Victorian Britain

Victorian Britain

Age of OPTIMISM....(pleasant age)

Great Exhibition (1851) peace prosperity technological/industrial progress

Age of OPTIMISM....

growing middle class show off the wealth they get:

• social status (quality housing, education, culture)
• moral aspects (devout religious, strict public morality)

...but also NEGATIVE ASPECTS (unpleasant)

no access to clean water no healthy food no decent clothing no education

WORKING CONDITIONS unskilled labourers (women/children) worked in brutal, unsanitary conditions

relied on CHARITABLE DONATIONS to survive

workers were separated from their families forced to live in unsanitary conditions:

• long hours of manual work
• no pay
• no freedom
• no dignity

LIVING CONDITIONS

rapid industrialization massive migration from the country to the city

people lived in SLUMS (very filthy) diseases spread (cholera) improper treatment of water (no sewage system)

rapid growth of London: OVERPOPULATION POLLUTION

WEALTHY VICTORIANS

wanted to help (religious and philantropic reasons)

PROVIDED EMPLOYMENT

IMPROVED WORKERS' LIVING CONDITIONS

BUILT FACTORIES WHICH OFFERED THEM WORK + CHEAP HOUSING + EDUCATION

WORKERS HAD TO ACCEPT STRICT RULES OF BEHAVIOUR

from the POLITICAL point of view

REFORMS were passed BUT ONLY TO ADAPT THEM to the situation of the period

Darwin's idea of survival of the fittest was adapted to society

who was FIT(powerful)

was innately superior

was innately lazy/stupid

who was UNFIT (economically weak)

INEQUALITY/POVERTY were natural so the governments

couldn't do anything against it

EDUCATION

WEALTHY FAMILIES

POOR FAMILIES

boys were sent to school girls studied at home/with a governess

relied on children to make a living NO EDUCATION

solution: RAGGED SCHOOLS for the wretched, filthy children (basic, free education to children: read/write/ Bible)

WOMEN

WEALTHY

WORKING-CLASS

devoted themselves to home/family (domestic help)

obliged to take on poorely paid home work (laundering, ironing, sewing)

very philantropic: founded benevolent associations run by women for women

BUT they were aware that they had LITTLE POWER to change society

FEMINISM: - better education - better working conditions (middle- and working classes) - campaign for the right to vote