Victorian Society During The Victorian Era

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 empire on which the sun never sets” was used to describe the British empire during Queen Victoria’s reign, also known as the Victorian Era. Queen Victoria assumed control of her reign at the young age of eighteen, and her successful reign lasted for over sixty years. Britain was an extremely large empire during Queen Victoria’s rule; her ruling was filled with powerful changes, politically and economically, and advancements that left a lasting impact. While the Victorian era was an important era, many aspects of it are unique in relation to today’s times. For example, the food eaten during the Victorian era was quite different than the food eaten in today’s period. During the Victorian era, the various social classes ate different types of food. There were three different social classes: the lower class, the middle class, and the upper class. The people of each class’s meals depended on the ingredients available for their circumstances (Brookfield). From the lower class, who ate low-quality food, to the higher class, who ate high-quality food, the type of food and amount of food affected the people of each social class in many ways.

“Manifest destiny”, the effects of industrialization, and the addition of millions of immigrants to American ranks mark America as it stood in the 1800’s. The introduction of a plethora of differing cultures and traditions meant that ideas of what it meant to be American were still forming as the country surged into its position as a global powerhouse. The “wild, wild West” had made its appearance as the Homestead Act of 1862 beckoned large numbers of landless citizens seeking to remedy such circumstances (Peopling of the West, 51). At the same time, Victorian standards for dress and poise still permeated the American middle-class. These strange cultural amalgamations of America in the 1800’s proved to be catalysts for the change that the turn of the century brought in – the millions of Americans on whose back the country had flourished sought recompense in the form of leisure to match their work. While the 1800’s had been chock full of Victorian values and industrious yearnings, the 1900’s entered with a demand for less rigorous social expectations. The Victorian values instilled in middle-class Americans were faced with a sudden challenge in the form of amusement parks that offered overburdened workers a respite from their dreary work days. While this new entertainment excluded some races, it allowed more classes and ethnicities to intermingle, enticed women from their traditional roles in the home, and disregarded the standards Victorian values had set for respectable

Social issues such as child labor began to rise during this period. As the Industrial Revolution began, more businesses started using modern technology in factories to produce goods much faster, some of these innovations took place in the production of steel that made the likes of Andrew Carnegie wealthy. More manual labor was needed and as many families moved to the cities and mass urbanization took place, a lot of families were poor having left behind their livelihoods and so children were also made to work. Schooling was not made mandatory and factories were desperate for workers. Some children were used to their advantage and made to go the furthest down into mines as they were the best fit for the job because they were of a smaller build than a grown man. Realizing the dangerous conditions children were subject people began a huge protest that resulted in limiting the hours children could work and requiring them to attend school.

The Victorian Era was a great time of prosperity for England, but not for everyone. During this time period in England, the lower classed suffered. The Industrial Revolution had many positive effect for society in general, but caused the lower class to suffer. Men’s wages declined, as a result women and children had to work to help support their families.

During the Victorian Times in England, everyone was grouped into social classes. This is also known as classism. There were three categories: the upper class =, middle class, and the lower class. Problems had occurred do to classism. Class war fair still exists to a degree in todays society.

The Victorian era has an influential impact on individuals as they overcame many of society’s beliefs during this period. In Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, societal pressure during the Victorian era led to a discovery of the human condition. This is demonstrated through: love, gender roles, and social class.

In the Victorian Era, society’s views of men and women and their roles in the world were beginning to dramatically change, and not all were content with these changes. The novel Dracula, by Bram Stoker, represents the mindset that those who felt threatened by these changes had. Mina and the men of the vampire slaying group act in the traditional manner associated with their gender and represent the ideal way Stoker believed the sexes should behave meanwhile, Dracula and the female vampires are used to signify, and portray in a threatening light, those who didn’t conform to his society’s standards for men and women. In Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Stoker sets up traditional gender roles and ideals that he believed the sexes should embody and

When Queen Victoria ascended the British throne in 1837, it marked the beginning of a promising new age - the Victorian era.

The Mikado, examines the issue of class in Japan. Nanki-Poo, the son of the emperor

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

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,

The Victorian Period was characterized for its evolution on the British Literature. This Period that starts from the years 1830 to 1900 was characterized by fast changes and developments, in this situation, from the knowledge, technology and science. The name “Victorian” comes from the royal woman, Queen Victoria. The single European conflict fought during Victoria 's reign, in fact, the Crimean War of 1854 to 1856 contrasted evidently with the 18th century, following this, during the British were involved at least in five wars. Victoria’s reign lasted over 63 years, longer than any other British monarch. The progress of scientific thought led them to important changes in science during the 19th century with greater specialization in the evolution of surgery and hospital construction. This happens when Britain was the most powerful nation in the world. The Victorian Period was also marked by a general intensity about life. However politics were important to the Victorians and they believed in perfection. This period saw the birth and spread of political movements, as an example, socialism, liberalism and organized feminism. I’m going to introduce some novels written during the Victorian Period.

The Victorian period started in 1837 through 1901 under Queen Victoria’s reign. The period got divided into three stages: Early, middle and late Victorians periods. During, the early Victorian era took the throne. Under the middle years, the industrialization of the country began and everything stay steady. On the last few years, a lot of problems rise up with Ireland and the English colonies. In her 63 years of ruling lots of cultural, political and economic changes arise. The country became highly industrialized and expanded its land to some parts of the middle west of the World. However, under the period, many diseases were developed such as typhus and cholera because of the food distribution and hunger. Social changes such as women’s vote and rights were proclaimed. New science and technological theories were promoted such as Darwin’s Evolution Theory and Charles Lyell’s Theory of Uniformitarianism. Other social and economic changes