The Second Millenium

[Vince53]

It's time for 1660!

England voluntarily restores its monarchy, but it remains under the control of Parliament to this day. And one of the first things they do is behead Oliver Cromwell for his vehement efforts to destroy the monarchy.

This really didn’t bother Cromwell, since he had been dead for two years.

Fearing revolts, the monarchists begin diligently enforcing the laws requiring everyone to belong to the Church of England. Baptist evangelist John Bunyan is imprisoned, refusing offers to be released if he will refrain from preaching. While in prison, he begins writing Pilgrim’s Progress.

Moslems destroy Safed and Tiberius, two cities in Israel that had large Jewish populations.


25 years after conquering the Caribbean island of Martinique, the French are still unable to get good slave labor out of the local Indians. After defeating them in an uprising, the French literally expel them from the island, replacing them with African slaves. Today, the Black-majority island is actually part of France and has a higher standard of living than most of the Caribbean.

 

[Vince53]

1661 is now in the Sun!

In 1650, the Parliament army had formed a regiment in Coldstream, Scotland that fought with distinction during the English civil war. Although the war is over, they still exist, and this year they defeat an attempt to seize London. Their name is changed to "The Coldstream Guards" and today they are the oldest regiment in the British army.

"The Holy Lord" begins his 61 year reign over China. He will put down a major revolt, stop Russia from expanding into China, conquer so much territory that he will restore most of China's original boundaries, compile a dictionary, and establish prosperity and stability that will last for generations after his death.

Arteries carry blood away from the heart. Veins carry blood to the heart. But if blood circulates, how does blood get from arteries to veins? Marcello Malpighi is the first to observe and correctly describe capillaries when he discovers them in a frog's lung

 

[Vince53]

So what's new in 1662?

A Chinese general seizes Taiwan from the Dutch, but then establishes himself as King. The alarmed Chinese government literally evacuates the entire coastline facing Taiwan so that he cannot receive support.

Take your places, Ladies and Gentlemen--it's time for Punch and Judy. Samuel Pepsys records in his diary that he attended a Punch and Judy puppet show, featuring Mr. Punch and his wife Judy. Originating in Italian opera, the violent Mr. Punch and one other character at a time are played by the same puppeteer. The shows became so popular that they actually had their own theaters. Spreading to other nations, they were so successful that George Washington once bought tickets.

Punch gives a loud, gleeful sound, when he wins, formed by the puppeteer using a mouth instrument. The expression "pleased as Punch" is based on Punch's gleeful behavior.

Parliament passes the Act of Uniformity, requiring absolute submission to the Church of England. Over 2,000 clergy are expelled for refusing to conform, and for the next century and a half, large segments of English society are banned from holding office.

Boyle's Law is published: the pressure of a gas decreases as its volume increases.

About this time, the last dodo bird dies.

 

[Vince53]

It's 1663, you see.

Robert Hooke discovers the existence of cells. All living things consist of cells.


A Dutch ship discovers the Prince Edward Islands just north of the Antarctic Circle. Today, these uninhabited islands are part of South Africa, which only allows a science station there. After bringing in a few cats to get rid of the mice, the cats grew to 3,400, driving some species of birds to extinction before the cats could be eradicated.

Turkey declares war on the Holy Roman Empire. Bad move--over nine years later, the Empire will have recovered most of Hungary.

It gets so cold in England that Parliament begins fasting. And then it gets even colder.

The Gloucester County Conspiracy--Tobacco plantations treated Black slaves and White indentured servants with equal cruelty. They unite in an unsuccessful revolt, and Virginia starts giving White indentured servants more rights, but continues to treat Black slaves the same way.

 

[Vince53]

Never before, was it 1664.


Britain captures New Amsterdam from the Dutch and rename it New York. Technically allies, a British fleet shows up and the city surrenders without a fight. And in an unrelated event, Britain's Royal Marine Corps is founded.


Shivaji was a Hindu warrior king who needed money to finance his tiny but aggressive clan. He launches a surprise attack on Surat, a wealthy port of the Mughal Empire. The unprepared city is sacked for three days, and two-thirds of the city is destroyed. Ten years later, Shivaji will have established his own independent kingdom.

"The Mantova Gazette is first published in Mantova, Italy. Still in print, is is the oldest privately-owned newspaper in the world.

