The Victorian Period
In the introduction to “The Victorian Age” in The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Stephen Greenblatt gives a historic overview of the nineteenth century was known as the Victorian period in the historical development of Great Britain. This era began with the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901. The Victorian era is associated with Britain’s great age of industrial expansion and economic progress. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, Great Britain was mainly a rural society, with its economy based on agricultural production. With the revolution, society gradually transformed into a largely urban one with manufacturing being transferred from farms and villages to giant factories established in urban centers.(2006:
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Harrison insists in The Early Victorians, England remained stable in the 1830s and 1840s because of "a network of institutions" (1971, p.146). In that network Evangelical religion was one of the most important elements. a Clark shows in "Religious and Intellectual Developments." An Expanding Society, by the 1830s, though "the tide [of Evangelical revival] was ebbing, it had not been ebbed very far" (1967, p.230). "Religious values and allegiances coloured most social issues, either directly or in more subtle ways" (Harrison, p.122). The influence of Darwin’s hypothesis about the origin of species on Victorian intellectual and religion was great and weakened faith on religion. (a Clark 97, 102) Evangelicals as Rosman mentions in Evangelicals and Culture, accepted secular culture, but failed to "reconcile it theologically with their faith" (1984, p. …show more content…
The Oxford English Dictionary, hereby referred to as OED, defines patriarchy as “[a] form of social organization in which the father or oldest male is the head of the family, and descent and relationship are reckoned through the male line; government or rule by a man or men” (OED 2016a). Patriarchal society stated that women had no physical, social, economic or political power. Women in patriarchal society were forbidden from the same privileges that men had. Therefore, women were attributed feminine duties of caring for the home and pursuing the outlets of feminine creativity. Because women were refused the opportunity to work or take part in the domestic sphere, they spent their youth preparing for marriage. Maureen Moran in Victorian Literature and Culture, describes how women relocate their place in society in the political, economic and social aspects. The changes in women's social role occurred as the important members, they had opened up for professions which were not accessible before. They assumed skilled jobs in society as writers, journalists, nurses, and teachers (2006, p.
The world today consists of children roaming the streets, technology taking over the world, and being able to work wherever you'd like but, could you imagine a life without all these things? Believe it or not there was a time in life where these things were very uncommon to see. This would be known as the victorian era. This time period was between 1837 and 1901. Daily life was very different from now. Health, social classes, and fashion are just three examples of how daily life was different in the victorian era.
The Victorian era in England marked a period of unprecedented technological, scientific, political, and economic advancement. By the 1840s, the English had witnessed remarkable industrial achievements including the advent of the railways and the photographic negative. They had witnessed the expansion of the Empire, and, as a result, were living in a time of great economic stability. Yet they had also seen thousands of people starving-and dying-due to the Irish potato famine and poor conditions and benefits in British factories and witnessed the entire order of society questioned as the working classes began to demand representation in Parliament. The English also experienced biological
The Victorian Era is a remarkable time in history with the blooming industries, growing population, and a major turnaround in the fashion world. This era was named after Queen Victoria who ruled United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from June 1837 until she passed away 64 years later in January 1901.When Victoria received the crown, popular respect was strikingly low. The lack of respect for the position she had just come into did not diminish her confidence. Instead she won the hearts of Britain with her modesty, grace, straightforwardness, and her want to be informed on the political matters at hand even though she had no input. She changed Britain into a flourishing country. She also impacted how women interacted
First, it is imperative that one knows what exactly patriarchy is: “a social system in which power is held by men, through cultural norms and customs that favor men and withhold opportunity from women” (“Patriarchy”). Any social structure where men outrank women, where men are provided with an unequal increase in opportunities, or any system that instills stereotypical traits, or gender roles, falls under this category.
A patriarchal society is one that can be described as one with very strict rules and regulations that were enforced on everybody and if not followed precisely, severe consequences would follow. This was a society when women had very little obligations and privileges. Not only that, if a rule was not followed, one would suffer greatly. A few examples include: “if you had no kids, you would be divorced, if a woman committed adultery, she would be thrown into the river, or if a son strikes his father, his hand would then get cut off (PPT Notes Early Civ).
The Victorian Era or the romantic period was a time in which Queen Victoria ruled the throne. The Victorian period formally began in 1837 the year in which Victoria became the Queen of England and ended in 1901 the year in which she was laid to rest. In this paper, I will discuss Queen Victoria’s life or what we all know to be “The Victorian Era.” I will highlight some of the most powerful events that occurred during this time, the many reforms that were passed during Queen Victoria’s ruling, I will discuss the political, cultural, and social developments of this time period. I will speak about some inventions of the Victorian Era, and the two main political parties better known as the Tory and Whigs that were popular during this age. You will discover what imperialism is, the commonwealth, The British Monarch and why and how Victoria was such a remarkable monarch. I will even tell you some of the most interesting facts that I have learned to be true about Queen Victoria.
