The Victorian era

Queen Victoria

‘This was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death, on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence for Britain.

Within the fields of social history and literature, Victorianism refers to the study of late-Victorian attitudes and culture with a focus on the highly moralistic, straitlaced language and behaviour of Victorian morality. The late half of the Victorian age roughly coincided with the first portion of the ‘Belle Époque’ era of continental Europe.

Two especially important figures in this era are the prime ministers Benjamin Disraeli and William Gladstone, whose contrasting views changed the course of history. Disraeli, favoured by the queen, was a gregarious Tory. His rival Gladstone, a Liberal distrusted by the Queen, served more terms and oversaw much of the overall legislative development of the era.’

Victorian era (2016) in Wikipedia. Available at: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_era (Accessed: 7 February 2016).

Image - Dennison, M. (2013) Queen’s grandson steps down from charity over conflict of interest. Available at: http://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/424881/Victoria-A-very-Contrary-Queen (Accessed: 7 February 2016).

Era of Peace and Prosperity:

'Those who could see into the future would have been excited to see the dawn of a long period of peace and prosperity in England under Queen Victoria. As the British Empire expanded to cover more than a quarter of the globe, it made Britain the most powerful nation in the world.

The preceding years of the Industrial Revolution had led to the mass production of goods, making them far more affordable for common people, but life for mill workers was harsh.

During the Victorian era in England, law-makers and trade unions began to address and improve working conditions, particularly for child labour. They eventually made it illegal for children to work more than 69 hours per week.

As living standards improved throughout the Victorian period, birth rates increased. Lack of war and famine coupled with improved health standards meant that the population of England and Wales almost doubled from 16.8 million in 1851 to 30.5 million in 1901. At the same time, around 15 million emigrants left the United Kingdom in the Victorian era, settling mostly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.' 

The Victorian era - 1837-1901 on AboutBritain.com (no date) Available at: 
http://www.aboutbritain.com/articles/victorian-era-1837-1901.asp (Accessed: 7 February 2016).

Leadenhall Street, London, 1837

(no date) Available at:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Leadenhall_Street_J_Hopkins.jpg (Accessed: 7 February 2016).

Changes in society:

'Society was hierarchical, yet there was much social and geographical mobility. Self-made entrepreneurs used their new wealth to rise in society, building large houses, educating their children and employing domestic servants (by the 1880's 1.25 million people were employed in domestic service - more than in any other work category).

Middle class England grew rapidly and the upper class, which was formerly purely hereditary, came to include the nouveau riche, who made fortunes from successful commercial enterprises. However, a large proportion of Victorian society was still working class, and they remained disgruntled at the social inequality and eventually sought reform.

The franchise was gradually extended to the working classes, until by the end of the period there was universal suffrage for men. The fight for votes for women was in full swing, but it was not until 1930 that women achieved the same voting rights as men.

As a result of early campaigns by people such as the Earl of Shaftesbury, and reports by parliamentary commissions, legislation protecting child and adult workers began to be enacted. Important reforms included legislation on child labour, safety in mines and factories, public health and education (by 1876 education was compulsory for all children up to the age of 10). There was also prison reform and the establishment of the police.’

Victorian Britain: A brief history (no date) Available at: http://www.history.org.uk/resources/primary_resource_3871_134.html (Accessed: 7 February 2016).

Transport:

‘Railways continued to develop, offering mass transit for city dwellers who were able to spend time off visiting the seaside and participating in the new pastime of sea bathing.

From Brighton to Bridlington fashionable seaside resorts sprang up. Boarding houses were built along the seafronts of towns near to industrialised areas such as London, Manchester, Leeds and the northwest of England.

In London, the world’s first underground railway, nicknamed the Tube, opened in 1862.’

The Victorian era - 1837-1901 on AboutBritain.com (no date) Available at: http://www.aboutbritain.com/articles/victorian-era-1837-1901.asp (Accessed: 7 February 2016).

Omnibus

Look and Collection, P.J. (no date) London and north western railway single horse family omnibus. Available at: http://www.lookandlearn.com/history-images/XJ149768/London-and-North-Western-Railway-single-horse-family-omnibus?img=204542&cat=look-and-learn-collections&bool=phrase (Accessed: 7 February 2016).

Politics, the Arts and Science:

‘Politically, during the Victoria era, the House of Commons had two main political parties: the Tories and the Whigs. By the mid-19th the Whigs were known as the Liberal party and the Tories were the Conservative party. The Labour party only came into being in 1900.

