The Victorian Era

Victorian Period Time of Turbulent change Continuation of the romantic movement in a more

subdued matter. Other major issues include science, women, poverty,

immigration, labour unrest, reform Moving from primarily rural, agricultural society with

landed aristocracy to urban industrial society with large-scale employers or capitalist By mid-nineteenth century, half of the English people lived in

cities, and by the end of the century, the same was true of other European countries.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century there were scarcely two dozen cities in Europe with a population of 100,000, but by 1900 there were more than 150 cities of this size.

Science Era of immense growth in scientific knowledge and

technology – the steam engine, the factory, the train, the telegraph – immense advances in travel and communication.

Source of immense conflict and differences of opinion Some see science leading to a technological utopia of peace

and prosperity for all Others see it as leading to the downfall and even the annihilation

of humankind. Continuing conflict between science and religion

(Darwinism). “The Death of God.” Creates both opportunity and problems, immense wealth

and unimaginable poverty

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution may be defined as the

application of power-driven machinery to manufacturing.

Called revolution because the change was rapid Destroyed home/small scale industry, crafts,

guilds, and peasant farmer Often skilled artisans found themselves

degraded to routine process labourers as machines began to mass produce the products formerly made by hand.

Laissez Faire Economics French for “Allow to do.” Policy based of minimum of

governmental interference in the economic affairs.

An individual, pursuing his/her own desired ends, would achieve the best results for the society.

Free Trade. Zero regulation on business. Adam Smith was influential

proponent.

Working Conditions Large supply of labour

Employers had no incentive to look out for the employees' safety or health. 

If one worker was injured he or she was easily replaced.

Long hours Factory labourers endured

sixteen hour work days Low wages

Child Labour Children expected to contribute

to the family's income as they had in an agricultural economy.

Children as young as five or six were sent to work in factories and mines in the early years of the century.

Children were placed under the supervision of an overseer rather than a parent. 

Worker’s Testimony: Matthew Crabtree was interviewed by Michael Sadler and his House ofCommons

Committee on 18th May, 1832. Question: At what age did you first go to work in a factory?

Answer: Eight.

Question: Will you state the hours of labour?Answer: From six in the morning to eight at night.

Question: Will you state to this committee whether piecening is a very laborious employment for children?

Answer: It is very laborious employment; pieceners are continually running to and fro, and on their feet the whole day. It is commonly very difficult to keep up with the work.

Question: State the condition of the children towards the latter part of the day.Answer: Towards the close of the day, when they come to be more

fatigued, they cannot keep up very well and they are beaten to spur them on.

Question: What were you beaten with? Answer: A strap.

Worker’s Testimony: Hannah Brown Question: How early did you begin to work in mills?

Answer: At nine years old.

Question: What hours did you work?Answer: I began at six o'clock, and worked till nine at

night.

Question: What time was allowed for your meals?Answer: No, none at all.

Question: Has Mr. Ackroyd ever chastised you in any way? Answer: Yes; he has taken hold of my hair and my

ear, and pulled me, and just given me a bit of a shock, more than once.

Living Conditions In factory towns, workers

lived in hastily built tenements. lack of good brick no building codes the lack of machinery for

public sanitation. factory owners' tendency to

regard labourers as commodities and not as a group of human beings.

The Labour Movement Poor living and working

conditions lead to labour unrest, strikes and unions.

Police and, occasionally, the army support owners and work to break strikes.

Sometimes leading to violence.

Crime and Punishment Young people were sent to a

Reformatory School for long periods -several years.

The long sentences were designed to break the child away from the "bad influences" of home and environment.

The Head of Redhill Reformatory was the Reverend Sydney Turner.

He explained his approach to punishment: "a few days in unheated cells on a bread and water diet and whipping them with as much solemnity and form as possible."

Crime and Punishment There was a huge treadwheel in Coldbath Fields Prison.

This was used to drive a flour mill.

The work on the treadwheel was to hold on to a bar and walk up the wheel.

You did ten minutes on and five off, for eight hours.

Picking oakum was separating threads out of disused ropes. This was then sold for making string or stuffing mattresses, hence the expression "Money for old rope."

Crime and Punishment

Picking oakum