Restoration Period

The Restoration Period (1660-1700)

The Restoration period began in 1660, when Charles II was restored to the throne, and it was marked by an advance in colonization, the Great Plague that struck in 1665, by the birth of the Whig and Tory parties and other manifestations of anti-Catholicism. It was also period of increasing prosperity and global trade for Britain. Literacy was expanded to the middle class. The greatest contribution of the Restoration period to literature was the reopening of theatres, which led to a revival of the drama.

England became steadily richer during this period, owing to the boom in trade and commerce. By the late 1600s, trade had become an important part of England’s economy. Merchants’ status also improved because people saw how much trade contributed to the country’s wealth.

Near the end of the Restoration period, it was estimated that about 50% of the population could afford to eat meat every day, which meant that half the population was either wealthy or reasonably well-off.

The Children:

The poor in the Restoration Period relied on poor relief. Overseers were appointed by each parish to either give work or help to the poor. Pauper’s children were sent to employers for apprenticeship.

In well-off families, children were sent to a petty school. However, only boys were allowed to go to grammar school, while upper class girls were taught by tutors. Life in grammar schools was hard, as corporal punishment was regularly employed. A birch rod was often used to punish naughty boys, with the boy’s classmates holding him down for the duration of the punishment.

Boarding school for girls were founded in many towns, however, it focused more on girls learning “accomplishments” such as needlework and music, than academic subjects.



Literature in the Restoration Period:
The moral laxity and corruption that pervaded the social life was a major theme in many literary works. Literature was marked by a break from the Renaissance and the past in general, literature focused on the here and the now. Poetry in general was formal and intellectual, with form taking precedence over subject matter. Restoration pushed the modern prose into being. John Dryden, for instance was a lead writer in both modern prose and poetry. His prefaces and works such as Essay on Dramatic Poetry made him a leader of the modern prose.

Literature in the Restoration focused on etiquette and social status, and there was very little written about children in the Restoration period.

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