Victorian Era Facts & Worksheets

SOCIETY AND CULTURE

• During the Victorian era, there were significant societal changes, particularly in terms of class and geographical separation. During this time period, the Industrial Revolution had a huge impact on society because it not only changed the economic structure but also caused changes in social stratification. 
• The expansion of the middle class was a prominent phenomenon observed throughout the Victorian era, mostly attributable to the proliferation of employment prospects in domains such as industrial management and trade-related endeavours. 
• Significant socio-economic changes occurred in the United Kingdom throughout the Victorian era, particularly in terms of class and geographical division. The Industrial Revolution had a major impact on society during this time period since it not only affected the economic structure but also produced changes in social stratification. 
• Regional disparities were also notable, as the southern region of England, particularly London, experienced increased prosperity as a result of the clustering of businesses and industries in that area. In contrast, the northern region and Wales, which heavily relied on old industries such as coal and steel, encountered economic stagnation.
• From these class and regional divisions, it can be seen that there was a notable contrast between prosperity and poverty during the Victorian era. The process of industrialisation resulted in substantial accumulation of wealth, particularly in the southern region of England, giving rise to a discernibly affluent middle and upper socio-economic stratum. 
• There was a significant prevalence of poverty in addition to the prevalent affluence. The poor were largely concentrated in rural and urban working-class communities, with a noticeable concentration in the North’s industrialised districts.
• People in the upper classes led extraordinarily affluent lives during the Victorian era, and they frequently flaunted their wealth by hosting lavish parties and beautifying their mansions. The impoverished people, on the other hand, had to deal with harsh living and working conditions. 

RULING ELITES

• The ruling elites wielded considerable power throughout Victorian Britain’s political systems. They had tremendous political power and were mostly made up of landed nobility, royalty and wealthy business elites.
• Despite a growing electorate, the ruling elites maintained their influence and authority during the Victorian era. Political authority was primarily concentrated among the nobles and gentry, who had owned land for centuries. They constituted a disproportionately big block in Parliament, ensuring that their concerns were prioritised.
• Swift industrialisation brought a new class of wealthy industrialists and merchants, often referred to as ‘new money’. Many from this group managed to successfully enter the political arena, but their acceptance among the traditional elites was gradual and often fraught with tension.
• The ruling elites significantly shaped Victorian Britain’s political, socio-economic and cultural landscapes. Their actions and decisions amid a rapidly changing society played a crucial role in shaping modern British democracy.

WORKING CLASS

• The working class was made up of unskilled labourers who were subjected to harsh and unclean working conditions. They lacked access to clean water, food, education, and suitable clothing for their children. They frequently lived on the streets and were far from available employment, so they had to walk to get where they needed to go. Unfortunately, many workers turned to substances such as opium and alcohol to cope with their troubles.

UNDERCLASS

• The Underclass consisted of persons who were powerless and relied on the assistance of others. The destitute and orphaned children relied on donations to survive. Some untrained women who couldn’t find work became prostitutes to make ends meet. Because they were highly contentious, Parliament decided to pass the Contagious Diseases Act (1864, 1866 and 1869), which permitted prostitution in garrison towns but required women to be forcibly examined for infections. The measure was intended to protect men from disease transmission, not women from injury.

CHILD LABOUR

• There was an early baby boom during the Victorian era, which resulted in an increase in population and the growth of industrialisation. As England developed as a society, there was a larger demand for labour from adults and children. 
• Children worked as coal miners, chimney sweepers, farm workers and domestic staff. Because the Industrial Revolution invented the railway, some youngsters were forced to work as railway workers.
• Child labour became a major issue in the early 1800s due to the upper class’s failure to improve working conditions. Because the affluent encouraged the government to spend on luxury rather than promote labourer protection, many children suffered at work. Coal mines were the most brutal places for children to work. Children were forced to work 12 to 18 hours a day in mines plagued with rodents and sickness, with little ventilation. Because of the difficult working conditions, there was an upsurge in mine disasters/casualties.

CHILD CARE

• As the population grew, the term illegitimacy became widespread in English society. Due to poverty and unstable marriages, many parents, particularly those from the lower classes, were unable to maintain and account for their children. 
• It was also common for people to have children outside of marriage. A child was labelled a bastard if the male would abandon all support and care of the child to the mother.
• Bastardy became a problem for children, resulting in an unstable family environment and, more crucially, limiting fair access to education. As a result, the Bastardy Clause was adopted to provide relief for illegitimate children. However, it increased children’s illegitimacy.
• The Bastardy Clause, commonly known as the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, forbade parishes from assisting unwed mothers. The rule forced women and children without fathers to enter workhouses, which earned them a bad reputation. Some individuals, however, supported the bill since it would provide food and clothing to the needy and schooling for children.
• Because poor women could not afford to sustain their children, the majority decided to work as servants and live in the homes of their employers without their children. 
• Mothers were motivated to continue working in the city since the salaries were higher, but chose to raise their children in villages and towns with strangers where conditions were safer. 
• Unfortunately, this type of desertion resulted in worsening child treatment and protracted child labour.

WORKHOUSES

• During the Victorian era, there were significant disparities in living conditions between the rich and the poor. Many houses were built rapidly, of poor quality, wet and cold. There was no running water or appropriate sanitation in the houses, and multiple families often shared one house, with each family living in only one or two rooms.
• Diseases spread easily because people lived in such close quarters. The Queen Street plan demonstrates how little space they had.
• Reverend John Clay released The Report on the Sanitary Conditions of Preston in 1842. He said that Preston’s high death rate was caused by substandard housing, ineffective sewerage and water systems, and garbage buildup.

PUBLIC HEALTH

• Numerous elements influenced health and hygiene throughout the Victorian era. With the increase in population in England, particularly in London, a rising number of concerning diseases such as cholera, influenza, typhus, typhoid and tuberculosis arose in waves. There was a widespread health difference between the wealthy and the poor.
• Many charlatans made a fortune in the Victorian era by claiming the key to remedies for diseases ranging from typhus to tuberculosis.
• There was a boom in sewage innovation, a wide range of legislation and community participation aimed at substantially improving health and hygiene. The Baths and Washhouses statutes of 1846 and 1847, the Towns Improvements Clauses of 1847, and the Public Health Act of 1848 were among the major statutes enacted in the 19th century.
• Edwin Chadwick, an architect involved in the 1834 Poor Law, proposed the Public Health Act 1848. After another cholera outbreak in 1848, Parliament was forced to act, and the Act was approved. It established a Central Board of Health and formed corporations responsible for drainage, water supplies, nuisance removal, and paving.
• It also authorised the burial of the deceased, as there were so many deaths during this period that appropriate corpse disposal had not been a true priority unless otherwise indicated by those affluent enough to afford it. 
• John Snow, a physician and pioneer in creating medicinal hygiene, attempted to disprove the miasma hypothesis by demonstrating the link between contaminated water and cholera. 
• During this time, the construction of sewers and the invention of the flushing toilet also contributed to reducing disease cases. Inside the home, water closets were becoming more common.
• After the ‘Great Stink’ of 1858, there were efforts to clean the Thames, as well as individuals scouring the streets around Covent Garden in the hopes of ridding the neighbourhood of cholera.
• However, it was during the Victorian era that scientific discovery highlighted the aspects of everyday Victorian life that needed to be reformed or eliminated.