SH+P6+2013+Victorian+London

Victorian London

Research compiled by: Sanne Casello, Yuvia Estrada, and Iliana May



The Victorian era, instated and reigned by Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901, served as a prominent era for power, change, and prosperity. Early on, the life of an average Victorian citizen included going to mass on Sundays, attending public events, and transforming into a respectable individual. Throughout the nineteenth century, the Victorian Era consisted of 3 types of classes; the lower, middle, and upper class. The lower class contained the poor people, while the middle class were the more “well off” citizens. Then came in the high class of the wealthy and the more prosperous Victorians. These Victorians were held to a standard; they were well behaved, wealthy, and intelligent. As said in the Louisiana Studies in Historic Preservation, “Many Victorian Era Americans wished to mimic the lifestyle and manners practiced by wealthy member of previous generations” (“Louisiana Studies in Historic Preservation Victorian Era”). Throughout the 19th century, the middle class would try and follow the acts and movements of the higher class, wanting to create a well driven middle class. The wish to be able to associate and belong with the higher class was greater than ever. It was very important to society of the time to become a well figured citizen. Religion also played a great role into this era, creating change that affects us today. The Victorians were then introduced to Charles Darwin’s The Origin of the Species, a book that challenged the already set religions of the Victorians. The Victorian London in depth writes, “this led not to a positive disbelief but to indifference to religion, which ceased to occupy a central position in men’s mind” (“Victorian London in Depth”). Significantly, change occurred mostly towards the end of the Victorian era.
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Manifested solely on its own, nineteenth-century London is habitually referred to as the Victorian Era; however, principal ideas and pivotal aspects of its society were of earlier origin. A writer for HistoryToday, Nicholas Dixon relates, “The transition between what are commonly termed the Georgian and Victorian eras is one of the great turning points of British history” (“From Georgian to Victorian”). This implies that the London society had acquired acceptance of Queen Victoria, the monarch who would oversee the stealth of an innovating nation. Certainly, undertaking an uncharted world of inspiration (such as Victorian invention, architecture, and fine art) would not have been so civilized if familiarity had not been grounded into the society. Foremost, garnering a new type of social attention and acceptance, theatre burgeoned in popularity before even the birth of Queen Victoria, giving the nod to more creation in fine art. A British website concedes that, “During Georgian [1692 - 1837] period a host of entertainments were available to those seeking relief from their everyday routines...The eighteenth century was the great age of theatre” (“Entertainment”). As a result of the pleasure found in this entertainment, theatre only continued to flourish in Victorian London, along with its close relatives of writing and architecture. In addition, with the escalating population, means of transportation were essential to the sustainment of community. To permit more proficiency in movement, the Westminster Bridge launched into construction, making it state-of-the-art per se, for the sole bridge across the Thames river in London for six centuries was the London Bridge (Ross). This revolutionizing conception was not yet completed until mid-nineteenth century, nevertheless, it flaunted to the Victorians an elaborate creation; this was apparent as London became the most populated city in the world at the turn of the century. Moreover, and still decades before the birth of Queen Victoria, religious controversy continued to arise - whilst people thought that strife would have dwindled after the resolution of the English Civil War. The 1780 Gordon Riots “began as a march through the streets of London to protest the Catholic Relief Act, which granted basic rights to Catholics” (Ross). As a result of the murderous violence that it entailed, precautions were taken to repress any variant of protestant writings; this was seen as the initial initiative to deter the prominence of religion, of which was later occurred in the Victorian era. Furthermore, it was not exclusively the century before the era of Victorian London that was pertinent to its culture, but so were classic notions derived from the earliest generations.
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Nineteenth-century London, also known as the Victorian Era, blanketed an age of great literary works, art, and invention. However, looking at the economic state and class system of the time, only the upper and middle class were exposed to this luxurious culture. Stated in the Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, “ The Reform Bill of 1832 gave the middle class the political power it needed to consolidate—and to hold—the economic position it had already achieved...While the affluence of the middle class increased, the lower classes, thrown off their land and into the cities to form the great urban working class, lived ever more wretchedly (English Literature). This reform bill created a different atmosphere among London; police forces were increased and East London became a dangerous place full of poverty, crime, and rookeries. The lower class dressed and groomed themselves to lack individuality, creating an instant negative connotation by society. They were often portrayed in the literary works of the time; most notably, novels by Charles Dickens exhibit the vast difference between the the upper and lower class. Other famous authors consist of: Emily Brontë with Wuthering Heights, Charlotte Brontë with J ane Eyre, Lewis Carroll with Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and William Makepeace Thackeray with Vanity Fair. Not only did famous literature document the varying culture of the time, but also famous artwork. Again, many art pieces depicted the hardships of the lower class in addition to the opulent life of the upper class. For example, Dante Gabriel Rossetti paints a suffering woman in Beata Beatrix, where William Holman Hunt paints the joy of a wealthy woman in The Awakening Conscience. Said by Anna Perry, “Towards the end of Queen Victoria's reign, the hold of organized religion upon the English people began to slacken” (Victorian London in Depth). College graduates were becoming overwhelmed with the career choice presented to them; the majority took a route other than religious studies. Charles Darwin also wrote The Origin of Species fueling many new ideas among society in London. This breakaway from religion to science created the drive of investigation and scientific discovery. In conclusion, Victorian London was a city of significant invention, literary works, and art. Events and discoveries made in the time have and will continue to affect the world today.
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Dixon, Nicholas. "From Georgian to Victorian." History Today. History Today, 2012. Web. 25 July 2013. "English Literature." Infoplease. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Ed, 2012. Web. 26 July 2013. "Entertainment." British Library. The British Library Board, n.d. Web. 26 July 2013. "Georgian London." Britain Express. Ed. David Ross. Britain Express, n.d. Web. 25 July 2013. Pettinger, Tejvan. "Famous Victorians." Famous Victorians. Oxford, 2 Nov. 2013. Web. 25 July 2013. "The Victorian Period." The Victorian Period. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 July 2013. "Victorian Era." Victorian Era. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 July 2013. "Victorian London in Depth." Victorian London in Depth. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 July 2013.
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