English doctor Thomas Willis publishes an accurate description of the nervous system, inventing the word "neurology."

 

[Vince53]

1665 begins a rough two years for London.

After winning a naval victory over the Netherlands, England brings Dutch prisoners of war to London.The prisoners bring the Black Plague with them. The Great Plague of London kills about 15% (100,000 people) over the next two years. It is the last outbreak of the Black Plague in London. Next year, a fire will destroy 6 out of 7 homes. Starting a new war with the Netherlands doesn't help matters.


Then England loses a naval battle to the Dutch.



The first scientific journal is published in France, and shortly afterwards, a second one begins publication in England.


In their newly-acquired New York, England grants freedom of religion to Protestants.

 

[Vince53]

Welcome to 1666!

The Chair of Saint Peter is a magnificent throne that turned out to be a gift from Charles the Bald in 875. Possibly the most beautiful throne ever built, it is placed over the altar in St. Peter's Basilica this year. Centuries later, the Catholic Church will admit that it is not really the chair from which Peter ruled as Pope.

The Netherlands barely defeats England in a gigantic naval battle in the North Sea. Losing four small ships (The English lost 10 ships) the Dutch are forced to give up their pursuit of the fleeing English. England returns to battle two months later and barely wins. But the cost of the battles and repairs is too much for England, and they have to leave the Dutch navy alone.

England declares that a mile has 1,760 yards. It still does.

Using a prism to split sunlight into several colors, Isaac Newton realizes that white light is a blend of those several colors.

Do you realize that 1666 is the only number to use all the Roman numerals in order, from largest to smallest? MDCLXVI

 

[Vince53]

You have now reached 1667.

Clement IX begins his two year reign as Pope. A former philosophy professor and diplomat, he had written a few operas. As Pope, he beautified Rome and unsuccessfully fortified Crete against the Turks.

Depending on who's counting, the Great Turkish War begins this year. Lasting until 1699, a large number of European nations will unite off-and-on to drive Turkey out of central Europe, as well as reclaiming much of eastern Europe.
A defeated Poland cedes so much territory to Russia that Poland has never become a major power again.

Holy police chiefs, Batman! Gabriel Nicolas de la Reynie begins his thirty year term as head of the Paris police department. By the time he is through, he has built the first modern police force, and his methods of organization and administration are still used today.

A Dutch fleet sails up the Thames River and then the Medway River, finally entering England's chief naval base. They burn 13 ships, capture the Royal Navy's flagship and one other large ship, and sail back to the Netherlands.

John I, "To Whom Tens of Thousands Bow," begins his fifteen year reign as Emperor of Ethiopia. He exiles all Catholics, executing six missionaries, and restores the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. He successfully defeats some rebellions and secures Ethiopia's borders.

 

[Vince53]

1668 is as good year for peace.

Portugal and Spain end their war, with Spain acknowledging Portuguese independence.

France, England, and the Netherlands form an alliance. France returns portions of the Spanish Netherlands to the Dutch.

Isaac Newton invents a reflecting telescope. There is reason to believe that someone else had already invented one, but nothing came of it. Using a mirror and lenses, it is more powerful that a regular telescope, because the mirror can be supported in the middle, while a lens cannot.


The legendary pirate, Henry Morgan, sacks and burns Panama City.

 

[Vince53]

1669

Mount Etna erupts on the eastern coast of Sicily. Its massive lava flows quickly destroy 10 villages, and five weeks later, the lava reaches a city whose walls divert the flow into a nearby harbor. Despite heavy economic damage, few people are killed.

What? You don't remember the Hanseatic League? It was a union of merchants along Europe's northern coast that lasted for 400 years. This year it holds its last meeting. Several major industries, including Lufthansa Airlines, resulted from that league. The league still exists, in the sense that some of its companies and cities still co-operate. The League had actually established independent cities within the Holy Roman Empire, all of which were eventually absorbed by various countries.

Antonio Stradivari makes his first violin. Some of them survive, and to this day, scientists cannot explain why a Stradivarius violin sounds better than other violins.

In Japan, the Ainu people stage a large but unsuccessful three year revolt, demanding that the government give them their trading rights back. After reaching a peace settlement, the government kills all the Ainu leaders.

 

[Vince53]

Welcome to 1670!

