This introduction covers Setting the Scene within The Royal Society for GCSE History. Revise The Royal Society in Restoration England 1660-1685 for GCSE History with 10 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 1 of 15 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📖 Setting the Scene
1665: A young Cambridge student named Isaac Newton retreated to his family home in Lincolnshire to escape the plague. In the next two years, he developed calculus, discovered the laws of motion, and began work on gravity. It was perhaps the most productive period in scientific history. Newton wasn't alone — the Restoration saw an explosion of scientific thinking. In 1660, a group of gentlemen meeting at Gresham College formed what became the Royal Society — the world's oldest scientific academy still in existence. Charles II gave it a royal charter in 1662. Science was becoming respectable, even fashionable.
Practice questions for The Royal Society
In which year was the Royal Society founded at Gresham College?
What does the Royal Society's motto 'Nullius in verba' mean?