Early Modern History covers the dramatic centuries when the world started to look more like the one we recognise today. In this section you can explore the period roughly from the late Middle Ages to the nineteenth century, when discovery, science, revolution and empire reshaped everyday life.
Our articles look at events such as the Reformation, the rise of powerful monarchies, the Enlightenment, global exploration, the Atlantic slave trade, early industry and the birth of modern nations. We focus on the people behind these changes: kings and queens, reformers, inventors, sailors, traders and ordinary men and women caught up in new ideas and conflicts.
You will find clear explanations of wars, treaties and revolutions, alongside surprising facts about fashion, medicine, crime, travel, education and religion in this restless age. We also show how early modern events still influence politics, borders and culture today.
Whether you are curious about witch trials, the printing press, the Glorious Revolution, the East India companies or the beginnings of democracy and human rights, this category offers engaging, easy to read pieces. Early Modern History on MuseumFacts helps you understand how the old world slowly turned into the modern one.
In 1781, a British slave ship called the Zong sailed across the Atlantic with more than 440 enslaved Africans chained in its hold. Weeks later, over 130 of them had been thrown alive into the sea. When the ship finally…
Key Facts (The “Too Long; Didn’t Read” Version) London Wakes Up on Fire Just after 1 a.m. on Sunday 2 September 1666, a baker in Pudding Lane finished work, banked his oven, and went to bed. By breakfast, London was…
London in the eighteenth century was noisy, smoky and crowded. Coffee houses were packed with merchants, lawyers and speculators arguing over ships, wars and money. At one of those cramped wooden tables, a group of men in wigs pass around…
The Elizabethan era is a period in England that denotes the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The era saw a growth in many factors—both political and social. Additionally, during the Elizabethan era, food played an important role. A typical individual’s…
Introduction The Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) was one of the most powerful and culturally influential periods in Chinese history. Emerging after the collapse of Mongol rule, the Ming rebuilt China’s institutions, reshaped its cities, and projected its influence far beyond East…
Introduction Sea shanties were not entertainment. They were technology. Before steam engines and electric winches, sailing ships relied entirely on human muscle. Moving a ship meant hauling tons of rope, canvas, and iron by hand. Sea shanties emerged as a…
Introduction Christopher Columbus is often remembered as the explorer who opened sustained contact between Europe and the Americas. What is far less acknowledged is his role as a colonial governor whose administration in the Caribbean was defined by systematic violence,…
Horatio Gates was one of the most controversial generals of the American Revolutionary War. Nicknamed “Granny Gates” by critics and soldiers alike, he was praised as a hero after one of the war’s greatest victories and later condemned for one…
The English Renaissance theatre, simply known as the Elizabethan theatre blossomed in England between 1558 and 1642. This type of theatre mainly involved the plays of William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson. Let us take a look at the Brief…
Michelangelo Buonarroti is one of the most famous sculptors of the High Renaissance period. Popularly known as the Il Divino (the divine one), he was a highly respected artist and was also considered as the archetypal Renaissance man. We have…
Leonardo da Vinci is one of the greatest artists of the High Renaissance period. One of his most famous paintings is the Mona Lisa, which hangs at the Louvre Museum today. In addition to being an artist, Leonardo was a…
Masquerade balls are essentially events where individuals wear costumes with elaborate masks. Additionally, masquerade balls have existed since medieval times and have a fascinating history. Let’s take a look at Masquerade Balls- Brief History & Key Facts. 1) Dating back…
The Salem witch trials of 1692 are a fascinating subject for many historians and scholars. The infamous hysteria seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and died down just as quickly. However, the question remains: What caused the Salem witch…
George Stinney Jr. was a 14-year-old African American child who was executed in the murder case of two white girls, Betty June Binnicker (11 years old), and Mary Emma Thames (7 years old) in 1944. Consequently, he became the youngest…
The sporran is an integral part of the male Scottish Highland dress. It essentially functions as a wallet for the kilt. There are many different types of sporrans, and they are worn according to the occasion. Read 16 interesting facts…
A Sedan chair is essentially a covered cabin that is carried on poles by two people. It was used in the past for transporting a passenger through the streets of the city. It was especially popular in England during the…
One of the most easily recognizable symbols of Scotland is the thistle. It is a wild flowering plant that is deemed as the flower of Scotland. Read below to find out how it became the emblem of Scotland. Let us…
Did you know that the toilet has thousands of years of history attached to it? Surely with so much history, we all must have wondered at some point of the other, who invented the flush toilet? Read below to find…
Christmas or Xmas, however you say it, is a widely celebrated festival. It is celebrated on the 25th of December annually to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. The word essentially means mass on Christ’s day. Customs around the world…
The Siege of Boston was essentially a siege laid out by the American militia, later known as the Continental Army on the British held Boston. Over the course of the siege, both armies had to deal with a harsh winter…
