Victorians - Presentations

What economic role did India play in Britain’s empire?

Spice trade, Agriculture, Trade, taxes, railways.

Generated lots of revenue

Indians paid and labored, british got revenue

What was the British East India Company?

Chartered company that gave britain access to spice trade

1800s - sort of like a country with taxes and military

1837 - dominant political authority in india

Power increased, hurt indian pesants, landlords, and culture.

Why did the British Government revoke the British East India Company’s control of India and make the territory a Crown Colony in the 1850s?

tensions with BEIC and indian people

Army rebellion

Sepoy attacked brittish officer

rebellion spread in north east - dehli

BEIC and gove brought army to retake lands

made victoria empress

crushed rebellion became propaganda

BEIC could no longer be trusted, created british raj

What economic role did Britain’s African territories play in the British Empire?

Africa exports: Gold, rubber, ivory, Cotton, oil, wheat

Helped expand british economy

Suez canal crown jewel of british empire

some people saw Contradictions between propaganda and reality

No effect on Economy, Kept Chugging along

What were the Zulu Wars?

war with Zulu People for their land + Diamond mines + labor forced

zolo kingdom to dismantle military - Zulus said No sent in british troops, became Guerilla for a bit sent in more

What were the Boer wars?

British wanted Boer land and gold, destroyed farmland. Put Boers into concentration camps. Kipling wrote poem about war crimes.

What caused the Opium Wars?

British wated opium - addiced to chinese tea

Briish paid silver to india to get opium to give to china

china had one trade port, restricted trade

british watned free trade

britain drug trafficing opium to china

british viewed chinese culture as addicting factor.

What were the terms of the Treaty of Nanking and why is this considered an unequal treaty?

opened 5 ports, gave britain hong kong

unequal cuz shifting western dominance, britain had most power and influence.

What were the long-term consequences of the Opium Wars?

british hong kong, global power

british buisnesses in hk were prosperous

china in century of humiliation (lost terretory, strengthened nationalism, paved way for rise of ccp)

What problems in Britain’s political system prompted calls for reform in the Victorian Period?

inequality, industrialization, combination acts (banned unions), no representation for the people

elections rigged.

What were the goals and outcomes of the Reform Acts (i.e. 1832, 1867, 1884)?

no more rotten bouroughs - helped middle class

1867 - changed property requirement for voting

1884 - had to have at least 10 pounds to vote.

less corruption in elections

How did Parliamentary reform in the Victorian period affect the franchise (right the vote) and reshape parliamentary representation?

privilege for wealthy to semi universal, expanded franchise and created political parties.

What were the major political parties of the Victorian era? What were the most important priorities of each? Which new major party emerged during this time?

Conservative Party: were tories, middle class appeal, imperialist

Labour: for poorer people, og socialist, alternative to liberals, pro radical reform

Liberals: progressive, free trade.

What was the Chartist movement? Did it succeed?

Created people’s charter

wanted univeral male suffrage (no land requirement)

people wanted to be represented in govt.

The Chartist movement did not succeed in achieving its immediate goals during its active years. Parliament rejected all three of its massive petitions (in 1839, 1842, and 1848), which contained millions of signatures. Internal divisions, government repression, and improving economic conditions in the late 1840s contributed to the movement's decline. 

However, the movement is considered a significant long-term success because it laid the groundwork for future democratic reforms. By 1918, five of the six Chartist demands had been enacted into law

What was the “ideal woman’ according to Victorian social norms?

domestic

take care of kids and house, unnatural for women to go out and work

gentle and sacrificing to men

the angel of the house.

To what extent did the lived experience of real women match the “ideal woman”?

very class dependent,

How did class shape the experience of women in Britain during the Victorian period?

Working class - ideal not reality, no chance, paild less, higher male unemployment, dual expectation, unrealistic

Middle Class - more of a reality, many women transgressed tho

Upper class - could do it, hard but attainable

How did industrialization influence art and architecture?

Industrialization transformed Victorian art and architecture by introducing new materials (iron, glass, steel) enabling grand structures like the Crystal Palace, while also sparking artistic reactions like the Arts and Crafts Movement, which celebrated handcrafts against machine uniformity, and new art forms like photography, which met the demand for accessible portraits

art gave societal critiques

Who were the major Victorian authors? What major themes did they address?

Dickens, thackeray

themes: social reform (poverty, industrialization), class divides, gender roles (the "Woman Question"), morality, religious doubt, imperialism, and the conflict between science and faith, often through realistic novels and poetry that critiqued society while reflecting rapid changes. 

What was the Great Exhibition of 1851?

international fair, brought tech and stuff

show off britain

Lotta booths, lotta money made, lotta countries

What did the great exhibition symbolize for Britain? Why was it important?

The creation of Queen Victoria's husband Prince Albert and civil servant Henry Cole, the Great Exhibition aimed to celebrate modern design and promote Britain as an industrial and imperial power. It was quite the spectacle: over 100,000 products from all four corners of the world were housed in a giant glass building.

Who was Isambard Kingdom Brunel? Why is he one of England’s most famous historical figures?

most famous british architect, built bridges, trains, ships. some of the strongest best ships of era, not passed in size for four decades.

What were the major impacts of faster travel (including railroads) on British life and culture?

The railway system offered new chances for travel, holidays, transporting goods, developing businesses and the growth of towns and cities. The distance between town and countryside was erased. Dairy produce and fish could be delivered easily to different parts of the country within hours.

Increased communication allowed for the spread of ideas and national newspapers. A standardized time was introduced across Britain as trains were timetabled.

Describe conditions for the urban poor in Victorian society.

lived in overcrowed slums

disease rampant

surrounded by waste

people put into tenement houses - no outdoor relief

horrible

What was the purpose of the Poor Laws and Workhouses? Why were they controversial? Describe conditions in the workhouse.

Poor law: criminalized poverty

Workhouses: to give people a place to work

Controversy: Workhouses were the last place someone wanted to go, not able to leave. Had bed and board and work, but horrible conditions.