BRITISH CULTURE AND CIVILISATION

The 19th century

The Victorian Age

Britain in the 19th century was at its most powerful and self-confident. After the industrial revolution,
nineteenth-century Britain was the workshop of the world. (British factories were producing more
than any other country in the world)

* Britains industrial might had also its dark side, seen for instance in the mines and mill
towns where women and children had to labour (work long hours) in unbearable conditions)
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By the end of the century, Britains empire was political rather than commercial; Britain used the
empire to control large areas of the world.
The empire gave the British a feeling of their own importance which was difficult to forget when
Britain lost its power in the twentieth century.

* Charles Dickens nicely described this national pride one of his characters, Mr. Podsnap,
believed that Britain had been specially chosen by God and considered other countries a
mistake.

Important events:

George IIIs reign (1760-1820) saw the Industrial Revolution and the expansion of the British
Empire make Britain one of the worlds powerful nations. But in 1811 when George III became too
ill to rule (he apparently suffered from a blood disease called porphyria, which affected his nervous
system yet at the time people thought he was mad) his son George IV was made Prince Regent.
(The Regency is a period when the state is ruled by a person, or group of persons, selected to act as
head of state because the ruler is minor, not present, or debilitated as George III was supposed to
be.)
1811-1820: The English Regency was a flamboyant era highly celebrated for its art, architecture
and fashion, but also remembered through its Prince Regent, George IV, a spendthrift, a sexual
adventurer and a scandalmonger. (After 9 years of regency, George IV became king for 10 years
during 1820-1830. When he died he was extremely fat and unpopular.)
The Regency is also to be noted for its creation of consumer culture: dandyism, an aesthetic doctrine
and a cultural phenomenon.
After George IVs death, he was succeeded at the throne by his brother William IV (1830-1837)
who was much more down-to-earth than his extravagant brother. (*He was nicknamed Silly Billy
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because of his gruff manner) He made a good king and important social changes were introduced
during his reign:
o 1832: The Reform Bill made the parliamentary system fairer (it was encouraged by the
American War of Independence and the French Revolution); the total number of voters
increased by 50 per cent. The Bill was a political recognition that Britain had become an
urban society.
o 1833: The Factory Act prohibited small children from working in factories (slavery was
hence abolished throughout the British empire).
William IV was succeeded by his niece, Victoria (1837-1901) who reigned for 64 years (* up to
now the longest in British history the present queen, Queen Elizabeth II succeeded to the throne in
1952) and who was known as the Grandmother of Europe as so many of todays European royal
families are descendent from her.
During Victorias reign the British empire grew into the largest empire the world had ever known.
After the premature death of her beloved husband, consort Prince Albert, Victoria retreated from
public life for 13 years, which made her very unpopular at the time (she was even nicknamed the
widow of Windsor). Nevertheless, her popularity recovered after she went public again when she
attended her husband deaths anniversary in 1872.
It is assumed that during her reign the monarchy attained the prestige it enjoys nowadays, as her
predecessors had been little respected and their scandalous lives had made the British population
lose their respect as regards the institution of the monarchy.
o 1840: The Penny Black Stamp introduced cheap postage, ensuring cheap communication for
everyone; the Royal Mail prided itself on efficient service; over the years it has remained one
of the best postal services in the world. (Efficient communication enabled radicals and
workers to organise themselves across the country far better than before)
o Many parts of London and other large cities were very dangerous, particularly after dark. It
was for this reason that the first regular police force was established by Sir Robert Bob
Peel, after whom the new police were nicknamed bobbies.
o 1870-1891: the Education Act according to which education was compulsory for children
from five to ten; public school was supported by local taxes.
o It was the century of steam and speed the steam engine revolutionized Britains transport
system. (Britain was crossed by rail lines and trains by the middle of the 19th century)