Burke Chapter 1

Burke discusses the shift in focus in writing history after the enlightenment and into the late 19th century.  There was a shift from a political and military narrative characterized by biographies of kings and great military leaders to a social history.  However, this was not unique to France, this was happening in Britain, Germany, and in the United States.  By the year 1900, historians of the Annales School had become quite critical of the established political and military focused brand of history.  This does not mean that there were not some historians before the 18th century who wrote social narratives, but the overwhelming majority were of the established school of thought.

When did the shift to writing social narratives begin?

Did the French Revolution expedite this school of thought?