Prince Albert was a keen supporter of the Arts and London blossomed under his patronage with the building of the Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Opera House, the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum and The Victoria and Albert Museum.

Poetry, literature and art flourished with the Bronte sisters, George Eliot, Oscar Wilde, Rudyard Kipling and Charles Dickens publishing popular works.

Scientifically, the Victorian era also saw huge success. Darwin published his Theory of Evolution and the Great Exhibition of 1851 showcased many industrial and technological advances in the specially built Crystal Palace. Sigmund Freud developed modern psychiatry and Karl Marx developed his new economic theory.

The Victorian era in Great Britain was a time of great change and progress and is still considered the Birth of Modern Times.’

The Victorian era - 1837-1901 on AboutBritain.com (no date) Available at: http://www.aboutbritain.com/articles/victorian-era-1837-1901.asp (Accessed: 7 February 2016).

Music:

'In the pre-Victorian age with the industrial revolution at it's peak, more people started to live in Urban areas. With the rise in population in cities and a need for entertainment Victorian music was created. During this era, the typical blend of music was vocal and instrumental. Instruments included the piano, strings, brass and woodwinds. Musicians from brass bands played for coalminers while at public houses pianists and vocalists were common place. Opera was another form of musical entertainment. Instead of the usual moaning or chanting of music, lyrics were introduced. 

Audiences were particularly strict on concert etiquette. It was a horror even if there was the slightest burp. It would be considered a scandal if you made even the most unintentional noise. Most people dressed formally when they went to a concert or other musical entertainment. 

Music halls were created when the theatre act of 1843 was passed by the British Government prohibiting saloons from adding theaters onto their saloons and running them without a license. So music halls were born. They were a source of entertainment for all British people in the Victorian era. 

Sir Arthur Sullivan was a famous musician. He wrote music for Shakespeare's play "The Tempest". Richard Wagner was another famous music composer. His music was one of the pillars on which Western music was founded. He lived near the end of the Romantic time period. Women started appearing on the musical scene in the Victorian time period. They could even earn money playing musical instruments. The Royal Society of Female musicians was founded after Elizabeth Masson, a female singer, was rejected by the all-male Royal Society.'

Terms, P.I. (2016) Music and musicians in the Victorian era. Available at: https://prezi.com/-6ghm7v1lhzm/music-and-musicians-in-the-victorian-era/ (Accessed: 7 February 2016).

This is a video of a song called 'Where the bee sucks' by Arthur Sullivan for Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'. 

Bruce Greengart (2015) ‘Where the bee sucks’ from THE TEMPEST by Arthur Sullivan. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtDymTHeJ9Q (Accessed: 28 March 2016).

Sports:

'Even though the Victorian era is littered with a lot of poverty and trouble for many of the citizens of England, they still found a lot of time to enjoy sports. In fact, still the most popular sport in the world today, Football (Soccer) really did originate as more than just a casual game.

It was during the Victorian era in 1871 that the first ever Football Association Cup (FA) was played. Many football clubs started to pop up such as Aston Villa and Everton. Although they were primarily organized by churches to encourage people to attend church, some were set up by employers with the intention of bringing in good players to win more games.

It is shocking that the game only originated as a way to keep people healthy. People began to get so serious about it that, by 1891 penalty kicks and other rules needed to be established to ensure that the game was played fairly. It was in 1880 that the first match between Australia and England was played. The sport of Football quickly began to attract large crowds with many fans.

The sport for women though was certainly croquet. Victorian women were considered to lack in both strength and technique in anything that they did. Therefore, croquet was supposed to be a sport that did not require either. The Victorian people, particularly women, really did enjoy it. It never caught on with men like it did women at that time, but it was a sport that both men and women could play together so it was certainly something that the people enjoyed and took seriously.

Cycling also became extremely popular in the Victorian era. The safety bicycle was up for sale in 1885 and was by far the cheapest form of travel. A lot of times the evening hobby would be for men and women alike who lived in town to ride their bikes out into the countryside. It was a good pastime that eventually caught on as a sport later on.'

Home (2016) Victorian games & sports, tennis, cricket, football, Croquet, cycling. Available at: http://www.victorian-era.org/victorian-sports.html (Accessed: 7 February 2016).

A group of women playing croquet

(no date) Available at:
http://www.avictorian.com/sports/Croquet_all_England_Wimbledon_9Jul1870.jpg (Accessed: 7 February 2016).