THE YEARS OF POWER AN DANGER- 19th CENTURY

The rapid growth of the middle class was part of the enormous rise in the
population. At the end of the century most men had the right to vote. Britan
wanted 2 things from Europe:

– Balance of power
– Free market

After 1815 the British government did not only try to develop its trading stations
but also control worl traffic and world markets to Britain´s advantage.

Between 1815 and 1835 Britain changed from being a nation country people to
a nation mainly of townspeople.

REFORM

The wighs understood better than teh Tories the need to reform the law in order
to improve social conditions. The idea of reform to make the parliamentary
system fairer had begun in the 18th century. It had been started by early
radicals, and encouraged by the American War of Independence, and by French
Revolution. The Tories believed that Parliament should represent property and
the property owners, an idea that is still associated by some with today´s Tory
party. The radical believed, that Parliament should represent the people. Zhe
Tories fell from power the same year, and Lord Grey formed a Whig government.
Grey himself had supported the call for reform as a radical in1792. In 1832 the
Lords accepted the Reform Bill, but more becaus ethey were frightened by the
riots in the streets outside than because they now accepted the idea of reform.
At first sight the Reform Bill itself seemed almosta political revolution.

WORKERS REVOLT

Since 1824 workers had been allowed to join together in unions. Most of them
were small and weak. As a result the working classes still found it difficult to act
together. Working together fot the first time, unions, workers and radicals put
forward a People´s Charter in 1838. The charter demanded rights that are now
accepted by everyone- the vote for all adults- the right for a m an without
property of his own to be an MP- voting in secret. All of these demands were
refused by the House of Commons.

THE YEARS OF SELF-CONFIDENCE

– The railway
– The rise of the middle classes
– The grpwth of towns and citites
– Wales, Scontland and Ireland

Britain hed become more powerful because it had enough coal, iron and steal for
its own enormous industry, and could even export them in large quantities to
Europe. Britain made oan owned more than half the world´s total shipping. This
great industrial emipre was supported by a strong banking systemm developed
during zje eighteenth century.

In fact industrialists had built the railways to transport goods, not people, in
order to bring down the cost of transport. By 1870 the railwya system of Britain
was almost complete. The cannals were soon empty as everything went b y rail.
In 1851 th egovernment made the railway companies provide passengers trains
which stopped at all stations for a fare of one penny per mile. Now people could
move about much more quickly and easily. The middle class soon took teh
advantage of the new opportunity to live in suburbs, from which they travelled
into the city every day by train. The suburb was a copy of the country village with
all teh advantages of the town. Poor people´s lives also benefited by the railway.
The man travelled by train to work in the town.

THE RAISE OF TEH MIDDLE CLASSES

It was a small class of merchants, traders and small farmers. In the second half of
th e18th century it had increased with the raise of industrialists and factory
owners. This class included both the very successful and ricg industrialists and
the small shopkeepers and office workers of the growing towns and suburbs.

In spite of the idea of „class“ teh victorian age was a time of greater social
movement. The children of teh first time generation of factory owners often
prefered commerce and banking to industry.

THE GROWTH OF TOWNS AND CITIES

The cities and towns were owercrowded and unhealthy. One baby in four died
within a year of its birth. Some towns grew very fast. Most of the middle classes
lived in houses with a small garden on front , and longer one at the back.

POPULATION AND POLITICS

In 1851 an official population survey was carried out for thew first time. It showed
that the nation was not a s religious as its people had believed. Only 60% of all
teh people went to the church.

Economic needed free trade, as well as social and political reform to allow the
middle class a freer and more open society in th ecountries with which Britain
hoped to trade. This was „liberalism“ an dthats why Whighs became known as
Liberals.

From 1846 the most important political figure was Lord Palmerston, described by
one historian as „ the most characteristically mid-victorian statesman of all. He
was a liberal but often went against his own party´s ideas an dvalues. He was
known for his liberalism in his foreign policy. Je strongly believed that despotic
states discouraged free trade and he openly supported European liberal and
independence movements. He supported the Italian independence against both
Australian and French interests. After his death a much stricter „two party“
system developed, demanding greater loyakty from its membership.
Conservatives and liberals developed greater party organisation and order. There
was also a change in the kind of men who became political leaders. This was
a result of the Reform of 1832, after which a much larger number of people could
vote. These new voters chose a different kind of MP.

Much of what we know today as the modern state was built in the 1860s a 1870s.
Also growth of the newspaper industry strengthened the importance of popular
opinion. Democracy grew quickly. The army too was reorganised, also the
administration of the law was reorganised. Also the first move to introduce free
and compulsory education was made .

QUEEN AND MONARCHY

Queen Victoria came to the throne as a young woman in 1837 and reigned until
her death in 1901. One more step back to the popularity was the publication in
1868 of the queen´s book Our life in the highlands.

Britain´s empire had first been builkt on trade and the need to defend rhis
against rival european countries. They had many interests in India, Africa and
many other countries. The real problems of British imperial ambition, however,
were most obvious in Egypt. Britain, anxious about the safety of the route in
India.

It was a long period of prosperity of England. Also big scientific progress and
revolution. She was known as the queen of the middle classes. During her reign
the empire was doubled in size. She was named the grandmother of Europe.

Conflicts:

– Britain had reached its top in th einetrnational position. The empire

reached teh maximum
– Some conflicts appeared and most of the colonies get the independence
○ countries, that remained under UK- comonwealth
○ India- reached independence
○ Russia- England was afriad of Russia ( russian dear) Russia attacted
Turkey- Otoman
epmire. Britain feeled being endangered. It was important for Britain
because of trade roots from India. Free market- they wanted to
prevent it
○ China- opium wars. It was very significant good by that time, it was
very ussed.

The end of 19th century

– The end of an age because of Germany and USA. It finally resulted into teh
first world war.
– The establishment of new party- Labour party. Ideology of trade unions. It
became really significant party. 1900- establishment. First government
1924.
– Dominating parties at the begining of 20th century- liberal party. They
made many social reforms at the country. They established so called
wellfare.