Georgian era

The Georgian era was a period in British history from 1714 to 1830, named after the Hanoverian kings George I, George II, George III and George IV. The definition of the Georgian era is also often extended to include the relatively short reign of William IV, which ended with his death in 1837. The subperiod that is the Regency era is defined by the regency of George IV as Prince of Wales during the illness of his father George III. The term Georgian is typically used in the contexts of social and political history and architecture. The term Augustan literature is often used for Augustan drama, Augustan poetry and Augustan prose in the period 1700–1740s. The term Augustan refers to the acknowledgement of the influence of Latin literature from the ancient Roman Republic. The term Georgian era is not applied to the time of the two 20th-century British kings of this name, George V and George VI. Those periods are simply referred to as Georgian.

When Victoria became Queen in 1837 the Georgian era was followed by the Victorian era. The Victorians emphasized moral earnestness and propriety, as well as industrial and scientific progress and scientific advancement. There was a growing tension between faith and doubt and more Realism in literature and art (moving away from Romantic idealism).

Politics

Historians have largely focused on politics, the first British Empire, and warfare during the Georgian era.

The King

On the positive side, George I's accession secured the Protestant succession and prevented a Catholic restoration under the "Old Pretender" James Stuart.