Victorian Britain - 1837 to 1901

Victorian Britain - 1837 to 1901

For the 11 th grade

“ Spotlight”

Prehistoric Britain   BC

Roman Britain   43 AD

Viking Britain  793

Stuart Britain  1603

Anglo Saxon Britain  450

Medieval Britain  1066

Georgian Britain   1714

Tudor Britain   1485

Modern Britain   1902 +

Victorian Britain   1837

Pre..

Romans

Saxons

BC

Vikings

43

Normans

450

793

Tudors

1066

Victorians

Today

1485

1837

1939

Victorian Britain - 1837 to 1901

Victoria reigned for more than 64 years, longer than any other British monarch. Her reign was a period of significant social, economic and technological change, which saw the expansion (развитие) of Britain's industrial power and of the British empire.

20 June 1837 - 22 January 1901 .

Victoria married her cousin, Prince Albert.

In 1837 most people lived in villages and worked on the land;

by 1901, most lived in towns and worked in offices, shops and factories.

DURING QUEEN VICTORIA'S REIGN:

- Britain became the most powerful and richest country  in the world, with the largest empire that had ever existed, ruling a quarter of the world's population. - Towns and cities got piped water , gas and, by the end of the century, electricity

The number of people living in Britain more than doubled  from 16 million to 37 million, causing a huge demand for food, clothes and housing. 

- Factories   and machines were built  to meet this demand and new towns grew up, changing the landscape and the ways people lived and worked. 

- Railways , originally built to transport goods, meant people could travel easily around the country for the first time. Railways brought new foods to towns and cities.

Soldiers   were at war all over the world especially in 1850 - 1880. Many households had a servant or  servants  – in 1891, 2 million servants were recorded in the census

• Seaside holidays   were 'invented' (became popular).

• Police Force  'invented'.
• At the beginning of the Victorian period crossing the Atlantic took up to eight weeks. By 1901 it took about a week.
• New cookers and gadgets for the home were  invented .

Schools during the Victorian Times

Schools were not free until 1891. Up until then children had to pay to go to school.

Queen Victoria's reign brought many improvements to the education of children, especially for the poor children.

The Victorians came up with the idea that all children should go to school, and they checked to make sure the schools were up to scratch too. They were the first people to ask whether it was right to allow children to work. They introduced laws saying what you could and could not expect children to do.

Who went to school during the Victorian times?

In  early   Victorian  England, most children never went to school at all and grew up unable to read or write. Instead they were sent out to  work  to earn money for their families. Only the upper and middle class children went to school.

Rich Children

Children from rich families were taught at home by a governess until they were 10 years old. Once a boy turned ten, he went away to Public schools like Eton or Harrow. There were very few schools available for girls, however, until near the end of the Victorian time.  Wealthy girls were mostly educated at home.

Where did poor children go to school?

Poor children went to free charity schools or ' Dame ' schools (so called because they were run by women) for young children. They also went to  Sunday Schools  which were run by churches. There they learnt bible stories and were taught to read a little.

Why go to school?

The Victorians soon realised that it was important for people to be able to read and write and education became more important. The Church of England became active in the field and erected ' National Schools ' which taught children reading, writing, arithmetic and religion.

When did attending school become mandatory (принудительной)?

It wasn't until 1880 that schooling became mandatory. All children had to attend a school until they were 10 years old. In 1889, the school leaving age was raised to twelve, and in 1891, the school's pence fee was abolished and schools became free.

What were the schools like?

There could be as many as 70 or 80 pupils in one class, especially in cities. The teachers were very strict. Children were often taught by reading and copying things down, or chanting things till they were perfect.