How did social networking operate before the internet? Explore Electronic Enlightenment to find out!
Electronic Enlightenment is a valuable resource for anybody studying or researching the long eighteenth century. It is an archive of digitised correspondence, comprising nearly 80,000 letters sent between 10,000 individuals, written from the 17th to mid 19th centuries. Its geographic scope covers Europe, the Americas and Asia, and it encompasses a cross-section of society, including philosophers, scholars, shopkeepers, servants and diplomats.
The letters are supplemented with contextual information, including annotations and biographical notes, plus teaching aids such as lesson plans and discussion ideas (choose about ee on the home page). Annual updates ensure the content keeps growing.
You can search or browse Electronic Enlightenment in various ways (e.g. by name, occupation, date or place).
Want to learn more? Choose take a guided tour from the home page to get an overview of content and how to search/browse.