After four monthts of deadlocked and furious debate, the Catholic cardinals agree to pick the aged Clement X as Pope, figuring that he wouldn't live too long. He refused the job, but finally gave in, and he lasted six years.

A pious man of mediocre ability, he canonized a lot of saints (including Rose of Lima, the first American saint), urged Catholic kingdoms to stop fighting each other, appointed the first Bishop of Quebec, outlawed chasing Jews through the streets during carnival time (seriously), aided Poland is resisting the Turks, and commissioned a small number of high-quality statues and fountains that still stand.


France and England sign a secret treaty. France pays an annual tribute to England, and England supports France against the Netherlands and begins re-Catholicizing England.


In northwestern Africa, the once-might Mali Empire continues to decline. The Bambaras, one of their own groups, revolts and sacks the capital.


21 year old William Penn is fined for preaching a Quaker sermon. After Penn removed his hat in the courtroom, the court ordered it placed back on his head and then fined him for contempt of court.

 

[Vince53]

1671

With Poland already devastated by Russia's victory, Turkey declares war on Poland.

When an English Sabbatarian Baptist arrives in Newport, Rhode Island, a handful of local Baptists withdraw from their church and join him in forming the first Seventh Day Baptist Church in the Americas. Today there are about 50,000 Seventh Day Baptists in 22 countries.

France completes the Paris Observatory, which is still one of the greatest observatories on Earth.

 

[Vince53]

In the Netherlands, 1672 is known as "The Disaster Year."

England, France, Cologne, and Munster declare war on the Netherlands. England fights the Dutch at sea, while the other three all invade.

It isn’t really freedom of religion, but England stops imprisoning people for refusing to join the Church of England. To be fair, the unstable political and religious situation in Europe produced a real possibility of religious civil war, and most supporters of religious persecution did it only in order to prevent war. With the threat now removed, England continues to restrict non-Anglicans, but no longer jails them

John Bunyan is released from prison. He quickly organizes a church that meets in a barn. The church still exists, and their website is Bunyan Meeting Church


In Florida, Spain begins construction the Castle of Saint Mark, the oldest masonry fort in the US. Used by Spain, France, Britain, and the US, today it is a tourist attraction.

 

[Vince53]

1673 is a great year for the Dutch.

Using his home-made microscopes (actually a magnifying glass mounted on a frame), [FONT=&quot]Antoni van Leeuwenhoek discovers microscopic life forms. Protestant authorities consider executing him, but when he shows them the germs on their own teeth, they leave him alone.[/FONT]
England passes The Test Act. Roman Catholics and others who refuse to receive the sacrament of the Church of England cannot vote, hold public office, preach, teach, attend the universities or assemble for meetings in England.

The Dutch have got what it takes. They beat a combined English-French navy. Twice. Despite being at war with four nations, the Netherlands is able to sign a defense treaty with Denmark. Then, feeling their oats, the Dutch sail to New York and recapture it from the English. Still pumped up, they defeat another English-French fleet off the Dutch coast. This emboldens their old enemy, Spain, to sign a defense treaty with the Dutch against the French. Then the Dutch invade Germany and capture Bonn.

French explorers and missionaries explore the Mississippi River of North America.

 

[Vince53]

1674

The Dutch couldn't keep it up forever. They make peace with England and give back New York. Later this year, they are defeated by France on the battlefield.

John III Sobieski begins his brilliant 22 year reign over the shattered Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Popular with his subjects, he stabilizes the battered nation and defeats the Turks so badly that the Pope declares him the savior of eastern Europe. Facing fierce opposition from his own nobles, John constantly allies with former enemies and often changes alliances. His alliance with the Holy Roman Empire was his most successful, and he gladly united with Protestants when needed. He personally led Catholic nations in their magnificent victory at the Battle of Vienna, which stopped the Ottoman Empire at its height.

Anthony van Leeuwenhoek is at it again, using his microscopes to discover the Kingdom Protista. This is a widely diverse group of microscopic creatures that live in fresh water ponds, supplying food to newly-hatched fish.

 

[Vince53]

1675 begins a very bad three year period for England's American colonies.


King Philip, son of Massasoit, leads his Indians in King Philip’s War. Lasting three years, it pitted American Indians against the Massachusetts settlers and their Indian allies. Percentage wise, it is America’s bloodiest war, with the Indians attacking more than half the English settlements, destroying twelve towns, and killing about 10% of all military-age men.

