1. The Victorian Period

2. Important Events and Inventions
1844- first telegraph sent
1845- Irish potato famine
1859- Charles Darwin publishes the Origin of the Species
1861- U.S. Civil War begins
1869- Suez canal opens
1874- Alexander Bell invents telephone
1879- Edison invents the light bulb
1893- Ford makes first automobile
1893- New Zealand is first country to grant women suffrage
1895- Marconi invents first radio
1896- first modern Olympic games
1900- Sigmund Freud publishes dream interpretations

3. The Era of Rapid Change
During Queen Victoria’s reign, England transformed from
Horse drawn carriages to cars
From rule by aristocrats to votes for every man
From farms to factories
From confidence in progress to increased doubt

4. Growth and Change “The sun never sets on the British Empire.”
The British Empire included areas around the globe: Africa, India, Ireland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia and Canada
England was at the height of its power
Dominated the world politically

5. Modern Monarchy: Queen Victoria
Became queen at age 18
Married her cousin, Prince Albert
Ruled for over 63 years
Hallmarks of her reign:
Proper behavior
Hard work and duty
Support of Imperialism
Changed the role of royalty by yielding control to the Prime Minister
After the death of her husband in she withdrew from politics and went into seclusion for the rest of her life.

6. Progress, Problems, and Reforms
Middle class Victorians enjoyed displaying their wealth in their dress, homes, furniture, etc.
Refined manners was of the utmost importance
Many were against these displays of materialism

7. Progress, Problems and Reforms Cont.
Conditions for the poor grew worse
16 hour work days
5 year olds worked in coal mines and in factories
Potato blight/ famine caused 2 mill. Irish to emigrate to England’s over-crowded slums

8. Reform and Uncertainty
Parliament abolished slavery
Restricted child labor
Public schools established
(1867) Working-class men given the right to vote
Modern science threatened cherished beliefs
Charles Darwin’s publication and theory

9. Victorian Literature
Early Victorian poets focused on “poetic” subjects
At the time, works by writers such as Dickens, Emily and Charlotte Bronte, and George Eliot was seen as light entertainment, not serious literature
Middle-class citizens wanted stories to have more realism.
Captures elements of every day life
Exposes social problems and pretentions
Psychological realism

10. Victorian Novels Novels were very long – divided into three books
Novels were usually published serially in magazines several chapters at a time
Readers might have to wait 2 years to find out how a story ended
Introduction of Penny Dreadful: shocking serial stories with each section costing a penny

11. Victorian Viewpoints Victorians read on all subjects
They were curious about everything and would read non-fiction articles that only specialists might read today
Uncertainty about religion, science, imperialism, and materialism permeated literature
Pessimistic tone to many works

12. New Writing Styles Naturalism
an off-shoot of Realism
Saw the universe as an uncaring force
Focused on the harsh details of industrialized life
No humor or happy ending
Late Victorians began avoiding serious works
Turned to adventure tales by Robert Louis Stevenson, H.G. Wells, and Oscar Wilde
Children’s literature by Lewis Carroll and Rudyard Kipling

13. Important Authors and Works
Charles Dickens – A Tale of Two Cities
Emily Bronte – Wuthering Heights
Charlotte Bronte – Jane Eyre
Rudyard Kipling – The Jungle Book
Robert Louis Stevenson- Treasure Island
Thomas Hardy – Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Lewis Carroll- Alice in Wonderland
George Eliot (Mary Evans)- Silas Marner
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Oscar Wilde- The Picture of Dorian Gray
H.G. Wells – The Time Machine

14. Focus Questions
1. What one invention from this time period? A: automobile, telegraph, radio, light bulb, and telephone

15. Focus Question
2. What are two important world events from this time period? A: U.S. Civil War, Suez Canal, Irish potato famine, women suffrage in New Zealand, Charles Darwin’s publication, Prince Albert dies, English abolishment of slavery, Victoria crowned queen, first modern Olympics

16. Focus Question
3. List three facts about Queen Victoria. A: ruled for over 63 years, became queen at 18, married her cousin, valued manners and imperialism, embraced constitutional law, mourned her husband’s death for the remainder of her life

17. Focus Question 4. How would you describe middle-class Victorians? A:
focused on manners and proper behavior
displayed their wealth and materialism
avid readers and curious about everything
Deeply religious
Embraced technology and science but were upset by what it showed them

18. Focus Questions 5. How would you describe lower-class Victorians? A:
Worked long hours in terrible conditions
Lived in over-crowded slums
Wanted to read realistic works
Men gained the right to vote
Able to attend public schools

19. Focus Question 6. List three facts about Victorian literature. A:
Long books published in serials
Naturalism – focus on industrialized life and hardships
Realism – focus on everyday life and social problems
Early Victorian writing was serious, dark, and negative
Late Victorian writing included children’s literature and adventure stories

20. Focus Question
6. List three authors and their works from this time period. A:
Charles Dickens – A Tale of Two Cities
Emily Bronte – Wuthering Heights
Charlotte Bronte – Jane Eyre
Rudyard Kipling – The Jungle Book
Robert Louis Stevenson- Treasure Island
Thomas Hardy – Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Lewis Carroll- Alice in Wonderland
George Eliot (Mary Evans)- Silas Marner
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Oscar Wilde- The Picture of Dorian Gray
H.G. Wells – The Time Machine