Restoration

The document provides context for English authors from the Restoration period such as Dryden, Pepys, Bunyan, and Behn by summarizing key events in England from the 16th to late 17th centuries. It describes the shift from Catholic to Protestant rule under Queen Elizabeth I and King James I, the tensions between the monarchy and parliament that led to the English Civil War, Oliver Cromwell's rule as Lord Protector during the Commonwealth period, and the restoration of the monarchy with King Charles II in 1660. It also briefly discusses the Great Plague of 1665, the Great Fire of 1666, the reopening of theaters, and increased trade and colonization during the Restoration period.