The Victorian Period 1832 1901 Introduction to the

The Victorian Period: 1832– 1901 Introduction to the Literary Period Feature Menu Interactive Time Line Milestone: Reign of Queen Victoria Milestone: Riots and Reforms Milestone: Prosperity Milestone: A Society of Propriety Milestone: The March of the Mind What Have You Learned?

The Victorian Period: 1832– 1901 Choose a link on the time line to go to a milestone. 1832– 1848– 1870 Riots and Prosperity Reforms 1837– 1901 Reign of Queen Victoria 1800 s Society of Propriety 1850 1800 s March of the Mind 1900

Reign of Queen Victoria Brought Respect to the Throne • Worked hard to ensure the welfare of her people • Became symbolic rather than political ruler, ensuring continuation of monarchy • Married her cousin, Prince Albert, the love of her life • Many royal families of Europe descended from their nine children

Reign of Queen Victoria During Victoria’s reign (1837– 1901) England experienced • political and social stability • prosperity and progress • movement toward more democratic government • growth of British empire • expansion of Industrial Revolution • scientific discovery

Riots and Reforms The Hungry Forties • High unemployment • Soaring bread prices • Severe economic depression • Poor working and living conditions • Cities filthy, polluted, disorderly • Potato famine in Ireland

Riots and Reforms In the 1840 s. . . • government policies keep price of bread high • all women and most working men denied the vote • riots at protest rallies • Parliament and queen petitioned • revolutions sweeping Europe; British politicians nervous • Parliament repeals tax on imported grains; price of bread drops • reform bills passed to extend vote, improve conditions

Riots and Reforms The Reform Bills • Eventually extended vote to almost all adult males • Reduced working day to ten hours • Limited child labor • Established statesupported schools

Riots and Reforms Women in the Reform Movement Octavia Hill • Authority on housing reform • Founded National Trust (protected historic landmarks) Octavia Hill Florence Nightingale • Army nurse • Authority on public health • Improved hospitals Florence Nightingale

Prosperity 1848– 1870 Drop in food prices—due to increased trade with other countries, growth of empire Improved nutrition—meat and fruit available to working class people Industrial Revolution—new goods, wealth, jobs Education reform—literacy rates rise Victorians believed social and economic problems could be solved by progress.

A Society of Propriety Decorum and Prudery • Victorians thought of themselves as progressing morally and intellectually • Books and magazines censored • “Fallen women” pushed to margins of society

A Society of Propriety Authoritarian Values • Women subject to male authority • Middle-class women expected to marry; confined to role of homemaker • Unmarried women had few options • Social order intended to control immorality and excess

The March of the Mind Progress in Science • Greater understanding of earth, its creatures, and natural laws • Darwin and theory of evolution • Advances in technology, chemistry, and engineering • Scientists such as Thomas Huxley—confident humans could figure out the laws of the physical universe early microscope

The March of the Mind Questions and Doubts Some Victorian writers. . . • asked whether material comfort was enough • protested or mocked codes of decorum • questioned whether the natural world really made sense A. E. Housman

The March of the Mind Charles Dickens—most popular Victorian writer • Depicted abused and exploited people • Attacked superficiality and excesses of Victorian affluence • Raised questions about the costs of progress Scene from Oliver Twist

What Have You Learned? Choose the word that correctly completes the sentence. 1. In general, most Victorians valued _____. a. progress b. decorum c. order d. all of the above 2. _____ was an authority on public health. a. Florence Nightingale a. b. Octavia Hill c. Queen Victoria 3. The most popular Victorian writer was _____. a. Hardy b. b. Dickens c. Housman

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