1700talets

1700talets is the Swedish term for the eighteenth century. It roughly encompasses the years 1700–1799.

In Europe, this period saw the rise and decline of powerful monarchies and shifting borders. The War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714) and the Great Northern War (1700–1721) reshaped maps and power relations, while the Treaty of Utrecht and subsequent settlements organized colonial possessions. Across the Atlantic world, European empires expanded, and debates about government, rights, and governance began to challenge established absolutist norms.

The eighteenth century is closely associated with the Enlightenment and advances in science and philosophy. Philosophers such as Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Kant promoted reason, tolerance, and reform. In science, Newtonian physics remained influential, with progress in chemistry, medicine, and astronomy continuing. The arts reflected Rococo and early classical styles, and music saw significant contributions from Bach and Handel, with the late century fostering the beginnings of a broader classical tradition.

Economically, the century witnessed growth in global trade, mercantilism, and the early stages of industrialization, particularly in Britain with improvements to textiles, iron, and steam power later in the century. Alongside expansion came exploitation, including colonialism and the slave trade. Urbanization increased as cities grew and infrastructures such as postal networks and roads expanded.

The eighteenth century ended with upheavals that reshaped politics and thought. The American Revolution and the French Revolution destabilized old regimes and helped spread liberal and republican ideas across Europe and the Americas. The era laid foundational changes that influenced political thought, science, and global exchange in the ensuing modern era.