The eighteenth century was the period of nation-building and empire-building

After 1707, the country became known as Great Britain, and the need for an identifying unity was widely felt

Foreign and domestic situation remained unstable throughout the century

The rebellions of 1715 and 1745 (Jacobite Risings)

The growing uncertainties in British-American relations from the 1760s

The 1789 French Revolution

Language formed part of a vision of an ordered and unified society

The perception grew that language norms would guarantee social normality and the avoidance of civil discord

Improved elementary education — with its grammars, dictionaries, and elocution manuals — was the means through which all this would be achieved

In short, Standard English became an important attribute and unifying force of British nationhood