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European public opinion and the Lisbon earthquake

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 June 2006

ANA CRISTINA ARAUJO
ANA CRISTINA ARAUJO
Affiliation:
Instituto de História e Teoria das Ideias, Faculdade de Letras, Universidade de Coimbra, 3004-530 Coimbra, Portugal. E-mail: araújo@ci.uc.pt
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Abstract

At the end of November 1755, news of the Lisbon earthquake spread rapidly to all capital cities of Europe. Horrific reports gave rise to a wealth of sensational journalism. As Samuel Johnson and others attest, this was particularly marked in Great Britain. The catastrophe remained a popular subject of flysheets, newspapers, and engravings for months on end. The event was magnified many times over in the eyes and minds by the popular press, which led to forms of public distress. For the first time in the western world, the press, on the occasion of the Lisbon earthquake, helped create the illusion of proximity and unity between the peoples of different nations in Europe. As Voltaire said, ‘L'Europe ressemblait à une grande famille réunie après ses différences’.

Type
Focus: Lisbon earthquake: Part 2
Information
European Review , Volume 14 , Issue 3 , July 2006 , pp. 313 - 319
Copyright
Academia Europaea 2006

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