There are a few clearly marked periods of western history that make fascinating study. Think about the Roman Empire, for example, or the Middle Ages. One closer to home is the Victorian era, spanning the long life of Britain's great Queen Victoria. This complex period was one of extreme contrasts, with wealth and unlimited opportunity for many and dire, inescapable poverty for others. It was truly the beginning of modern history and therefore well worth the attention of us today.
Today Victorian is often known mainly as a description of housing styles - large single family homes with gables and towers, deep porches trimmed with gingerbread, and stained glass. The same Gothic influence shaped architecture, literature, and art.
World trade expanded under the British Empire, the railroads opened markets to entire countries, and the middle class arose as the foundation of society. Romantic ideals flourished, but so did the stark realities of working class poverty and despair. Some children led sheltered lives in secure families where Father brought home the bacon, while others labored long hours in mills, mines, and factories where workers started as young as four years old.
People lived lavishly while others starved. The English population exploded while Ireland lost millions to famine and emigration. Factories enticed the young people from the farmlands of England and America. Scientists discovered new laws of physics, the New World gave up its secrets to naturalists, and steel and glass dominated the Great Exhibition of 1851.
Although this period is seen as morally strict, this perception is flawed. Family life was paramount to the Queen, and social rules were rigid. However, gambling, prostitution, and drinking were rampant, giving rise to great reform movements of prohibition and evangelism. Romanticism held sway in art and drama, but realism was coming into its own. Photography started during this era, as did psychiatry.
Human nature began to be taken as more 'natural' than religion. Prosperity was seen as a right for the upper and middle classes, while the poverty of those lower on the social scale were seen by many as inevitable. Industry was considered the hope of the future, and it's ill effects taken as 'the cost of doing business'. However, giants in the newspaper industry and great novelists chronicled the plight of the poor and sought to change it.
Many recognize the period architecture, where the Gothic influence became increasingly evident. Those who drive west across America can see how the colonial style of the east gives way to gables and towers of homes reflecting the value placed on family life and keeping up with the neighbors. In England, the spa resorts were showcases for the wealth of both high society and rich merchants. The importance of sea air and mineral waters brought thousands to the seashore each season.
Politics, with all the social programs of today, show the influence of the 19th century progress and problems. Government was never before seen as either a balance for a nation's wealth or an answer to its needs. We need to understand what began this movement and see how it has worked in the days since to make wise decisions for the future.
Today Victorian is often known mainly as a description of housing styles - large single family homes with gables and towers, deep porches trimmed with gingerbread, and stained glass. The same Gothic influence shaped architecture, literature, and art.
World trade expanded under the British Empire, the railroads opened markets to entire countries, and the middle class arose as the foundation of society. Romantic ideals flourished, but so did the stark realities of working class poverty and despair. Some children led sheltered lives in secure families where Father brought home the bacon, while others labored long hours in mills, mines, and factories where workers started as young as four years old.
People lived lavishly while others starved. The English population exploded while Ireland lost millions to famine and emigration. Factories enticed the young people from the farmlands of England and America. Scientists discovered new laws of physics, the New World gave up its secrets to naturalists, and steel and glass dominated the Great Exhibition of 1851.
Although this period is seen as morally strict, this perception is flawed. Family life was paramount to the Queen, and social rules were rigid. However, gambling, prostitution, and drinking were rampant, giving rise to great reform movements of prohibition and evangelism. Romanticism held sway in art and drama, but realism was coming into its own. Photography started during this era, as did psychiatry.
Human nature began to be taken as more 'natural' than religion. Prosperity was seen as a right for the upper and middle classes, while the poverty of those lower on the social scale were seen by many as inevitable. Industry was considered the hope of the future, and it's ill effects taken as 'the cost of doing business'. However, giants in the newspaper industry and great novelists chronicled the plight of the poor and sought to change it.
Many recognize the period architecture, where the Gothic influence became increasingly evident. Those who drive west across America can see how the colonial style of the east gives way to gables and towers of homes reflecting the value placed on family life and keeping up with the neighbors. In England, the spa resorts were showcases for the wealth of both high society and rich merchants. The importance of sea air and mineral waters brought thousands to the seashore each season.
Politics, with all the social programs of today, show the influence of the 19th century progress and problems. Government was never before seen as either a balance for a nation's wealth or an answer to its needs. We need to understand what began this movement and see how it has worked in the days since to make wise decisions for the future.
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