by Daniel Defoe

Apolitical activist, journalist, merchant, and religious rebel, Daniel Defoe was in a unique position to write about his times. Born the year the Restoration began, Defoe was a middle-class merchant who went bankrupt twice due to bad business deals and shifts in political attitudes. His varied life experiences equipped him to comment on the struggles of the working class and gave him broad insight into the benefits and consequences of England's growing wealth and power.

Events in History at the Time the Novel Takes Place

Restoration England: Emerging world empire. In 1660, the year Daniel Defoe was born, England became a monarchy again after a decadelong experiment with a parliamentary form of government. Charles 11 was restored to the English throne. His accession brought the royal family of the Stuarts back to power, and his reign marked the emergence of England as a formidable empire...