Early Modern
Lisbon Earthquake (1755): Quake, Tsunami and Fire on All Saints
Lisbon was largely destroyed and an estimated 30,000-50,000 people died there; the city was rebuilt on a new plan and the disaster shook European thought.
Era · c. 1500 – 1800
Early Modern
Voyages of exploration, the Reformation and the age of revolutions that reshaped Europe and the wider world.
Early Modern
Braddock Expedition (1755): Disaster at the Monongahela
French and Native victory; about two-thirds of Braddock's column were killed or wounded, Braddock died of his wounds and the expedition against Fort Duquesne collapsed.
Early Modern
Expulsion of the Acadians (1755): The Great Upheaval
Roughly 10,000-11,500 Acadians were deported and thousands died; survivors scattered across the British colonies, France and the Caribbean, and many later settled in Louisiana as the Cajuns.
Early Modern
Seven Years' War (1756-1763): The First Truly Global Conflict
Britain won a vast empire, gaining Canada and dominance in India, while Prussia kept Silesia; the Treaties of Paris and Hubertusburg in February 1763 ended the war.
Early Modern
Canton System (1757): How China Controlled Trade with the West
Western maritime trade with China was restricted to Canton under Qing supervision until the Treaty of Nanking abolished the system in 1842.
Early Modern
Battle of Leuthen (1757): Frederick the Great's Masterpiece
Decisive Prussian victory; the Austrian army lost about a third of its strength and Prussia regained most of Silesia.
Early Modern
Battle of Rossbach (1757): Frederick the Great's Swift Victory
Decisive Prussian victory; the Franco-Imperial army was routed and France never again sent a major army directly against Prussia in the war.
Early Modern
Siege of Fort William Henry (1757): Montcalm and the Massacre
The British garrison surrendered on terms; the next day Native warriors attacked the departing column, killing and capturing many, and the French destroyed the fort.
Early Modern
Siege of Louisbourg (1758): Britain Takes France's Fortress
British victory; the French garrison surrendered and Louisbourg's fall opened the St. Lawrence to a British advance on Quebec.
Early Modern
Battle of Quiberon Bay (1759): Hawke Crushes the French Fleet
Decisive British victory; the French Brest fleet was broken up and the planned French invasion of Britain was abandoned.
Early Modern
Battle of Kunersdorf (1759): Prussia's Worst Defeat in the War
Decisive Russian and Austrian victory; the Prussian army was shattered, but the allies failed to follow up and march on Berlin.
Early Modern
Voltaire's Candide (1759): Satire, Optimism and Enlightenment
Candide became a bestseller across Europe despite being banned, and remains the most widely read work of the French Enlightenment.