The world in
What happened in 1768?
11 events across 4 world regions, each with its sources.
Europe
- Industrial Revolution
A transition in manufacturing processes that began in Great Britain around the 1760s and spread to continental Europe and the United States by about 1840. It was marked by the replacement of human and animal power with machinery and of handicraft with factory production, signaling a historic shift from agrarian to industrial society.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Caucasian War
The Caucasian War was a 19th-century conflict of conquest by the Russian Empire against various peoples of the North Caucasus, lasting from 1817 to 1864. Imam Shamil led fierce resistance, repeatedly repelling Russian attacks, until the fall of Gunib and his capture in 1859. The war ended with the final subjugation of the Circassians and the annexation of the region in 1864.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Russo-Turkish War breaks out (1768)
In 1768, a major armed conflict broke out between the Russian and Ottoman Empires. Russian armies achieved a series of victories, bringing Southern Ukraine, the Northern Caucasus, and Crimea into the Russian sphere of influence.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Outbreak of the Russo-Circassian War
In 1763, the Russian Empire invaded Circassia and occupied Mozdok, prompting the Circassian people to organize a resistance movement to preserve their independence, marking the beginning of the Russo-Circassian War. This conflict became the longest war in the history of the Caucasus and of Russia, ending in 1864 with the defeat of Circassian forces.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Unveiling of the Bronze Horseman
The Bronze Horseman, an equestrian statue of Peter the Great, was unveiled in Senate Square, Saint Petersburg. Commissioned by Catherine the Great and created by French sculptor Falconet, it became a symbol of the city and inspired a renowned Pushkin poem.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Construction of the Antique Temple
The Antique Temple was built in 1768 in Sanssouci Park, Potsdam, commissioned by Frederick the Great to house his collection of classical art, antiquities, coins and gems. It was designed by Carl von Gontard and situated near the New Palace, complementing the Temple of Friendship.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Construction of the Marble Palace, Saint Petersburg
The Marble Palace was constructed in Saint Petersburg around the mid-to-late 18th century, making it one of Russia's first Neoclassical palaces. Situated between the Field of Mars and Palace Quay, east of the Winter Palace, it became a landmark of the city.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
North America
- American Revolution
The American Revolution was a political and military struggle in the latter half of the 18th century, in which the Thirteen North American Colonies of Great Britain revolted against British rule and established the United States of America. The resistance began with colonial opposition to British taxation without parliamentary representation. The Battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775 opened the Revolutionary War, after which the Continental Congress created the Continental Army under General Washington. The Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776. The decisive Siege of Yorktown in 1781 forced Britain to negotiate, culminating in the 1783 Treaty of Paris that recognized American independence.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Signing of the Treaty of Versailles
On 15 May 1768, the Republic of Genoa and France signed a treaty at Versailles, whereby Genoa sold Corsica to France. This ended Genoa's long rule over the island and made it a French possession, adding a strategic location in the Mediterranean.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
West Asia
- Construction of the Blue Mosque of Yerevan
An 18th-century Iranian Twelver Shia mosque was built in Yerevan, Armenia, commissioned by Hoseyn Ali Khan of the Erivan Khanate. It is one of the oldest extant structures in central Yerevan and the most significant from the city's Iranian period.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
South Asia
- First Anglo-Mysore War begins
In 1767, the First Anglo-Mysore War broke out between the Sultanate of Mysore and the British East India Company in India. The conflict was partly instigated by the machinations of Asaf Jah II, the Nizam of Hyderabad, who aimed to divert the Company's attempts to gain control of the Northern Circars. The war lasted until 1769 and was the first of four Anglo-Mysore Wars.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Around 1768
These are known only to the century, not to the year. They are listed separately so a rough date is never mistaken for an exact one.
- Founding of Kew Gardens
- Establishment of the British Convict System in Australia
- Completion of the Jantar Mantar observatory complex
- Emergence of the Enlightenment
- Creation of the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm
- Construction of Hwaseong Fortress Begins
- Construction of the Palace of Mafra begins
- Founding of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew