The seventeenth century was a difficult time in England. Intense intellectual ferment surged out of the Enlightenment, a turning point in history that ushered in the contemporary age. Ripple effects from previous, bloody religious reforms threatened further persecution, fanaticism, and death between Protestants, Catholics, and Puritans. After the reigns of absolute monarchs James II and Charles I, the public broke out in civil war and overthrew the monarchy. However, an inexperienced republic would not last and soon Charles II was invited to take the throne, restoring the monarchy. Ev…
