The Victorian era was a period of considerable changes that brought England to its highest point of development as a world power. The rapid growth of the population in the most important cities, indicates the transition from a way of life based on the ownership of land to a modern urban economy. England experienced an enormous increase in wealth, but the rapid and uncontrolled industrialization generated many social and economic problems. Although all the issues of this era, Victorian age was a time of prosperity, optimism and stability. This period saw the opening of Britain’s first railway and the first Reform Act in 1832 which extended voting right to men of the lower middle classes and redistributed the number of the members of the Common …show more content…
The main promoter and organizer of the exhibition was Prince Albert; on the 21st of March 1850, the Lord Mayor of London invited the mayors of almost all the cities and town in the United Kingdom to a banquet at the Mansion House to meet Prince Albert, and during this event the Prince consort made an important speech explaining the objective and the meaning of the 1851 Great Exhibition. His aim was to display that the monarchy had an active role in the society, that it was not just a burden for the country but also a resource. He tried to give a new, more modern imagine of the monarchy, associating this old and traditional institution with something new and innovative. Albert’s purpose was to foster the exhibition, therefore the tone of the whole speech is particularly positive; when he talks about Victorian era and all its changes, he describes it as “a period of most wonderful transition”, deciding to omit all the negative consequences that the industrialization brought to the society such as slums, urban poverty, child labour and increase in …show more content…
All these innovations and the possibility to communicate “with the rapidity, and even by the power , of a lightning” using new medium as the telegraph and the typewriter, pave the way for a new kind of trade: more free and competitive. “The products of all quarters of the globe are placed at our disposal, and we have only to choose which is the best and the cheapest for our purposes”, thanks to the telegraph everybody knows who produces what, and what is the price, Therefore one can buy what it is considered of a better quality or more affordable. Thereafter, utilizing the new means of transport, the goods purchased could be delivered in any part of the
A Fierce Discontent by Michael McGerr delves into the revolution of values from the victorian era to the progressive within the late nineteen century to the early twentieth century. McGerr’s major argument is the contrast between this set of values. The gilded age which McGerr focuses is the period where progressive values begin to take form and societal change ensues. The victorian values are values which epitomizes the British culture as just the name of the era is derived from queen Victoria. Alternatively the progressive era was a political reform focusing on anti corruption, women suffrage, and fixing the social problems plaguing society. McGerr argues that the victorian era and progressive era strikes few similarities within the
When Queen Alexandrina Victoria took reign of england on june 20th 1837, her country was amidst a class evolution derived from the consequences of industrialization. Early industrialization saw vast exploitation of the lower classes, but by the mid 19th century reforms had improved working conditions. The late industrialization era saw the s...
The Victorian era, as it became known, was the time of Queen Victoria’s reign. Victoria’s death signaled the end of an era. It was a rich and significant period in Britain, which had a positive influence on Australia also. It saw profound social changes culminating in the rise of the middle class, population growth, and an increase in wealth. Victoria was Queen and so it was seen as a product of her reign and so the love for her increased. Victoria’s death created a feeling of insecurity and uncertainty of what would result. However, it also created the feeling of opportunity and a new beginning. “There was a sense not only in London but in all the capitals of the world that an age had come to an end, a stronger sense than there had been when the 19th century itself drew to a close.” (1).
The Victorian era is considered an era of rapid change and development in almost every field of science and politics. However, it is also known for being an era of contradictions. The era is known for its growth and prosperity, one of great political change and economic wealth. Major advancements were being made across all of the fields of science, technology, and medicine. As all of these were changing for the better, society and moral codes remained strict and outdated. Women were not allowed to wear revealing cloth...
