Victorian England and the Age of Mass Politics

Queen Victoria Ruled England from 1837-1901 Exemplifies Victorian qualities: earnestness, moral responsibility, domestic propriety The Victorian Period was an age of transition An age characterized by energy and high moral purpose

Change in Victorian England London becomes most important city in Europe Population from two million to six million Shift from ownership of land to modern urban economy Impact of industrialism Increase in wealth World’s foremost imperial power Victorian people suffered from anxiety, a sense of being displaced persons in an age of technological advances.

“Victorian” social conduct is governed by: Strict rules Formal manners Rigidly defined gender roles Relations hampered by sexual prudery Intense obsession with a public appearance of propriety (private facts were often the compete opposite!)

Early Victorian 1830-1848 By 1900 , England had 15,195 lines of railroad and an underground rail system beneath London. The train transformed England’s landscape, supported the growth of commerce, and shrank the distance between cities. Reform Bill of 1832 extends the vote to all male property owners Signs of trouble Unemployment Poverty Rioting Slums in large cities Working conditions for women and children were terrible

Middle Victorian (1848-1870) A time of prosperity, improvement, stability, optimism 1851: The Great Exhibition The Crystal Palace Showcases the triumphs of Victorian Industry Empire begins to expand

Political Shift Political parties realigned between 1850-1865 Tory = Conservative Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881) Whig = Liberal William Gladstone (1809-1898) After 1865 democracy expands

Benjamin Disraeli Aggressive foreign policy & Expansion of the British Empire Democratic reforms Influenced by John Stuart Mill's On Liberty Utilitarianism Reform Bill of 1867 Expanded suffrage to include almost all men over 21 Redistribution of seats in parliament 1875: Reduced regulation of unions Improved sanitation

Late Victorian (1870-1901) Erosion of Victorian values Imperialism Bismarck's German becomes a rival power As does the US Economic depression = mass immigration Rise of socialism

William Gladstone Irish home rule, free trade, and opposed imperialism 1872: the secret ballot Reform Act of 1884 Extends suffrage to men in the countryside 2 million added to the franchise

Women's Rights and Suffrage Organized to amend marriage and property laws 1890s: suffrage seem as the key to solving women's rights issues Suffragettes = middle class women Educated Had servants to take care of the house while they organized Working class and socialist women worked independently

Women's Rights and Suffrage Organized to amend marriage and property laws 1890s: suffrage seem as the key to solving women's rights issues Suffragettes = middle class women Educated Had servants to take care of the house while they organized Working class and socialist women worked independently

Key Suffragettes Millicent Garrett Fawcett (1847-1929) Leader of the National Union of Women Suffrage Societies Demanded universal female suffrage Grew the movement at home and abroad Emmeline Pankhurst Militant. Founded the Women's Social and Political Union 1907: WSPU begins to uses violence Large scale protests, arrests, hunger strikes, etc. Women get the right to vote in 1918 and 1928

-A newspaper quote on the Death of the Queen in 1901 The End of an Era "Few of us, perhaps, have realized till now how large a part she had in the life of everyone of us; how the thread of her life [bound] the warp of the nation's progress." -A newspaper quote on the Death of the Queen in 1901

During the tumultuous time, The Queen ultimately came to represent: England & Empire Stability & Continuity Duty, Family, & Propriety A stern, conservative, durable symbol of her dynamic, aggressively businesslike realm.

The Liberal Agenda 1905-1920s Parliament Act of 1911 Welfare state House of Lords loses powers House of Commons is now the seat of national power Life of parliament reduced from 7-5 years Welfare state Unions get the right to strike Gov't workers insurance Unemployment insurance and pensions School attendance become compulsory

What about the Irish? 1848: Young Ireland Movement Nationalist Gladstone unable to get Irish Home Rule through Ulster (protestant North) opposed to Home Rule 1914: Home Rule passed but Protestant refuse to accept it 1916: Easter Rebellion crushed by British troops 1922: Ireland independent. N. Ireland still British