Scarica L'era Vittoriana in Inghilterra e più Appunti in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! Victoria went to the throne in 1837 when his uncle (William IV) died. It is the beginning of her era She was helped by the prime minister Gladstone during her early Reign. This period is important because the government published the reform bills: 1832- vote to the main middle class (men) 1867- gave vote to worker (employee) in the town (men) 1884- gave vote to worker in fields and in agriculture (men) In this period, we have free trade: a change of economy in England→ before, we had control of the economy led by LANDOWNERS; but now, in V.A. We have a capitalistic economy + industrial revolution. Landowners received a lot of money thanks to the Corn Law which obliged to pay a fee (tax) on corn to make bread from it. 1846: This law has been abolished, marking the beginning of a new capitalistic economy based on free trade industries and factories (On employees). We have two leading parties in Parliament, whigs (liberal) and tories (conservative). Social problems: population of england grew extraordinarily Innovation of the medical and technological knowledge: ● economic growth ● demographic growth ● Explorations all over the world 19th centuries is connected with: ● Protestant work ethic: they withdrew from mundane life and preferred to pray and worked to their sins delivered → productive ● Family value→ only the father had authority over the other family members, the angel of the hearth is the mother, who knows how to behave and all about how to grow a family. She is faithful, silent, kind and fair (English Rose) ● Religious observations, institution of faith Historical context: 1. Early V.A. → 1820-1870 a. Empire is growing with rich culture, stable government, insutrialization and growing population that is mainly composed by the working class b. Abolishment of slavery 1832 (in British Empire) 2. Late V.A.--> 1870-1914 a. Aggressive expansion | Colonialism: Britain took over Africa (Egypt, sudan and kenya) b. Decline of global political and economical power c. Beginning of anti-colonial movements (“decolonizing the mind”); d. New technologies: Railways, telegraph e. Ended in 1914 with the beginning of WWI f. Before this decline, B.E. was the most powerful empire in the world AN AGE OF OPTIMISM AND CONTRASTS The years of optimism First four decades→ optimism, prosperity and stability → Thought: The social costs would be solved All people benefit from industrialization The middle class benefited the most Wealth and poverty Lower class→ terrible hygienic and economic conditions Upper and middle class→ thanks to commerce, industry and colonial expansion → Wealth, status and comfort Poverty→ a crime, debtors in prison Wealth→ symbol of respectability Evangelicalism derived from methodism→ Founded to reform the church of england Themes: social reform and human welfare People: William Wilberforce→ Campaign for the abolition of slavery Movement: Deeply moralistic and puritan Moral code of middle class: Hard work and individualism Worker also good christian Pag.19-21 She thought they were doing something good, as good puritans. Here began the white man's superiority. They need to impose education. India: Britain brought their language and it was found out that a very ancient language spoken in India was very similar to our European languages. a kind of empire was taking place THEY HAD A LOT OF PLANTATION AND IT WAS CHEAPER TO GET COTTON FROM THEM. ALSO BRITAIN HAS COTTON AND THEY OBLIGED INDIA TO BUY MANDATORILY THE COTTON BY MANCHESTER the Indian aristocracy started to speak a sort of english, hinguish. honor VICTORIAN AGE The first four decades of Victoria’s reign were marked by optimism, prosperity and stability. While the rapid growth of industrial towns led to the emergence of slums where the poor lived in terrible hygienic and economic conditions. Wealth and poverty were even considered indicators of moral value: - poverty: crime - wealthy: attempt to distinguish themselves from the lower level of society by conforming to rigid standards of respectability, virtue, ethics and religion Evangelicalism was the religion in Victorian’s years. Evangelicals were deeply committed to social reform and human welfare. The movement of William Wilberforce was moralistic and puritanical and embodied the moral code of the middle class. Utilitarianism was a materialistic philosophy, the founder was Jeremy Bentham he supported
