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The 1730s: 1730–1739
1730–1739 · worldwide, all places
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John Wesley began preaching in open fields in 1738, launching Methodism among miners who never entered churches. Nader Shah sacked Delhi in 1739 and carried the Peacock Throne to Persia, and in Leipzig, Bach directed music most Sundays while writing works his employers barely noticed.
Delhi was looted in 1739 while a fictional officer rode into a haunted Spanish inn the same year. The Manuscript Found in Saragossa follows that Walloon officer through the inn in 1739, and the Argentine novel Jasy rows with Jesuit missionaries up the Paraná in 1736. Open the 1730s on the StoryTerra map and explore its stories by place.
10 famous stories set in the 1730s
Live snapshot of the top 10 most popular catalogue items (2026-09-05). Click any card to open this entry on the live map.
Browse 12 books and 1 movie set in the 1730s (1730–1739).

Alexandre Astier - Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
In 1733 Johann Sebastian Bach gives an explosive and unexpected music lesson at the Leipzig church.

Letters on England
Voltaire was a colorful figure in Paris in the time just before both France and America began turbulent revolutions for their freedom. Voltaire was a 17th century writer philosopher and supporter of social reform. He…

A Treatise of Human Nature
A Treatise of Human Nature (1739-40), David Hume's comprehensive attempt to base philosophy on a new, observationally grounded study of human nature, is one of the most important texts in Western philosophy. It is also…

Wit and Wisdom from Poor Richard's Almanack
First published in 1732 by Benjamin Franklin when he was just 26, Poor Richard's Almanack was issued annually for the next 25 years. Extremely popular with readers of the day, the Almanack was a fascinating compilation…

The Manuscript Found in Saragossa
Alphonse, a young Walloon officer, is travelling to join his regiment in Madrid in 1739. But he soon finds himself mysteriously detained at a highway inn in the strange and varied company of thieves, brigands,…

Trade Winds
Marriage of convenience or a love for life?It’s 1732 in Gothenburg, Sweden, and strong-willed Jess van Sandt knows only too well that it’s a man’s world. She believes she’s being swindled out of her inheritance by her…

Jasy
Un amor que nace con la vidaFebrero de 1736. El padre Ursus, superior de la misión jesuítica de San Ignacio Miní, navega por el río Paraná junto a su protegido, un niño de cinco años, Aitor Ñeenguirú.Ordena a los…

The Ravenmaster's Secret: Escape from the Tower of London
Best-selling author Elvira Woodruff's thrilling novel set in 1700s London. Now in paperback! It's 1735. Forrest Harper's life inside the Tower of London consists of three ways to pass the time: chores, chores, and more…

A Maggot
In the spring of 1736 four men and one woman, all traveling under assumed names, are crossing the Devonshire countryside en route to a mysterious rendezvous. Before their journey ends, one of them will be hanged, one…

An Essay on Man
Library of Liberal Arts title.
The 10 stories above are just a sample of the 13 in the catalogue for this entry. For the live 1730–1739 catalogue, use the button above — or browse the whole 18th century. On the live map you can also filter by the exact time the stories take place — any year, decade or century, from BCE to the future.
Relevant picks from this decade
18th-Century Venice: 1700–1800 — The last centuries of Venice's glory days — masked balls and political intrigue featured in many novels and operas, Vivaldi's orphanage orchestras… Explore 18th-Century Venice: 1700–1800
Tsarist Russia: 1700–1917 — The age of imperial grandeur, social unrest, and revolution that shaped the modern Russian state and inspired epic tales — Tolstoy ballrooms,… Explore Tsarist Russia: 1700–1917
Buenos Aires Through the Ages: 1700–1950 — From colonial beginnings and independence to Belle Époque grandeur, the birth of tango, and the city's role as Argentina's vibrant cultural heart —… Explore Buenos Aires Through the Ages: 1700–1950
Edo Japan: 1603–1868 — Step back to Edo Japan, where samurai culture, ukiyo-e art, and strict social orders shaped a unique society rich in stories of honor and conflict.… Explore Edo Japan: 1603–1868
Colonial Canada: 1600–1867 — Early French and British colonial struggles, indigenous relations, and the birth of a nation rich in multicultural stories — coureurs des bois,… Explore Colonial Canada: 1600–1867
Historic Edinburgh: 1600–1900 — From medieval Old Town and the imposing castle to the intellectual vibrancy of the Scottish Enlightenment and beyond — a center of politics,… Explore Historic Edinburgh: 1600–1900
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1720s · 18th century · Time hub · All places · 1740s
