Scarica Victoria's Reign: Prosperity, Reform & Expansion in 19th Century Britain e più Dispense in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! 1760-1820 George III 1811-1820 Regency -> George IV 1820-1830 1830-1837 William IV 1837-1901 Queen Victoria She was the daughter of George III’s fourth son. She was born in 1819 in the middle of a succession crisis (because there were no heirs). She ascended the throne in 1837 at the age of 18. She died in 1901 after 64 years of reign. She married Albert, her cousin, in 1840 and they had 9 children. Albert died in 1861 when he was only 42 years old, and Victoria built the Albert Memorial in his memory. The Victorian age was a period of prosperity, scientific, industrial and technological advances, an expansion of the British Empire, but also a period of poverty, overcrowding and vice. When Victoria was born, she was fifth in line for the crown, after her uncles failed to have children. She was inexperienced at first, but found support in her Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne. She restored the reputation of the monarchy and shaped a new role for the Royal family, reconnecting it with the public. Early Victorian Age Victoria was a beloved by the people thanks to her moral behaviour and strict code of rules, values. She ruled constitutionally, that is she didn’t overrule the Parliament and she was a mediator above political parties. The first 40 years of Victoria’s reign were marked by optimism, prosperity and stability. Social reforms In 1851 the urban population exceeded the rural one for the first time in British history. At the same time there was great urban poverty and social injustice. As a consequence, discontent grew. In 1847 the Parliament approved the Ten Hours Act, which limited the working hours to 10 a day. Discontent among the workers gave birth to the Chartism (or Chartist Movement, the first mass movement driven by the working class), a movement which asked for social reforms and the extension of the right to vote to all male adults. They presented a petition, “The People’s Charter”. They didn’t succeed, but they opened the way to 2 Reform Bills (1867, 1884) which extended the vote first to the workers in towns, then to the workers in mines and agriculture. In 1870 the Education Act was passed: elementary education was now compulsory. Political parties The main political parties were the Liberals (ex Whigs) and the Conservatives (ex Tories). The Liberals promoted the free trade and wanted to revocate the Corn Laws. Corn laws were tariffs on imported corn, which kept the price of corn (ex. bread) artificially high. Corn Laws were repealed in 1846. This event signalled the transformation of Britain from an agricultural to an industrial economy, based on capital and free trade. Foreign policy In this period, the Empire had economic, political and military success. Victorians were convinced that it was their moral duty to export their language, culture and traditions to the uncivilised lands of the colonies. The main purpose of the imperial expansion was commercial: to have access to raw materials and to conquer new markets; the colonies also represented an opportunity to escape poor living conditions in Britain. To protect its trade, Britain fought: - the Opium War against China (1839-1842). Britain won and gained the control over Hong Kong and Shanghai; - the Crimean War (1854-1856): Britain and France allied with the Turks to stop the Russian advance towards Constantinople. It was a strategic position because of the Dardanelles, the strait which connected the Black Sea to the Mediterranean and it was the shortest access to India; - the Indian mutiny (1857): it was a rebellion of native soldiers against their British commanders; the revolt was suppressed. India was called “the jewel in the crown” and Victoria was crowned Empress of India in 1876. 1851, the Great Exhibition The age of optimism culminated in the Great Exhibition in 1851. It was the first international exhibition in the world, where goods from the colonies and Britain were exposed. It was housed in the Crystal Palace: the first building entirely made of iron and glass. The goal was to show Britain’s power of industry and technology. The profits were
