Questions tagged [18th-century]
The 18th century lasted from January 1, 1701 to December 31, 1800 in the Gregorian calendar.
267
questions
3
votes
1
answer
118
views
How can I review Cole MSS XXXIII, the description of the English polymath John Michell?
On the wikipedia page for the polymath John Michell, it gives a description of him. The source for this description is “Cole MSS XXXIII, 156, British Library.” According to this article on Harvard’s ...
- 2,526
1
vote
3
answers
369
views
How did blackpowder sharpshooters achieve precision?
I was wondering about this since I delved into the naval warfare of the age of sail and noticed the mentions of having sharpshooters on the masts of ships to pick off valuable targets. It seems to ...
- 252
0
votes
1
answer
144
views
Was there really an attempted repeal of English common law in Kentucky?
A couple of decades ago I read an allegation in a book that seemed generally not reliable, and whose title I don't remember, and I wonder whether it can be corroborated.
"Everybody knows" (...
- 3,361
-1
votes
1
answer
145
views
Where, other than Voltaire, are there other references to "cat's eyes" in 18th century Europe?
Reading Voltaire’s A Philosophical Dictionary, in the article on character, I found this:
“If I have a wry nose and cat's eyes I can hide them behind a mask, and can I do more with the character that ...
- 101
3
votes
0
answers
134
views
Where in America did James Macpherson travel?
I'm looking into James Macpherson, the 18th century Scottish writer, and I can't find much. I know that in 1764 he took a job as secretary to the colonial governor, George Johnstone, also a Scott, in ...
- 139
0
votes
3
answers
277
views
Why are there 37 numbers on European roulette wheels?
A European roulette wheel contains the numbers 0 to 36. Who decided to put 37 numbers on a wheel, and why did they choose this number?
- 111
2
votes
1
answer
214
views
What was life like in Korbach, Hesse, Germany during the 1700s?
I have been trying to learn about Korbach, Hesse relative to my family history. I have an ancestor who was born there around 1728. He married in Efferen (close to Cologne) in 1765 as a Catholic and ...
- 31
7
votes
0
answers
230
views
What's the significance of a wreath hung on the traverse / ridge pole of a tent in a military camp?
The first time I saw it, I thought it was odd, but then, 18th century artists love putting strange details in things, so I went on my merry way. But I've seen it a few times since, and now I've got ...
- 79
5
votes
1
answer
396
views
Did Clausewitz read Sun Tzu's Art of War?
I'm currently reading Clausewitz' Vom Kriege, and noticing some parallels and references to Sun Tzu's philosophy. In particular, Clausewitz, without mentioning any names, criticises earlier military ...
- 153
1
vote
1
answer
198
views
Was it illegal in 18th century France or Spain to use false titles of nobility?
The friend of popes and kings and noblemen, and of all the male and female ruffians and vagabonds of Europe, abbé, soldier, charlatan, gamester, financier, diplomatist, viveur, philosopher, virtuoso, “...
- 113
2
votes
3
answers
203
views
How would a musician travel from Venice to Dresden around 1700?
I'm writing a historical fiction TV pilot and I need some help from the history buffs here. One of my characters, a young, aspiring, musician needs to travel from Venice to Dresden, Germany. I suspect ...
9
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What is "chaud melee"?
I believe this question could be asked in either the English Language, Legal, or History stack, but I believe the historical aspect of this question is, by far, the most interesting, and I think will ...
- 2,526
0
votes
0
answers
76
views
What was Vittoria Conti's date of birth and date of death?
What is the exact date of birth and exact date of death of Vittoria Conti?
She was the first wife of Joseph-Louis Lagrange, a famous Italian-French mathematician.
So far I have these vague dates:
...
- 1
1
vote
1
answer
214
views
What year did Isaac Newton die? [closed]
What is the year of death of Isaac Newton? Different sources provide info that it's either 1726 or 1727.
On his tomb is written 1726, findagrave.com has it listed as 1727, Wikipedia even states:
&...
- 21
3
votes
0
answers
249
views
Why did Latin language stop being in use in the 18th century?
Why did Latin language fall?
According to Wikipedia, in the 18th century the Latin language stopped to be the language in academia and politics. It is written there in the wiki article that Latin was ...
- 31
2
votes
0
answers
63
views
What was typical of Ireland England court system in the 1700’s?
In the 1700’s there were Court proceedings called ExChequer Court of Equity Bill Books (e.g) in Ireland. I found records of one of my ancestors in the early 1700’s who was a defendant several times ...
3
votes
0
answers
106
views
Were weapons allowed in Carpenters Hall during the first and second continental Congresses?
During the founding of the nation, what restrictions were in place at public forums related to the carrying of weapons (fire arms, knives, small caliber pistols, etc.), especially during the ...