Life in the Victorian Era was very difficult, especially after the Industrial Revolution. In Britain, the Industrial Revolution began in the late 1700. The revolution brought a lot of positive things, for example, it improved transportation, communication, and banking, and made a big change to special powered machinery, factors, mass production, and steam engines. There were also, negative factors, like grim employment and living conditions for the lower and working class. The great deposits of coal and iron ore was essential to the Industrial Revolution. Britain was a politically stable society and the world's leading colonial power, it was a source for raw materials and a marketplace for manufactured goods. It raised a standard of living in the upper and middle class, and replaced craftspeople with machines.
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.
The Victorian Era brought momentous change in industry, in society, in almost every facet of life for the people under the dominion of Great Britain. The Victorians seem to be on a mission to find their selves and make sense of their brave New World. They were living in a time of great transition, "we are of the time of chivalry... we are of the age of steam" (Thackeray, quoted in Henderson and Sharpe, p 1049). This is the world of John Stuart Mill, a man with many ideas considered both a genius and radical in his time; that would be more comfortable in the late 20th century.
There are numerous characteristics about The Victorian Period, one of them being the transformation of Britain. From the1830’s to the 1870’s, as seen in Victorian Literature, Britain underwent changes that transformed the lives of its people. The Rail network began in the 1830’s and was completed by the 1870’s. The Rail network had a great effect on the travel, appearance of the countryside, and speed of movement. Financial sector and trade grew significantly and British manufacturing became dominant in the world. Influence overseas and British power expanded and seemed to be permanent. Population grew from around 12 million to 25 million in 58 years. This period also saw the consequent growth of large cities and also a significant shift of population from the country side to the towns. Another characteristic was an age of optimism. The Victorian age saw itself as a time of confident progress. The Victorian age was a turbulent period which, from numerous points of view, considered itself to be a period of certain advancement. Numerous individuals trusted that Britain was driving the world into another and better age: More illuminated laws, the
During Victoria’s reign there were changes of great importance economically, socially, and technologically. London had a rapid growth from a 2 million to a 6.5 million population by the time of Queen Victoria’s death, due to a significant change. As a result of the industrialization, instead of a life based on ownership of lands, England was transformed to a modern economy. Based on trade and manufacturing they changed from an agrarian society in 1800’s with 75% rural to an industrial society by the 1900’s with a 75% modern urban economy. Socially, there were extreme discriminations especially between men and women. Consequently, women were not eligible for a higher education, employment and were denied the right to vote. Gradually and by the end of Victoria’s reign, women won significant political and legal rights. These included a greater access to education, the custody of children, economic independence and were able to work under fair conditions. Definitely, the Victorian Period was an era of dramatic changes that highly developed England’s power and
Victoria was Queen of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 to 1901. She was the only daughter of Edward, the Duke of Kent. Her father died shortly after she was born and she became heir to the throne. The Victorian Age was characterised by rapid change and developments in almost everything. From advances in medical, scientific and technological knowledge, to changes in population growth and location. Today, we associate the 19th century with the work ethic, family values, religious observation and institutional faith. In 1840, Queen Victoria married her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. At first, the British public did not particularly like the German prince, and he was excluded from holding any official political position. At times, their marriage was hectic because they both had
The beginning of the Victorian Period marked when Queen Victoria ascended the British throne in 1837 for 64 years until her death in 1901. She was only 18 years old when she was queen of England. In this era, there was a time when England had political stability and strict cultural patterns. Peace among the society in England was characterized by this era. There was a control in the way that people act and interact due to the cultural rules that needed to be followed. However, people in the British Empire appreciated having the consistency of having one ruler for such a long time. In addition, people lived in villages and worked on the land in the time of this period. At the same time, there were a lot significant changes. For instance, there
The Victorian Age's morality also condemned any kind of sexual reference in literature. Victorian critics demanded from "serious" literature a didactic content and respect to the Victorian conventions which established that sex
great prosperity in Great Britain's literature. The Victorian Age produced a variety of changes. Political and social reform produced a variety of reading among all classes. The lower-class became more self-conscious, the middle class more powerful and the rich became more vulnerable. The novels of Charles Dickens, the poems of Alfred,