The Victorian Period: 1832–1901Introduction to the Literary Period

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?

Feature Menu

The Victorian Period: 1832–1901

1832–1848Riots and Reforms

1800sSociety of Propriety

1848–1870Prosperity

1800sMarch of the Mind

Choose a link on the time line to go to a milestone.

18501800 1900

1837–1901Reign of Queen Victoria

Reign of Queen Victoria

Victoria Brought Respect to the Throne

• Worked hard to ensure the welfare of her people

• Married her cousin, Prince Albert, the love of her life

• Became symbolic rather than political ruler, ensuring continuation of monarchy

• 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

• Severe economic depression

• High unemployment

• Soaring bread prices

• Poor working and living conditions

• Cities filthy, polluted, disorderly

• Potato famine in Ireland

Riots and Reforms

In the 1840s . . .

• Parliament repeals tax on imported grains; price of bread drops

• reform bills passed to extend vote, improve conditions

• 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

Riots and Reforms

• Limited child labor

The Reform Bills

• Eventually extended vote to almost all adult males

• Established state-supported schools

• Reduced working day to ten hours

Riots and Reforms

Women in the Reform Movement

Octavia Hill• Authority on housing reform• Founded National Trust

(protected historic landmarks)

Florence Nightingale• Army nurse• Authority on public health

• Improved hospitals

Octavia Hill

Florence Nightingale

Prosperity

1848–1870

Improved nutrition—meat and fruit available to working class people

Drop in food prices—due to increased trade with other countries, growth of empire

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

• Greater understanding of earth, its creatures, and natural laws

Progress in Science

The March of the Mind

• Darwin and the 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

Questions and Doubts

The March of the Mind

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

Charles Dickens—most popular Victorian writer

The March of the Mind

• Depicted abused and exploited people

• Attacked superficiality and excesses of Victorian affluence

• Raised questions about the costs of progress

Scene from Oliver Twist

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 b. Octavia Hill

c. Queen Victoria

3. The most popular Victorian writer was _____.

a. Hardy b. Dickens c. Housman

What Have You Learned?

Choose the word that correctly completes the sentence.

d. all of the above

a. Florence Nightingale

b. Dickens

END