such intellectual gathering places in Edinburgh as The Select Society and, later, The Poker Club as well as within Scotland’s ancient universities such as St Andrews, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen/
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1707
The Act of Union...Read more
1716
Rural hardship gets worse and disabled people feature highly amongst the new homeless class of rural...Read more
1718
Paupers in Liverpool are made to wear a special badge so that the same person is not helped twice, w...Read more
1719
Rosalba Carriera (1675-1757), one of the most successful women artists of any era, is commissioned t...Read more
1720-1745
Most of London’s most famous hospitals are founded during this period....Read more
1720
One of the earliest recorded workhouses, “the workhouse called Paul’s work”, is known to have ...Read more
1722
Janet Horne, targeted for giving birth to a disabled child, is the last witch to be burned in Scotla...Read more
1731
In this year was the birth of John Walker (1731–1803) Natural Historian, and The Town’s Hospital...Read more
1739
A Foundling Hospital is set up in London following reports that “the unwanted children of the poor...Read more
1740
In this year was the birth of James Boswell, Lawyer, Biographer and Diarist. Also, a contract betwe...Read more
1741
Birth of the Poet, Lyricist and Muir ale house keeper, Isabel Pagan (c.1741 –1821). “A spirited ...Read more
1743
The Edinburgh Charity Workhouse in Port Bristo opens and is financed by voluntary subscriptions. Fun...Read more
1746
Birth of Hokiichi Hanawa, Son of a humble farmer, Hanawa loses his sight in early childhood but beco...Read more
1750
Two significant births in this year, with the birth of Robert Fergusson (1750 – 1774) a poet, and ...Read more
1755
Samuel Heinicke establishes the first oral school for deaf children in the world in Germany, whilst ...Read more
1759
Birth of Robert Burns (1759 – 1796) Poet...Read more
1760
Teacher, Thomas Braidwood opens his ‘Academy for the Deaf and Dumb’ in Edinburgh....Read more
1761
Edinburgh’s West Kirk parish opens the Canongate Charity workhouse at the east side of Tollbooth W...Read more
1762
Land tenure reform leads to the Highland Clearances and massive emigration for several decades....Read more
1763
40 ‘lunatics’ confined in the Edinburgh ‘Bedlam’....Read more
1765
Birth of Thomas Muir of Huntershill (1765 -1799) Political Reformer...Read more
1766
The arrival of Europeans in the Americas has a major impact on countries like Brazil. In 1766, the f...Read more
1770
Birth of Ludwig Van Beethoven. Already deaf when he composes his 9th symphony, Beethoven relies on v...Read more
1771
Birth of Sir Walter Scott (1771 – 1832) Historical Novelist, Playwright and Poet...Read more
1773
During his famous journey to the ‘Western Islands of Scotland’ Dr Samuel Johnson visits "a colle...Read more
1775
Catherine the Great issues a decree in Russia establishing social service committees and encouraging...Read more
1778
Birth of Thomas Brown, Philosopher...Read more
1781
The Montrose Lunatic Asylum, Infirmary and Dispensary is founded by Mrs. Susan Carnegie of Charleton...Read more
1783
Birth of John Claudius Loudon, botanist and landscape designer....Read more
1785
There is an expansion in private ‘lunatic asylums’ across Scotland. Mrs Stodart, near the foot o...Read more
1790
The Enclosure Acts in England ‘privatise’ common land and force impoverished rural labourers int...Read more
1792
Thomas Muir, lawyer and political activist, charged with sedition and sentenced to 14 years transpor...Read more
1793
The Edinburgh Asylum for the Relief of the Indigent and Industrious Blinde, is established by The Re...Read more
1794
Joseph Gerrald, Political Reformer, charged with sedition and sentenced to 14 years transportation t...Read more
1795
Birth of Frances Wright (1795 – 1852) lecturer, writer, freethinker, feminist, slavery abolitionis...Read more
1796
The Tuke family open a new asylum in York which challenges the orthodox and widespread treatment and...Read more
1796
In this year, the Smallpox vaccination is discovered by Edward Jenner, whilst there is an estimated ...Read more
1798
An infirmary opens in Dundee....Read more