24
votes
2
answers
7k
views
What was the criminal charge of "pretending sodomy" in 1719 England?
In an old London, England newspaper called "The Post Boy", the edition of 19 May 1719, there is what I believe is an advertisement for a book that will be published the next day (it says).
...
- 2,526
0
votes
1
answer
127
views
What kind of building materials did Cavendish use in determining the density of the earth?
I’m working to build the Cavendish experiment of 1798 according to Cavendish’s own specifications. I have a question about building materials Cavendish may have used.
Cavendish put his pendulum inside ...
- 101
2
votes
1
answer
131
views
What is the earliest record of smallpox inoculation in Turkey?
In 1721, Lady Mary Wortley Montague introduced the practice of smallpox inoculation to England. She had learned about the procedure in Turkey, where she had already survived the illness as well as ...
- 892
-1
votes
1
answer
329
views
Do we have any records of what pirates during the golden age of piracy would actually sing?
In almost EVERY Hollywood depiction of Pirates the pirates almost always sing some sort of song/sea shanty.
But do we have any actual records of what songs the pirates of golden age of piracy (1650 to ...
- 405
-4
votes
1
answer
236
views
How did pirates back in the day not get killed themselves when they attacked ships? [closed]
Maybe I'm completely misinformed about how things were done "back in the day" (I imagine 1600s-1800s, when all ships were completely made out of wood with sails), but once the pirates had ...
- 1
1
vote
1
answer
216
views
How long would a letter take to arrive in Geneva from Ingolstadt? (Georgian era)
The two cities are ~300 miles (488 km) apart as the crow flies. In the late 1700s/early 1800s, how long would it take to send a letter from Ingolstadt to Geneva, and vice versa?
- 11
5
votes
1
answer
370
views
What were Lord Macartney's original words about Chinese under the Qianlong Emperor's brutal regime in 18th century?
This is a follow-up question of Where can I find modern account of Macartney Embassy to China (1792–1794)?
After Lord Macartney returned from his mission to the Qianlong Emperor, he made a poignant ...
- 783
2
votes
0
answers
131
views
Where can I find modern account of Macartney Embassy to China (1792–1794)?
Macartney Embassy was the first British diplomatic mission to China. It was such an important but little-known event. I read quite some Chinese materials but not many English materials. The wiki ...
- 783
4
votes
0
answers
120
views
Was there any significant cultural shift in Russian Empire caused by the partition of Poland?
Wikipedia article on Tsardom of Russia claims that acquisition of Wild Fields and Kiev Academy caused an influx of intellectuals in Russia, which in turn kick-started later reforms by Peter The Great ...
- 155
5
votes
0
answers
156
views
How did composers of the mid 18th and early 19th century get discovered and hired for jobs?
Say you were a composer of the mid 18th and early 19th century during the time of composers such as Beethoven and Mozart. How would you go about getting yourself discovered by others?
Was it through ...
- 405
2
votes
0
answers
238
views
Would a house built in 1745 have a water tank in the attic? (up to 1847)
Was looking at the floorplans on this page (picture 43), was wondering if buildings from 1745-1847 were likely to have water tanks in the attic? Would this have been added during a relatively modern (...
- 137
7
votes
1
answer
1k
views
In 18th century America, how did people board ships to travel long distance?
This is a continuation of this question I asked earlier. According to the answers I got from the question, a better way for my character to travel is by ship, as quoted from user Mark Johnson:
Taking ...
- 501
9
votes
1
answer
305
views
Did Americans in the later half of the 18th-century have more freedom in choosing a partner?
According to this article, starting from the last half of the 18th century there was a decline in parents' influence over young people's choice of partners, and the idea of romantic love started to be ...
- 501
10
votes
1
answer
2k
views
What was the error in 1790, if any, of the lat. and long. of Greenwich Observatory of 1783?
A YouTube video by Brady Haran, Mapping the Meridians - Objectivity 97, ended in a cliff hanger (the answer not found by Brady, and Keith Moore of The Royal Society). It's with regard to the Anglo-...
- 409
11
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Did Continental Army officers wear wigs or keep their hair white like their British Army counterparts?
I just can't find any concrete answer to this question because there is just too much conflicting information. While I know British enlisted men weren't allowed to wear wigs but were forced to grow ...
- 501
6
votes
1
answer
343
views
How did coach service in 18th century America work?
I know that carriage transportation in the US imitated that of Europe, and I know that in the 18th century coaches could be used to transport goods and people and they could also be used as a public ...
- 501
5
votes
0
answers
154
views
What were Russian empresses' position and policy regarding women's role in society and their rights?
