17th Century

As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th Century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. During this period, the power of England and the United Provinces increased; while that of Spain and Portugal declined.

Events

• Major changes in philosophy and science take place, often characterised as the Scientific revolution.
• The Dutch republic known as the United Provinces became the dominant economic and political power in Europe. It also underwent crashes, e.g. the windhandel in tulips led to many bankruptcies in 1637.
• Scottish and English Protestants sent to colonize Ireland, as reaction to Catholicism there.
• Antwerp merchants established the Dutch East India Company in 1602, embarking on colonial expansion based on shareholdership rather than royal control.
• Union of the Crowns of Scotland and England in 1603.
• The Thirty Years' War in Europe (1618 - 1648).
• The English Civil War (1642 - 1651).
• The Deluge (1648 - 1667): series of wars and civil wars in Poland with Sweden, Russia, Brandenburg and Transylvania which caused Poland to lose power status and began rise of Russia to power status.
• Republic of the Seven United Netherlands gains formal independence from Spain in 1648. Dutch merchant ships sail all over the world, leading to the "Golden Age of the Dutch Republic".
• James I institutes the baronetage as a means of raising money.

Significant people

Artists

• William Shakespeare, English author and poet (1564 - 1616).

Scientists

• René Descartes, French philosopher and mathematician (1596 - 1650).
• Galileo Galilei, Italian scientist (1564 - 1642).
• Gottfried Leibniz, German philosopher and mathematician (1646 - 1716).
• Isaac Newton, English physicist and mathematician (1642 - 1727).
• Blaise Pascal, French theologian, mathematician and physicist (1623 - 1662).
• Thomas Hobbes, English philosopher (1588 - 1679).

• Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England (1599 - 1658).
• Sir Thomas Browne, English author,philosopher and scientist (1605-1682).
• Queen Christina of Sweden, high profile catholic convert, matron of arts (1626 - 1689).
• John Locke, English philosopher (1632 - 1704).
• Baruch Spinoza, Dutch philosopher (1632 - 1677).

Inventions, Discoveries, Introductions

• Calculus is invented and used to formulate classical mechanics.
• Cannon and gunpowder technology refined.
• First measurement of the speed of light, 1676.

Decades and Years

1590s	1590	1591	1592	1593	1594	1595	1596	1597	1598	1599
1600s	1600	1601	1602	1603	1604	1605	1606	1607	1608	1609
1610s	1610	1611	1612	1613	1614	1615	1616	1617	1618	1619
1620s	1620	1621	1622	1623	1624	1625	1626	1627	1628	1629
1630s	1630	1631	1632	1633	1634	1635	1636	1637	1638	1639
1640s	1640	1641	1642	1643	1644	1645	1646	1647	1648	1649
1650s	1650	1651	1652	1653	1654	1655	1656	1657	1658	1659
1660s	1660	1661	1662	1663	1664	1665	1666	1667	1668	1669
1670s	1670	1671	1672	1673	1674	1675	1676	1677	1678	1679
1680s	1680	1681	1682	1683	1684	1685	1686	1687	1688	1689
1690s	1690	1691	1692	1693	1694	1695	1696	1697	1698	1699
1700s	1700	1701	1702	1703	1704	1705	1706	1707	1708	1709

Referenced By