Concetti Chiave
- The Victorian Age, named after Queen Victoria, was marked by stability and progress, but also faced significant issues like poverty and social unrest.
- The era is considered to have started in 1832 with the First Reform Act, which extended voting rights to the middle class.
- Social reforms included the Factory Act limiting child labor and the Ten Hours’ Act, which capped the workday at ten hours for all workers.
- The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 created workhouses, providing shelter and food in exchange for labor from the poor.
- Utilitarianism, proposed by Jeremy Bentham, promoted actions for the greatest happiness, but often justified exploitation of vulnerable groups.
The Victorian Age takes its name from Queen Victoria who ruled from 1837 to 1901; it was a complex era characterised by stability, progress and social reforms, and, in the meantime, by great problems such as poverty, injustice and social unrest. However, the Victorian age is considered to have begun in 1832 with the First Reform Act, which gave the vote to the middle class.
What are Social Reforms and Labor Laws?
The Factory Act prevented children from being employed more than 48 hours a week (they were exploited in factories because they could perform function that adult cannot, since they were more able and smaller). The Ten Hours’ Act impose the limit of ten hours a day for all workers. The Poor Law Amendment Act (1834) established the workhouses, an institution where the poor have board and lodging in change of labour. The Second Reform Act (1867) gave the vote to worker. The Great Exhibition in the Crystal Palace in 1851 demonstrate the innovation, there was goods coming from all the Empire. The Third Reform Act (1884) granted the right to vote to all male householders.
Utilitarianism and Justification of Exploitation
UTILITARIANISM is the theory of Jeremy Bentham, who proposed all action should be directed toward achieving the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. These mean that the value of a thing or an action is determined by its utility. Actually, it is a justification of the exploitation of the poor, especially of children and women.
Domande da interrogazione
- What significant changes did the Victorian Age bring in terms of voting rights?
- How did labor laws evolve during the Victorian Age to address exploitation?
The Victorian Age saw major reforms in voting rights, beginning with the First Reform Act in 1832, which extended the vote to the middle class. The Second Reform Act in 1867 further expanded voting rights to workers, and the Third Reform Act in 1884 granted the right to vote to all male householders.
Labor laws during the Victorian Age evolved to protect workers from exploitation. The Factory Act limited children's work hours to 48 per week, and the Ten Hours' Act restricted all workers to a maximum of ten hours a day. These reforms aimed to improve working conditions and reduce exploitation.
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