There are 4 empress regnants (Catherine I, Anna, Elizabeth, Catherine II) in Russian history, all of whom ruled during roughly the same historic period (18th century). 3 of them (Anna, Elizabeth, ...
- 221
1
vote
0
answers
96
views
Could an eight-year-old child be eligible to stand trial as a witness and provide testimony in an 18th-century American courtroom? [closed]
I'm doing research for a historical fiction set in a small fictional town in America between the year 1778 and 1779. Let's say I have two characters, John and Jack. John is an officer in the ...
- 501
1
vote
1
answer
264
views
Would a commissioned officer in the Royal Navy during the mid-late 18th century ever sail on a vessel other than a man-o-war, ship of the line, etc?
As someone who does not exactly understand how naval commissions worked in the 18th century, I am curious to know if there might have ever been an occasion where a commissioned officer (such as a ...
- 11
3
votes
2
answers
894
views
Where did a ship's navigator usually work?
On a 16-1700s ship, did the navigator have his own room/section of the ship to work? If so, where? Any articles I find just talk about how the navigate, not where.
17
votes
1
answer
3k
views
What did it mean to be a Grecian in late-18th Century British schools?
Near the beginning of CS Forester's novel Mr Midshipman Hornblower, which begins in 1793, the titular Hornblower arrives on board his first ship, where the captain asks about his schooling:
"How ...
- 838
4
votes
0
answers
92
views
What were the components of a good classical education in 18th Century British Empire?
Reading the Federalist Papers, I’m really impressed by the command that the American Founders had not only of the language but also models of philosophy, history, and politics.
What would a good ...
- 151
0
votes
1
answer
980
views
Why were so many female members of Hapsburg family named Maria something?
Recently, I have noticed that Empress Maria Theresa’s daughters’ names all begin with Maria.
Archduchess Maria Elisabeth
Archduchess Maria Anna
Archduchess Maria Carolina
Maria Christina, Duchess of ...
27
votes
2
answers
7k
views
How likely it is that a nobleman of the eighteenth century would give written instructions to his maids?
This question is about a detail in the biography of one of the greatest scientists who ever lived, Henry Cavendish. The Wikipedia article about him states that
He communicated with his female ...
- 4,632
5
votes
1
answer
181
views
How to track down a Spanish/Latin American soldier that fought in wars internationally (18th/19th century)?
The details are scant, but I hope it's enough to get the community interested and a clear answer emerge (there can't be that many people who fit the bill?).
I read a long time ago about a famous ...
- 237
7
votes
2
answers
172
views
How to find the population and mortality in London during the period 1760-1834?
I have to reconstruct the graph showing death rates from infectious diseases and from all causes in London. But I have trouble with finding the data for the period 1760-1834.
In the graph are shown ...
- 171
13
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Did Augustus the Strong sleep with his own daughter?
I'm working my way through Robert Massie's voluminous biography of Peter the Great at the moment. It's truly a pleasure to read; one really does have the sensation of stepping into Peter's world. ...
- 2,113
2
votes
0
answers
98
views
Did Spanish missions block exploration of South America?
According to The river sea : the Amazon in history, myth, and legend, page 112,
In any study of these wild regions [of South America], one is constantly astounded, even moved, regardless of one's ...
- 2,595
11
votes
1
answer
272
views
What is or was a Bond Major?
In our parish church we have a clock with an engraving on it that says 'The Gift of the Hon. Edward Trelawny the Bond Major 1737'. Does anybody know what a Bond Major was/is?
Unfortunately I have no ...
- 111
0
votes
1
answer
466
views
In the Middle Ages - 18th century, how long would it take for a blacksmith forge a regular farming scythe to a war scythe?
Whenever I look up how long it took for a blacksmith to certain tools or weapons, I just get information on forging swords. Let's say a peasant is trying to make his scythe efficient for self-defense ...
- 11
2
votes
0
answers
97
views
Where does Edmund Burke explain aristocratic eccentricity as a reaction to the influx of non-titled country gentlemen?
I am looking for the source of a notion of Edmund Burke’s that the English aristocracy turned to eccentric behavior in order to distinguish themselves from the “new men” who were acquiring estates in ...
- 121
14
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Was there a way for ships to disengage from boarding actions?
I was doing some research about Naval tactics in Age of Sail - especially in boarding tactics. I read several personal diaries, letters and accounts of these battles written by combatants. From ...
- 243
8
votes
1
answer
372
views
What were the typical types of ships used in the Persian Navy in the 1730's and 1740's?
What were the typical types of ships used in the Persian Navy in the 1730's and 1740's? Is the make-up of the fleet known (i.e., how many ships of what class, etc)?
The revival of Persia's power in ...
- 10.8k