Age of Enlightenment Begins

The Age of Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason, was an intellectual movement that emerged in Europe during the "long 18th century" (1685-1815). It was characterized by an emphasis on reason, scientific inquiry, individual liberty, religious tolerance, and progress. The early Enlightenment is often associated with the publication of John Locke's "Essay Concerning Human Understanding" (1690) and Isaac Newton's "Principia Mathematica" (1687), which laid the intellectual foundations for the movement.