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| 1772 |
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| Royal Marriage Act required princes and princesses to gain the sovereign's consent to their marriages. | 1 |
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| 1776 |
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| Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations established the science of political economy, which argued that individuals, acting in self-interest, would be able to benefit through a free market. | 2 |
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| 1780, May 10, June 2–9 |
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| No popery riots (Gordon riots) erupted after Parliament rejected Gordon's proposal to repeal indulgences for Catholics. | 3 |
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| 1782 |
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| Gilbert's Act allowed for the creation of parish unions and more efficient poor law management. It also introduced the plural voting system and eliminated indoor relief for able-bodied paupers. | 4 |
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| 1787, May |
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| First transport left for Botany Bay, Australia (See 1788, Jan. 18). | 5 |
| Repeal of Tonnage and Poundage. These taxes were replaced by other means of taxing shipments. | 6 |
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| Oct. 12 |
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| George III insane. A regency established 1789. | 7 |
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