Merry Gang

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/merry-gang

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the associated with?King Charles II of England and the Stuart Restoration (1660)
2. What is the key figure?John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, a poet and courtier
3. Why did the Merry Gang act so boldly?They wanted to bring back a bold, free style of masculinity from the time of Henry II and enjoy life without many rules.
4. How did the Merry Gang help artists?They gave money and support to poets like John Dryden and playwrights like Nathaniel Lee, helping them write and perform new works.

Aristocrats: Members of the hereditary nobility, holding privileged social and political status.
Libertinism: A philosophical and social movement characterized by a rejection of religious and moral restraints, often leading to a life of pleasure and indulgence.
Stuart Restoration: The historical period commencing in 1660 with the return of the English, Scottish, and Irish monarchies under King Charles II.
Patronage: The support, financial or otherwise, given by an individual or group to an artist, writer, or other creative person.