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The Restoration of Charles II in 1660 brought dramatic changes to English society and culture. After years of Puritan restrictions under the Commonwealth and Protectorate, the return of the monarchy ushered in a period of exuberance, creativity, and social change. This lesson explores the social structure, daily life, entertainment, and cultural developments of Restoration England.
Restoration England was a hierarchical society with significant inequalities of wealth, status, and power.
| Social Group | Approximate Proportion | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Monarchy and aristocracy | Tiny elite | Owned vast estates; dominated government and the House of Lords |
| Gentry | Around 2–3% of the population | Owned land; served as JPs, MPs, and local leaders |
| Middling sort | Around 20–25% | Merchants, lawyers, doctors, prosperous farmers, skilled tradesmen |
| Labouring poor | Around 50–60% | Agricultural workers, servants, unskilled labourers |
| The destitute | Around 10–20% | Beggars, vagrants, the old and sick without support |
Key Term: The "middling sort" is the term historians use for the growing middle classes of the 17th century. This group was becoming increasingly important economically and culturally, though it had limited political power.
The court of Charles II was the centre of political and social life. It was famous for its glamour, wit, and scandalous behaviour.
Key Figure: Nell Gwyn was one of the first professional English actresses and became one of Charles II's most popular mistresses. She was celebrated for her wit, beauty, and common origins (she reportedly sold oranges at the Theatre Royal before becoming an actress).
The Puritan regime had banned many forms of entertainment. The Restoration saw a dramatic revival:
The most significant cultural change was the reopening of the theatres, which had been closed since 1642. Charles II granted patents to two theatre companies:
| Company | Theatre | Manager |
|---|---|---|
| King's Company | Theatre Royal, Drury Lane | Thomas Killigrew |
| Duke's Company | Lincoln's Inn Fields (later Dorset Garden) | Sir William Davenant |
A revolutionary change was that women were now allowed to perform on stage for the first time in England. Previously, female roles had been played by boys.
| Playwright | Notable Works | Style |
|---|---|---|
| William Wycherley | The Country Wife (1675) | Biting social satire |
| George Etherege | The Man of Mode (1676) | Comedy of manners |
| Aphra Behn | The Rover (1677) | First professional female playwright in England |
| John Dryden | All for Love (1677) | England's first Poet Laureate; wrote in many genres |
Key Figure: Aphra Behn was the first Englishwoman to earn her living as a professional writer. She wrote plays, novels, and poetry, and was a significant figure in the development of English literature.
Music flourished during the Restoration. Charles II, influenced by his time at the French court, encouraged the development of music at court and in the theatres.
One of the most important social developments of the Restoration was the rise of coffee houses. The first coffee house in London opened in 1652, and by the 1660s there were hundreds across the city.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cost of entry | One penny for a cup of coffee and access to newspapers and conversation |
| Clientele | Open to all men (women were generally excluded) regardless of social rank |
| Function | Centres for news, gossip, business, political debate, and intellectual discussion |
| Nickname | "Penny universities" — because of the knowledge shared for the price of a coffee |
Specific coffee houses became associated with particular trades and interests:
Exam Tip: Coffee houses are a good example of social change during the Restoration. They show the growing importance of the middling sort, the spread of ideas and news, and the development of commerce. They are also evidence of the more open, sociable culture that replaced Puritan austerity.
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Diet | The wealthy ate meat, white bread, imported luxuries (sugar, spices, chocolate, tea). The poor ate bread, cheese, pottage (thick soup), and ale. |
| Health | Life expectancy was around 35–40 years. Disease was common; medicine was rudimentary. |
| Transport | Walking, horse, or horse-drawn carriage. Roads were poor. River transport was vital in London. |
| Literacy | Rising, especially in towns. Around 30% of men and 10% of women could read. |
Question: "The reopening of the theatres was the most significant cultural change of the Restoration period." How far do you agree?
A Level 4 answer would weigh the theatre against coffee houses, the rise of women as public figures, and the growth of printed news. The reopening of the theatres in 1660, after closure in 1642, was indeed a dramatic reversal of Puritan cultural policy. Charles II granted patents to two companies: the King's Company under Thomas Killigrew at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and the Duke's Company under Sir William Davenant at Lincoln's Inn Fields (later Dorset Garden). For the first time in English history, women were allowed to perform on the public stage. Playwrights such as William Wycherley (The Country Wife, 1675), George Etherege (The Man of Mode, 1676), Aphra Behn (The Rover, 1677), and John Dryden (All for Love, 1677) defined the distinctive genre of Restoration comedy. However, the theatre's significance must be weighed against two competing developments. First, the rise of coffee houses, beginning with Pasqua Rosée's establishment in 1652 and numbering several hundred by the 1680s, produced a new kind of male public sphere in which news, politics, business, and scientific ideas circulated. Lloyd's Coffee House (marine insurance) and Jonathan's Coffee House (stock trading) show the commercial significance of this development. Second, the expansion of print, including the London Gazette (from 1665, originally the Oxford Gazette), the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (1665), and a flood of pamphlet literature, created a more politically literate public. A Level 4 response would conclude that while the theatre was the most visible cultural change, the coffee house was the most structurally consequential, because it laid the foundation for the public sphere that would shape English politics for centuries.
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