The Victorian Era: Reforms, Expansion, and Economic and Social Progress

What was the rise of Queen Victoria?

In 1837 Queen Victoria come to the throne when she was just 18 years old. In this period were made a lot of laws to find stability and to avoid political revolutions: social and economical reforms were made.Working hours was limited to ten. Poor families had the support of institutions and poor people helped each other. Religion had a strong power during the early Victorian age: it encouraged study and alcohol abstinence. A very important instrument became the newspaper, that was the centre of information for all people poor and rich. The estate wa able to avoid a revolution because there was a situation of stability but the working classes asked for more rights like the vote for all adult males. Travel and communications were revolutioned.

Colonial Expansion and Challenges

In this period Britain was competing with other countries for the colonization in Africa, it won some wars in south Africa but the control of the colonies was becoming very difficult for queen Victoria.
Anyway it was a period of economic and social boom:a lot of museums,libraries, buildings and railway station were built but also police stations and prisons. Industrialization brought Britain to be the first economic power of the world. Woman obtained more rights but their life remained restricted to the domestic life. Then telephone and telegraph were invented. With the progress of these years started the conflict between the religious faith and scientific discovery.