The Puritans were to blame for starting the war by stealing too much Indian land. New England’s population had grown rapidly to 80,000 settlers, with towns established all over the area. The colonists would arrest and even execute Indians, claiming sovereignty over the Native Americans. The Pilgrims had become hopelessly outnumbered by new arrivals and were unable to protect the Indians.


The Indians won a series of battles, often ambushing re-enforcements on their way to besieged towns. The colonists burned several neutral and undefended Indian settlements, and both sides destroyed large amounts of cropland.


Driven into forts, the colonists began treating the Indians fairly, rewarding those who surrendered. Indian enemies of King Philip killed him, and the colonists captured and beheaded the aged Chief who replaced him.

A series of separate treaties ended the war. The colonists lost 600 in battle and thousands more to disease and starvation. The Indians lost about 3,000 in battle.

Who won? Neither side. The colonists had always been helped by friendly Indians, and now all Indians were their enemies. England, amazed that the colonists had “won” with no English help, began cancelling charters and establishing strict control. They established unsuccessful Anglican churches that only attracted the wealthy. Within several years, the colonists had rebuilt everything, but they had to rely on English soldiers to survive.

 

[Vince53]

1676

"The Savior of Hungary," Innocent XI, begins his thirteen year reign as Pope.

A genuinely pious man, he cut taxes and waste, producing a surplus in the Papal budget. He got rid of a lot of corrupt officials, demanded piety in the lives of the clergy, and lived a simple life. He closed all the Roman theaters and briefly banned operas. He made Roman women dress decently and closed many gambling houses.
He forced Venice to release Jewish prisoners and tried to stop forced Jewish baptisms. He banned Jewish money-lenders but delayed its enforcement.


Innocent had constant trouble with France's arrogant King, who demanded the right to appoint all French Church officials and who threatened to declare the French Catholic Church independent of Rome. The King held councils and passed Church edicts, all of which the Pope rejected.


He was usually successful in organizing European resistance to the Turks, received an embassy from Siam, supported England's King James II in trying to restore Catholicism, and might have secretly financed Protestant leader William of Orange against France.
Against vehement French opposition which lasts to this day, he was beatified by the Catholic Church, at which point the sainthood process has remained stalled.

 

[Vince53]

We return to 1676.

England's Massachusetts colonies are attacked on every side by the enraged Indians whom they had mistreated. The Indians burn Providence, Rhode Island (which was part of Massachusetts at the time). Wildly contradictory tales state that Roger Williams, having turned down an offer of safe passage, dies in the destruction. Others state that he survived for several years and helped lead in the rebuilding.

But the powerful Mohawk nation, just west of the colonies, refuses to join the war. And King Philip is killed by a fellow Indian.

In Virginia, disgruntled settlers rebel against the governor, burning Jamestown and being defeated by English troops sent to the area. Later, a smaller rebellion breaks out in Maryland.

Having lost a lot of territory to Sweden, Denmark unites with Norway and the Netherlands to defeat a Swedish fleet. The three allies then invade southern Sweden and are defeated in one of the bloodiest battles (percentage-wise) ever fought in Europe.

You've never heard of Ole Romer? This Danish genius was using the positions of the moons of Jupiter to figure out longitude on Earth. But when Jupiter is closer to Earth, the moons get into position too early-when Jupiter is farther away, they get into position too late. Romer realizes that light does not travel instantaneously--it takes longer for light to reach Earth when the object is farther away. From Romer's measurements, astronomers first calculate the speed of light.

In Spain, nine years of plague begin, including a famine due to crop failures. About 250,000 people die.


Wildly contradictory tales state that Roger Williams, having turned down an offer of safe passage, dies in the destruction. Others state that he survived for several years and helped lead in the rebuilding.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

What's the point?

people who seek the truth, and who see history, don't get involved in politics, economics, entertainment, or churches that detract from the Gospel of Jesus Messiah.
that's (hopefully)why the author was locked out of the first forum he started in. - they were controlled by members locked in to politics, economics, entertainment or churches that detract from the Gospel of Jesus Messiah.

i.e. honest history is a 'good' read. (i haven't read all this thread nearly, and may or may not, i don't know; hopefully though it is as good as it can be).

 

[Vince53]

December 7, 2014


73 years ago today, my father stayed at his post after being wounded.