Importance of Victorian Period

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The Victorian period is  hallmarked by Queen Victoria's rule from June 1837 to January 1901. 
The period saw the British Empire bloom to become the major players in international trade.
The Victorian Era was a time of contrasts—poverty as well as prosperity, degrading manual
labor as well as technological progress, and depravity as well as virtue.
In many ways it was paradoxically “the best times” and “the worst of times” as quoted from
Charles Dickens novel Tale of Two Cities.

Conflicts of Faith and Doubt



The foundation of evolutionary theory, On the Origin of Species, was published by Charles Darwin in 1859. He stirred up a huge cloud of doubt into the Victorian society through this seminal piece of work. The religious society began to question their faith and went in search of facts.  Darwinism, coupled with the new science discoveries being made, posed serious problems for the church and society, causing people to challenge their religious beliefs and have many doubts.  Although Darwinism has been refuted and proven to be wrong, the speculation and questioning has continued from the nineteenth century, all the way through to the twenty-first century. 

Desire for Imperial rule













British Empire sought to take over international waters and overseas trade, spreading its claws in every direction possible. A desire to expand industrial wealth and to have access to inexpensive raw materials led to the British occupation of countries around the globe. The British Empire came to be  the largest and wealthiest of its time. This zest led to the destruction of local cultures and the oppression of local populations. In addition, a religious zeal to bring British religion to “heathen” peoples resulted in an influx of missionaries with the colonialists, often forcing the people to convert to Christianity.


A backlash of protest against the concept of imperialism further divided a British nation already divided by class, religion, education, and wealth. While many British citizens sincerely desired to share their knowledge and beliefs with less developed nations, others found the movement a convenient excuse to expand their country’s, and their own, power and wealth.

Women’s Rights







The Victorian Era did see advancement in women’s

political rights. The Married Women's Property Act of 1870 gave married women the right to own property they earned or acquired by inheritance. Before the law was enacted, money or property left to a married woman immediately belonged to her husband. By the late 19th century, women had some rights to their children and the right to leave their husbands because of physical abuse.

Industrial Revolution






The Industrial Revolution brought an explosion of development. There were new jobs, new goods, and increased trade. However, it also brought new problems to Europe. Further expansion of the population and mass migration caused explosive growth of cities. Consequently, progress brought a whole new set of health problems that were widespread in Europe and in America.


Building of the railroad system and the implementation of mechanised factories produced great prosperity for some, others suffered. Working conditions in factories were deplorable. Labourers were overworked, earning meagre incomes, and living in unhygienic workhouses. Poor workers were often housed in cramped, grossly inadequate quarters. Working conditions were difficult and exposed employees to many risks and dangers, including cramped work areas with poor ventilation, trauma from machinery, toxic exposures to heavy metals, dust, and solvents. With no safety regulations and no laws limiting either the number of hours people could be required to work or the age of factory workers, some factory owners were willing to sacrifice the well-being of their employees for greater profit.



The 1833 Factory Act outlawed the employment of people under age eighteen at night, from 8:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. and limited the number of hours those under eighteen could work to twelve hours a day. Children under age eleven could not work more than nine hours a day. The 1833 Factory Act also stipulated that children working in factories attend some type of school. The Mines Act of 1842 prohibited females and boys under ten from working below ground in mines.


While these provisions hardly seem protective according to modern standards, the resulting conditions greatly improved life for many children. Throughout Victoria’s reign, other parliamentary acts continued to alleviate working conditions in the ever-expanding Victorian industrial age.



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