The Victorian Age

Aim: What effect did Britain have on the world during the Age of Victoria?

Do Now:

Lesson Overview:

Item	Approx Time
Do Now	3-5 Min
Lesson	20-30 Min
Activity	10 Min
Discussion	5-7 Min

Victorian Age

Queen Victoria 1837-1901

When 18 year old Princess Victoria pictured in the header above, became Queen in 1837 no one dreamed she would reign for the rest of the century for another 64 years. The name Victorian to describe the whole period is a misnomer as for some years at the beginning of the era, Regency attitudes prevailed.

Pictured Above: Prince Albert the Prince Consort.

After 1840 when Victoria married Albert we see the heyday of Victorian attitudes of prudery and a strict outwardly moral code that lasted until about 1890 when Prince Edward the Prince Of Wales and his more spirited lifestyle was echoed in society.

Victorian Prosperity - The Country Becomes Urban

Victorian prosperity for an elite was built on the development of new machinery, new work methods and an underpaid workforce consisting of adults and children living in wretched poverty. Many people previously rural became urbanized by the new rail transport. Country families often drifted into towns to stay with other relatives whilst seeking work.

By 1850 half the country's former peasants were squashed into Britain's cities. The growth of industry, the building boom, the swift population spurt and spread of the railway changed the character of Britain too rapidly for many to understand.

Small towns were overtaken by growing industries to become uncoordinated and sprawling industrial dwelling areas. Rail towns such as Crewe soon developed as main rail junctions. These towns were close to other industrial towns like Stoke On Trent which became densely urban, spreading to make six joined towns.

By 1870 Britain had grown from 10 million at the start of the century to over 26 million.

Working Conditions

Millions of workers lived in slums or in vacated old decaying upper class houses. The occupants of slums had no sanitation, no water supply, no paved streets, no schools, no law or order, no decent food or new clothing. Many now had to walk miles to mill or factory work, whereas before they had frequently lived in the house or near land where they did their work. Their hours of work began at 5.30.a.m.and were never less than ten. The brutal degrading conditions were so awful that drunkenness and opium taking was usual as their homelife had so little to offer.

The Railway - A Symbol of Victorian Progress

The railways moved goods, foods and people faster than canals or horse drawn wagons. They were the greatest factor in transforming Britain into an industrial nation. They were a huge employer of people either on the railways, building new tracks or being a goods delivery service. Government legislation was affected as suddenly Members of Parliament could get to London with relative ease from far flung country regions.

The lives of millions were changed as suddenly the masses were able to travel further than ten miles in one direction. Now all could manage rare day trips to the new coastal seaside.

Rail coach carriages were divided into categories called classes and the 1st class rail carriage was designed like a horse drawn coach. It had foot warmers, oil lamps and closed sides and roof. 2nd class carriages were roofed, but open sided.

3rd class carriages were simple un-roofed trucks without seats. In third class, passengers could be blistered by sparks and choked. In the open sided carriage illustrated above an umbrella and a parasol are used for protection. The man protects his top hat from flying sparks and another man dons a blanket to keep off the chill and dusty smoke. By 1846 all carriages had to be roofed by law.

Emergence of New Social Classes

Different types of people were emerging. Employers moved away from their industrial source of wealth. They bought country estates and several generations later were often considered landed gentry. On the outskirts of towns managers built villas. Owners built new streets of houses at the perimeter of town and these were occupied by skilled workman and artisans.

Painting Above: A Summer's Day in Hyde Park by John Ritchie 1858. This shows the mixing of social classes. London Museum.

The class divisions on the railway were echoed throughout the land. In church the higher classes sat at the front in reserved pews and the lower classes at the back. In dress, the wives of wealthy industrialists were clothed in conspicuous finery as they were the social representatives of their soberly dressed husbands.

The new social class that emerged was the bourgeoisie middle class. An outward display of wealth through clothing and possessions showed to those who were still climbing the ladder that the former had reached the top.

Social Darwinsim

Social Darwinism is a belief, popular in the late Victorian era in England, America, and elsewhere, which states that the strongest or fittest should survive and flourish in society, while the weak and unfit should be allowed to die. The theory was chiefly expounded by Herbert Spencer, whose ethical philosophies always held an elitist view and received a boost from the application of Darwinian ideas such as adaptation and natural selection.

Spencer and Social Darwinism

Herbert Spencer, the father of Social Darwinism as an ethical theory, was thinking in terms of elitist, "might makes right" sorts of views long before Darwin published his theory. However, Spencer quickly adapted Darwinian ideas to his own ethical theories. The concept of adaptation allowed him to claim that the rich and powerful were better adapted to the social and economic climate of the time, and the concept of natural selection allowed him to argue that it was natural, normal, and proper for the strong to thrive at the expense of the weak. After all, he claimed, that is exactly what goes on in nature every day.

However, Spencer did not just present his theories as placing humans on a parallel with nature. Not only was survival of the fittest natural, but it was also morally correct. Indeed, some extreme Social Darwinists argued that it was morally incorrect to assist those weaker than oneself, since that would be promoting the survival and possible reproduction of someone who was fundamentally unfit.

Not all Social Darwinists were quite so extreme, and Social Darwinism was not the only justification of colonialism, imperialism, and other intrusive exploits (the "white man's burden" was another, almost completely opposite, justification). In fact, the early Social Darwinists, who regarded the theory as a logical extension of laissez-faire capitalism, would have been appalled at the use of the concept to promote state-run Eugenics programs. (we will discuss this during the lessons on the Nazis and the Holocaust)

Jack the Ripper

The following is an extra credit assignment. It is worth 250 points for classwork. Follow the link below for the assignment. It is a criminal investigation done by you from evidence related to Jack the Ripper who terrorized the London's East End in the late 1800s.

Jack the Ripper Extra Credit Assignment

Classwork & Homework

Lesson PowerPoint: The Victorian Age

Lesson Video:

• Queen Victoria
• Jack the Ripper

Assignments:

• Social Darwinism Assignment

Homework: Assignments