The victorian age

The Victorian age

The Victorian age spanned 100 years, with 63 of those under the reign of Queen Victoria. It was one of the most interesting periods, with today's England being very similar to the Victorian era. It was a time of great evolution and complexity, with England as the world's foremost power. Queen Victoria, a symbol of the nation, was the niece of William IV and had the longest reign. Becoming queen at 18, she bore great responsibility and evoked great sympathy from her people, similar to Queen Elizabeth I, the "Virgin Queen".

Regno di Queen Victoria

The Victorian era is considered one of the most important periods in the history of the United Kingdom, alongside the Elizabethan age. In 1840, Queen Victoria married her cousin, Prince Albert, and she became a model of a wife and mother. Her private life was made public to project a positive family image, encouraging people to have children. "Optimism" was a keyword of the era, with the "Angel of the House" referring to the woman's role in maintaining the household warmth, believing they controlled the family.

Tragedie e crisi

Queen Victoria experienced depression after Albert's death. Albert was blamed for the potato famine, also known as "the great Irish famine," which resulted in over one million deaths. In 1851, The Great Exhibition was held in London, invented by Albert. In 1876, Victoria was crowned Empress of India, the largest British colony.

Eventi significativi e riforme

• 1887: Golden Jubilee (50 years of reign).
• 1897: Diamond Jubilee (60 years of reign).
• The first national dish during the Victorian era was curry.
• 1845-1852: Potato famine in Ireland.
• 1829: Catholic Emancipation Act (first formal reform).
• 1832 and 1867: Reform Acts (electoral reforms that changed the country).

The country was reformist, with violence present in the colonies, as depicted in Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness". The focus shifted towards other "positive aspects" of the country. Cities grew larger, but the parliament consisted mainly of landowners who didn't "know" factory conditions. There was an increase in men within the English parliament.

Le città e la società

The Victorian age was from 1815 to 1914. On June 18, 1815, the Battle of Waterloo ended a turbulent period through the efforts of the English. The Congress of Vienna took place from 1814 to 1815, and by 1914, England was engulfed in warfare, aided by "technologies". The countryside was characterized by agricultural and aristocratic culture, while the city embraced industrial and bourgeois culture. Society was hypocritical, with the East End being the district of "Jack the Ripper". London was a city of great excess (which is still true today), with a strong, rich nature. It was a country in constant evolution, with cities having a perverse charm for modernity.

Cultura e letteratura

Three blocks of the Victorian era include:

• 1850: Early Victorian culture (a period of uncertainty).
• 1850-1870: Mid/high Victorian culture (capitalist society with social problems).
• 1914: Late Victorian culture (doubts, emergence of Trade Unions, classist society).

The bourgeois class was dedicated to work, a trait stemming from the era of Oliver Cromwell, resembling a kind of dictatorship. The last phase of the Victorian era was characterized by doubt, with foreign and internal policies of the country illustrating a battle between the new (doubts) and the old/ancient (certainties). Victorian literature and society were bourgeois, with Charles Dickens portraying stories of poor children who aspired to a family, a home, and an income.

Demografia e sviluppo

The concept of the anonymous mass was linked to the numbers of the English population, showing a significant demographic explosion. The Irish famine led to migration, including from Eastern Europe. There was a development of science and a demographic boost also attributable to the royal model.

Struttura sociale

Social structure during this period included the Royal Family, Aristocracy, Gentry/Upper Middle Class, Lower Middle Class, Lower Orders/Working Class, and the poor. The English aristocracy was liberal and capable of renewal, different from the Italian one, being rooted in the countryside, educated, open to technologies, and often in conflict with the monarchy. The gentry was a wealthy class with a precise educational background, while the upper middle class managed the country's power.