The Victorian Period: A Journey into the Time of Change

 The Victorian Period: A Journey into the Time of Change

The era spanned from 1837 to 1901 and was named after Queen Victoria, who reigned over the United Kingdom during this period. The Victorian Period was a period of significant social, economic and technological change in Britain. Due to the impact of industrialism, the wealth level increased in Britain, and London became the most important city in Europe. The population of London increased by roughly 2 to 6 million. Furthermore, we can observe that shift from the ownership of the land to the modern urban economy. However, in the Victorian era, people experienced anxiety due to a sense of being displaced individuals in an age of technological advances.

 

Queen Victoria

From 1837-1901, Queen Victoria was ruler of England. We can define this period as an age of “transition”, and an age characterized by energy and high moral purpose. We need to pay attention to certain qualities associated with the “Victorian Era” such as earnestness moral responsibility, and domestic property. Victoria, as a young wife and mother to nine children, exemplified the domestic loyalties cherished by her citizens. Even in the four decades that followed her husband's passing in 1861, she continued to represent these values as the Widow of Windsor, donning black attire. She was the first British monarch to have her picture taken. The accessibility and affordability of reproducing these images helped her effectively represent her country's identity during her reign. After Queen Victoria's death, there was a reaction that sought to question many achievements of the previous era. This reinforced the idea that the Victorian age was truly distinct and separate in history.

The Early Victorian Period (1830-1848)

In 1830, as wealth levels increased, the Liverpool and Manchester Railway opened, marking the world's first public railway line. Within 20 years, railway lines connected England's major cities. By 1900, England boasted 15,195 miles of railway lines and an underground rail system that facilitated the growth of commerce and reduced distances. The Reform Bill of 1823 altered the English class and social structure and extended the right to vote for all males, owing to property. The second Reform Bill was enacted in 1867, it extended the right to vote working class. The challenges faced in both the economic and social aspects during the process of industrialization were so significant that the period between the 1830s and 1840s came to be known as the Time of Troubles. Between 1830 and 1840. We come across The Time of Troubles in which unemployment and poverty broke out. It brought about rebellions. For the working class, particularly children and women, conditions were terrible. The mine and factory owners saw themselves as free from any blame for these conditions, as they strongly believed in the laissez-faire economic theory. This theory held that unregulated working conditions would eventually benefit all parties involved. This Time of Troubles left its mark on some early Victorian literature.

The Mid-Victorian Period (1830’s and 1830’s)

This period was a time of prosperity, improvement, stability, and optimism. In 1881, Prince Albert opened the 'Great Exhibition' in Hyde Park. Furthermore, the Crystal Palace, built according to modern architectural principles, symbolized the triumphs of the Victorian industry. The immigration movement increased to British colonies between 1853 and 1880. In 1857, the British government took over India, and Queen Victoria became Empress of India. As a result, Christianity spread in India, Africa, and Asia. The evangelical movement emphasized the spiritual transformation of the individual through conversion and a moral Christian life. The High Church defended the importance of tradition, ritual, and authority. The Broad Church was open to modern ideas. At the same time that the British missionary enterprise was expanding, there was increasing debate about religious belief. During the mid-Victorian era, the Church of England underwent significant changes and came to be characterized by three main factions: The Evangelical Church, the Broad Church, and the High Church.

·         The Evangelical movement emphasized the spiritual transformation of the individual through conversion and a moral Christian life.

·         The High Church defended the importance of tradition, ritual, and authority.

·         The Broad Church was open to modern ideas.

Some rationalist challenges to religious belief that developed before the Victorian period maintained their influence. The most significant was Utilitarianism, also known as Benthamism or Philosophical Radicalism. Utilitarianism derived from the thought of Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and his disciple, James Mill (1773-1836), the father of John Stuart Mill. It failed to recognize people's spirituality. It was a rationalist test of value. During the mid-Victorian era, the field of biology pushed humanity even deeper into insignificance. Charles Darwin's influential work, The Origin of Species (1859), was met with various interpretations by the general public. While some mistakenly believed that evolution meant continuous progress, the majority of readers understood that Darwin's theory of natural selection not only contradicted the biblical notion of creation but also challenged long-standing beliefs about humanity's unique position in the world.

 

The Late Victorian Period (1870-1901)

The last phase of the Victorian Age is more difficult to categorize, for there are a lot of issues to impact this period. Bismarck’s Germany and the United States became rival powers. The decay of Victorian values brought about new ideas and lifestyles. For lots of affluent Victorians, this final phase of the century was a time of serenity and security, the age of house parties and long weekends in the country. During the last decades of the century, British imperialism reached its peak. However, the true price of maintaining the empire became more evident through uprisings, brutal incidents, and unsuccessful military campaigns. Examples include the Indian Mutiny of 1857 and the Jamaica Rebellion of 1865. Under the leadership of Disraeli, in 1867, a second Reform Bill was successfully enacted. This bill expanded the voting rights to certain segments of the working class. This, along with the subsequent growth of trade unions, established labour as a formidable political entity that encompassed various forms of socialism. Due to severe economic depressions in 1873 and 1874, the rate of emigration increased to an alarming extent. Another change in the mid-Victorian balance of power was the growth of labour as a political and economic force. The literature of this final phase of Victorianism indicates a significant shift in attitudes. Late Victorian writers took a stand against the major mid-Victorian figures to express the change. The nineties, in this era, aesthetic movement started and the works, which were written in the term, reflected melancholy. Furthermore, in literature, the modern movement started. Of course, the changes were not in evidence everywhere. Victorian standards were breaking down on several fronts.