| Decades | 1700s • 1710s • 1720s • 1730s • 1740s • 1750s • 1760s • 1770s • 1780s • 1790s |
| Centuries | 18th century • 1700s |
| Religions | Catholicism • Protestantism • Islam • Judaism |
| Followed by | 19th century |
| Preceded by | 17th century |
| Time period | 1701–1800 |
| Major events | Global exploration and colonization • Age of Enlightenment • Industrial Revolution • French Revolution |
| Major empires | Ottoman Empire • Russian Empire • Spain • English Empire • French Empire |
| Major figures | Napoleon Bonaparte • Thomas Jefferson • Immanuel Kant • George Washington • Voltaire • Catherine the Great |
| Cultural movements | |
| Inventions and discoveries | Steam engine • Electricity • Smallpox vaccine • Cotton gin • Photography |
The 18th century was a period of transformation and tumult across the world that saw the rise of powerful empires, vibrant scientific and cultural developments, the expansion of global trade routes, and the spread of new ideas and religions.
The 18th century is known as the "long eighteenth century" due to its long-term impact on world politics and history. The period saw the rise of the Ottoman Empire, which expanded its territorial reach and solidified its control over eastern Europe and Asia. Similarly, the Russian Empire gradually grew, carving out new territories in eastern Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Japan, which had long been isolated, experienced a renaissance of culture and science that helped position it as a major power. In North America, new lands were discovered, paving the way for European colonization and settlement.
Apart from these, the course of the 18th century was also shaped by the Atlantic slave trade, which sustained the economies and societies of powerful empires and states across Africa and the Americas. While the crowded Atlantic sea routes maintained a volatile balance of power between European empires and African kingdoms, they also laid the foundations for centuries of conflict and exploitation.
The 18th century was marked by dramatic scientific and cultural developments. Thanks in part to advances in printing, new ideas rapidly circulated through the world. The Enlightenment, a philosophy based on the power of reason and knowledge, flourished. This period also saw significant breakthroughs in medicine, biology, and chemistry, largely thanks to the work of Antoine Lavoisier and Albrecht von Haller.
Meanwhile, Japan's cultural renaissance, known as the "Tokugawa Golden Age," produced enduring works of art, literature, and philosophy. The massive cultural and economic development that accompanied this era also helped facilitate Japan's rise as a global power.
Ongoing competition between empires and accelerating scientific progress fueled an explosion of global trade. Famously, the Silk Road reached its zenith as numerous European, African, and Asian powers consolidated their hold over the land and sea routes which connected them. The thriving Silk Road helped foster cultural exchanges and economic growth throughout Europe and Asia.
Beyond the Silk Road, new trade routes emerged as Europeans and Americans asserted control over colonial territories in the Americas. The discovery and colonization of new lands in North America helped fuel a dramatic change in the global balance of power, while helping to set the stage for future conflicts over land, resources, and trade.
Religious tensions were never far from the surface in the 18th century, especially as new ideas and ideologies spread and clashed with established beliefs. The most prominent of these religiously-driven conflicts were the Great Jacobite War and the 7 Years' War, which pitted Catholic-aligned forces against Protestant-dominated powers. These global wars determined the balance of power in the Atlantic and helped shape the world's political landscape.
