Certain periods of history are particularly fascinating. The Greek and Roman Empires, for instance, shaped western culture. The Middle Ages in Europe both enchant and repel. The Victorian era, spanning the Queen Victoria's reign from 1837 to her death in 1901, is another period that shaped history. This complex time affected the whole world, marks the beginnings of the modern age, and brought both wealth and dire poverty to the people. It is well worth our time and attention.
When people think Victorian, they think of gingerbread on the deep porches of large single-family homes, heavily-curtained parlors crowded with red velvet furniture, and Audubon prints of exotic birds. They may cite the effects of the Industrial Revolution and the expansion of the railroads. The British Empire ruled much of the world, and international trade was booming. People made great fortunes, and the middle class arose as the foundation of peace and prosperity.
World trade expanded under the British Empire, the railroads opened markets to entire countries, and the middle class arose as the foundation of society. Romantic ideals flourished, but so did the stark realities of working class poverty and despair. Some children led sheltered lives in secure families where Father brought home the bacon, while others labored long hours in mills, mines, and factories where workers started as young as four years old.
Some lived lavishly and built spacious single family homes, while others lived in crowded tenements. The population exploded in England, while Ireland lost millions to famine and emigration - especially to America. Steel and glass became the new construction materials, railroads improved communication and commerce, and goods were traded around the world. Science, engineering, and medicine came into the modern age.
Gambling, drinking, and prostitution were rife, as were reform efforts of churches and social organizations. Romanticism ruled, but realism was coming into its own as well in both art and theater. Modern engineering, medicine, social sciences, psychiatry, photography, and physical sciences all have their roots in this period.
Human nature began to be taken as more 'natural' than religion. Prosperity was seen as a right for the upper and middle classes, while the poverty of those lower on the social scale were seen by many as inevitable. Industry was considered the hope of the future, and it's ill effects taken as 'the cost of doing business'. However, giants in the newspaper industry and great novelists chronicled the plight of the poor and sought to change it.
The Victorians are known today by almost everyone for the architecture they developed. Great municipal buildings were erected, and houses were gabled, peaked, and decorated with gingerbread trim. It's fun to drive across America and trace the growth of the frontier by the changes in architecture, from colonial restraint to Gothic exuberance. Spa resorts became popular in England and America. The first world fair was the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London.
Another strong influence is seen in politics, which became increasingly liberal as leaders attempted to help those for which prosperity never came. Although the success of social programs has always been disputed, the Victorian belief that government can help balance a country's wealth has not changed.
When people think Victorian, they think of gingerbread on the deep porches of large single-family homes, heavily-curtained parlors crowded with red velvet furniture, and Audubon prints of exotic birds. They may cite the effects of the Industrial Revolution and the expansion of the railroads. The British Empire ruled much of the world, and international trade was booming. People made great fortunes, and the middle class arose as the foundation of peace and prosperity.
World trade expanded under the British Empire, the railroads opened markets to entire countries, and the middle class arose as the foundation of society. Romantic ideals flourished, but so did the stark realities of working class poverty and despair. Some children led sheltered lives in secure families where Father brought home the bacon, while others labored long hours in mills, mines, and factories where workers started as young as four years old.
Some lived lavishly and built spacious single family homes, while others lived in crowded tenements. The population exploded in England, while Ireland lost millions to famine and emigration - especially to America. Steel and glass became the new construction materials, railroads improved communication and commerce, and goods were traded around the world. Science, engineering, and medicine came into the modern age.
Gambling, drinking, and prostitution were rife, as were reform efforts of churches and social organizations. Romanticism ruled, but realism was coming into its own as well in both art and theater. Modern engineering, medicine, social sciences, psychiatry, photography, and physical sciences all have their roots in this period.
Human nature began to be taken as more 'natural' than religion. Prosperity was seen as a right for the upper and middle classes, while the poverty of those lower on the social scale were seen by many as inevitable. Industry was considered the hope of the future, and it's ill effects taken as 'the cost of doing business'. However, giants in the newspaper industry and great novelists chronicled the plight of the poor and sought to change it.
The Victorians are known today by almost everyone for the architecture they developed. Great municipal buildings were erected, and houses were gabled, peaked, and decorated with gingerbread trim. It's fun to drive across America and trace the growth of the frontier by the changes in architecture, from colonial restraint to Gothic exuberance. Spa resorts became popular in England and America. The first world fair was the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London.
Another strong influence is seen in politics, which became increasingly liberal as leaders attempted to help those for which prosperity never came. Although the success of social programs has always been disputed, the Victorian belief that government can help balance a country's wealth has not changed.
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