Scarica L'Età Vittoriana (1837-1901) e più Appunti in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! THE VICTORIAN AGE (1837-1901) 64 years (Victoria/Edward VII) Divided in 3 periods: 1. EARLY VICTORIANISM (1837-1850) gradual democratization of government and society; period of prestige and prosperity (free trade and reforms); peace and happiness (optimism). 2. MID – VICTORIANISM (1850-1870) Great Exhibition (1851), even more prestigious than the previous period. Industrial and naval power, natural resources, financial stability, reform and a strict moral code. 3. LATE VICTORIANISM (1870-1901) decline. Britain’s supremacy was challenged by new aggressive nationalism and new political, economic and social forces (Trade Unions, Suffragette movement). Liberalism replaced by liberal socialism. Optimism declined towards pessimism. PERIOD OF GREAT CHANGES 1. DEMOGRATIC GROWTH increase in population since it was a period of peace and social conditions improved due to social reforms. 2. SOCIAL CHANGES triumph of the middle class due to the 3 Reform Bills and free trade. 3. ECONOMIC CHANGES it definitely turned from an agricultural into an industrial country (Reform Bills). 4. ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES from rural to industrial, from beauty to ugliness, pollution and overcrowded towns. 5. RELIGIOUS CHANGES more freedom to Catholics. 6. EMPIRE India Africa HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Domestic policy Foreign policy DOMESTIC POLICY 1837 Queen Victoria came to the throne at the age of 18 Economic crisis 1838 – 1848 Chartist movement: a working class movement which demanded social reforms. It failed (because it was immature) but paved the way to a season of reforms. 1846 repeal of the corn laws. Victory for industrial interests against the agricultural landowners. corn laws imposed tariffs on imported corn, keeping the price of bread artificially high to protect the landed interests. 1851 Great Exhibition of London at Crystal Palace: extraordinary event which illustrated the progress of the country (mechanical, engineering, textiles, shipbuilding and coal mining). Impulse to British foreign trade. Wealth, prosperity, self-satisfaction, pride. 1867 Second Reform Bill: there was an alternation of Liberals (formal Whigs) and Conservatives (formal Tories) Prime Ministers. The Liberals passed the Second Reform Bill which gave the right to the vote to the town labourers. 1870 Education Act: elementary education became compulsory and free. 1875 Trade Union Act: gave legality and status to the Trade Unions and confirmed the right to strike. 1884 Third Reform Bill: it extended the vote to all male electors; many representatives of the working class could enter the House of Commons. 1886 Irish Home Rule bill: rejected, leaving Ireland a source of unrest. 1893 Independent Labour party was formed. Social achievement and reforms: Mines act (1842) prohibited women and children in mines. Ten hours Act (1847) limited working hours to ten a day for men and women in textile factories. Factory Acts which extended the ten hours act to the other industries. Emancipation of all religious sects (1871) Catholics could enter Oxford and Cambridge and work in government jobs. FOREIGN POLICY the Victorian Age was mainly a period of peace. Britain was engaged in two wars. 1853 – 1856 the Crimean War Turkey vs Russia to have a seaport in the Mediterranean Sea. France and England sided with Turkey declaring war to Russia. The war ended with the Treaty of Paris (1856) a great diplomatic success but the war revealed the lack of organisation of the English Command. 1876 Queen Victoria named Empress of India the great British colonial empire took its final form. - The East India Company was abolished and England took the control of India including present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh. - British imperialistic spirit found its great embodiment in Africa. - The penetration into Africa was favoured by the building of the Suez Canal (opened in 1869). 1899 – 1902 Boer War: Boers were pioneers, mainly Dutch and German who founded the independent republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free state. Boer War economic reasons (gold and diamonds mines). The conflict finished with the defeat of the Boers. Only in 1906 was self-government granted and 4 colonies (2 Boer and 2 British) were united to form the union of South Africa. Victorian social background: The Victorian society was characterized by rigid stratification. - The upper class was still represented by the old aristocracy and at the beginning of the 15 th century held major political power even if the middle class was gaining more and more power. - The first Reform Bill of 1832 reorganised the right of vote to the property owners so the middle class started to challenge the old aristocracy. - The working class, instead, remained excluded from the political process and grew hostile towards the upper class. Thanks to the social reforms passed by the parliament the middle class expanded covering a broad spectrum of professionals. It soon became divided into three sub-strata:
