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The 1780s: 1780–1789
1780–1789 · worldwide, all places
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France's debt forced Louis XVI to summon the Estates-General in 1789, and Paris answered with the Bastille's fall in July. The American Constitution was ratified in 1788, the Bounty mutinied in 1789, and in Korea King Jeongjo began his reforming reign.
1789 belongs to Paris, but the decade's stories spread wider. The French film Delicious opens a restaurant on the eve of the Revolution in 1789, and the Korean series Detective K investigates murders in the Joseon court of 1782. Open the 1780s on the StoryTerra map and explore its stories by place.
10 famous stories set in the 1780s
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 49 books, 10 movies, 2 TV shows and 2 games set in the 1780s (1780–1789).
Mutiny on the Bounty
The Bounty leaves Portsmouth in 1787. Its destination: to sail to Tahiti and load bread-fruit. Captain Bligh will do anything to get there as fast as possible using any means to keep up a strict discipline. When they…
Delicious
France 1789 - just before the Revolution. When talented chef Manceron is dismissed from his prestigious position by the Duke of Chamfort he loses the taste for cooking. But when he meets the mysterious Louise together…
The Madness of King George
Aging King George III of England is exhibiting signs of madness a problem little understood in 1788. As the monarch alternates between bouts of confusion and near-violent outbursts of temper his hapless doctors attempt…
Remember Me
How far must you go to find love?The Queen of Storytellers is back - with a triumphant tale of one woman's struggle over adversity.In 1786 a fisherman's daughter from Cornwall called Mary Broad was sentenced to be hung…
Remember Me
A new neighbour becomes a new friend. She looks up to you. She admires you, but is it you she wants? You begin to wonder if she wants your husband, or even your child. But then you realise, she wants your life. When…
The Adventures of Baron Münchausen
A certain eighteenth-century German noble ventured abroad for military service and returned with a series of amusingly outrageous stories. Baron Munchausen's astounding feats included riding cannonballs, traveling to…
La Révolution
1787, France. While investigating a series of mysterious murders, Joseph Guillotin - the future inventor of the world famous ‘Guillotine’ - uncovers an unknown virus: the Blue Blood. The disease quickly spreads amongst…
Detective K: Secret of Virtuous Widow
In 1782 King Jeong-jo of Joseon asks detective K to investigate a series of murders related to a case of corruption within the government.
The King's Coat
The very first Alan Lewrie naval adventure in this classic series is now back in print!1780: Seventeen-year-old Alan Lewrie is a brash, rebellious young libertine. So much so that his callous father believes a bit of…
Les Liaisons dangereuses
The complex moral ambiguities of seduction and revenge make Les Liaisons dangereuses (1782) one of the most scandalous and controversial novels in European literature. The subject of major film and stage adaptations,…
The 10 stories above are just a sample of the 63 in the catalogue for this entry. For the live 1780–1789 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
Revolutionary Boston: 1754–1783 — The heart of the American Revolution — rebellious spirits, Boston Tea Party events, and colonial life forming the backdrop for many historical novels… Explore Revolutionary Boston: 1754–1783
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
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1770s · 18th century · Time hub · All places · 1790s