The Victorian Era was classified by a strict set of rules that every upstanding citizen must follow. These rules can be seen in “the behavior between sexes, tea at four-thirty each day, and a fascination with wealth that was suppressed by the good taste not to talk about it”
The Victorian Era started when Queen Victorian inherited the throne in 1837 and lasted till 1901. Over those years, England underwent “technological, commercial, and social developments that fundamentally changed English life, replacing the world into which Victoria was born with one that looks much more familiar to the twenty-first-century eye.” (Nelson 1). According to Houghton “never before had men thought of their own time as an era of change from the past to the future.”(1). England was in the period of transition, the change from the Middle Ages to the modern period. The old doctrines and institutions were attacked and modified and a new order was proposed. The Victorians had to live between two words,
The Mid-Victorian Period of Britain contained many social and cultural movements, however there is one that stands above the rest and truly defined the time period. One word, “progress,” sums up the entire time period. Reforms were abundant and covered a wide variety of issues. All social classes, ranks, and occupations were affected by the cult of progress and it’s dedication to improving the kingdom. Wilson made this clear when he stated, “Progress was the watchword of the age: advance, improvement, struggle, and climb” (Wilson, The Victorians, pp. 94). When a cult of progress exists, like the one in this period, all facets of life are effected socially and culturally. The Cult of progress exemplifies the Mid-Victorian British era as
The actions of Victorians upon a death is a intricate web of rituals and etiquette. In Vanity Fair, William Thackeray gives modern readers a brief glimpse into deep mourning through Amelia Sedley-Osborne.
In the time period of Queen Victoria's reign the population alone of Britain had grown from 10 million at the start of the 1800's to over 26 million by 1870. The British Empire grew and now held over a quarter of the world's population. When the empire was at its climax, it was the largest in history. The industrial revolution in Britain came with fantastic outcomes, such as huge technological revolutions and production of iron, coal, and cotton cloth increased dramatically. This increase in population and industrialization flooded the cities with peasants looking for jobs. Most of these people were living in poverty and hazardous conditions. This was when the first railway took form, allowing people to spread out and not crowd in the cities. Although people spread out, many still lived in slums and working conditions at the time were atrocious. Around 1833 through 1844 the Factory Act was finalized controlling child labor. Now children could not work...
The Victorian era was an extremely difficult time for women in Great Britain. They were subject to gross inequalities such as, not being able to; control their own earnings, education, and marriage. As well as having a lack of equality within marriage, women had poor working conditions, and an immense unemployment rate as well. Not only was the fact that women were viewed as second-class citizens and had limited rights compared to men during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries a major problem, but women were also held to a much different standard, and expected to carry out many
The Victorian Era started when Queen Victoria took the throne in 1837 and ended roughly the day she died in 1901. Victorian England “was a strictly patriarchal society” (Yildirim 2). It is common knowledge that during the Victorian era men and women had their own specific roles. It is also common knowledge to know that men had complete legal and economical control over the women (Mitchell 1, 142). Women were expected to stay at home to keep house and take care of the children.
The Victorian Era in English history was a period of rapid change. One would be hard-pressed to find an aspect of English life in the 19th century that wasn’t subject to some turmoil. Industrialization was transforming the citizens into a working class population and as a result, it was creating new urban societies centered on the factories. Great Britain enjoyed a time of peace and prosperity at home and thus was extending its global reach in an era of New Imperialism. Even in the home, the long held beliefs were coming into conflict.
The Victorian time period started in 1837 when Queen Victoria took the throne. The people living in England that were ruled by Queen Victoria at the time, were called “Victorians”, this congregation of people were also said to be very “stuffy, prudish, hypocritical and narrow minded” (Everett). During this time period, if you were at the nobles rank you were the very best you could be and everyone wanted to be at that rank.
The term Victorian exemplifies things and proceedings during the presiding of Queen Victoria; Victoria became queen of Great Britain and Ireland in 1837 (World Book 320). Queen Victoria’s control ended in 1901when she passed away (Holt 874). “The Victorian age was not one, not single, simple, or unified, only in part because Victoria's reign lasted so long that it comprised several periods” (Landow web). The Victorian age was a time of change because of the many advancements in science and technology (Cruttenden 4). Many of the cultural effects presented in the literature of the Victorian Era are philosophical, political, religious, and social. “The Victorians had unbounded confidence in progress—but this confidence led to uncomfortable questions” (Holt 878). The Victorians became skeptical about their spiritual and conventional principles (World Book 320-321). The culture of the Victorian Period has be...
“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times…it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair” (Dickens n. pag.). These words by Charles Dickens, one of the most famous writers of the Victorian Period, were intended to show the connections between the French Revolution and the decline of Dickens’s own time, the Victorian Era (“About” n.pag.). Dickens wanted to show how the trends of his time were following a tragic path that had already played out and not ended well in France. According to an article about this historical period, the Victorian Era was “a time of change, a time of great upheaval, but also a time of great literature” (“Victorian” n.pag.). The Victorian Period reflects the great changes in the social, political, and economical shifts of the time.