History of the British Isles was the period of Queen Victoria's rule between 1837 and 1901 which signified the height of the British Industrial Revolution and the apex of the British Empire. Scholars debate whether the Victorian period—as defined by a variety of sensibilities and political concerns that have come to be associated with the Victorians—actually begins with the passage of the Reform Act 1832. The era was preceded by the Regency era and succeeded by the Edwardian period. Victoria became queen in 1837 at age 18. Her long reign saw Britain reach the zenith of its economic and political power, with the introduction of
History of Poland in the Early Modern era (1569–1795) History of Poland in the Early Modern era (1569–1795) The early modern era of Polish history follows the late Middle Ages. Historians use the term "early modern" to refer to the period beginning in approximately 1500 AD and lasting until around 1800. The "Nihil novi" act adopted by the Polish diet in 1505 transferred legislative power from the king to the diet. This event marked the beginning of the period known as the "Nobles' Democracy" or "Nobles' Commonwealth" ("Rzeczpospolita szlachecka"). The state was ruled by the "free and equal" Polish nobility or "szlachta", albeit in intense, and at times destabilizing,