The 18th century refers to the years from 1701 to 1800. This might seem backwards at first: shouldn't the 1700s be the 17th century? But think of it this way: during the year 15, people were living in the first century (years 1-100). During the year 115, they were in the second century (years 101-200). So the years in the 1700s make up the eighteenth century.

The 18th century was a time of enormous change. In America, the century began with thirteen British colonies and ended with a brand new independent nation, the United States of America. The American Revolution happened in the 18th century, as did the writing of the Constitution.

Scientists and inventors made remarkable discoveries during this period. Benjamin Franklin experimented with electricity. New machines began transforming how people made goods, starting what would become the Industrial Revolution. Composers like Mozart and Haydn created music still performed today.

When you read that Thomas Jefferson was an 18th-century thinker or that Mozart was an 18th-century composer, you know they lived and worked during the 1700s. The same pattern applies to other centuries: Shakespeare was a 16th-century playwright (the 1500s), and your great-grandparents were probably born in the 20th century (the 1900s).