Victorian Era Dates

1830

Opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway → Marked the rise of industrialization and modern transportation.

1832

First Reform Bill → Expanded voting rights for the middle class but still excluded the working class.

1833

Slavery Abolition Act → Abolished slavery in the British Empire (though full freedom came in 1838).

1837

Victoria becomes queen → Her reign symbolized stability and expansion.

1843

Dickens’ A Christmas Carol → Criticized industrial society and promoted social reform.

1846

Corn Laws repealed → Ended tariffs on grain, making food cheaper for the poor.

1848

First women’s college in London → Early step toward women’s higher education.

1850

Tennyson becomes poet laureate → His works, like In Memoriam, reflected Victorian anxieties about faith and doubt.

1851

The Great Exhibition → Showcased British industrial and imperial power.

1859

Darwin’s Origin of Species → Shook religious beliefs and influenced literature

1867

Second Reform Bill → Further expanded voting rights to more men.

1877

Queen Victoria becomes Empress of India → Marked peak of British imperialism.

1886

Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde → Explored duality of human nature.

1901

Death of Victoria → End of an era.

Sarah Forbes Bonetta

A West African princess taken as Queen Victoria’s goddaughter.

Three divisions of the Church of England

Evangelical (personal faith, strict morals), Broad Church (tolerant, middle ground), High Church (ritualistic, Catholic-like).

Oxford Movement

Led by John Henry Newman, it emphasized tradition and ritual in the Church.

Darwin’s impact

Undermined traditional religious beliefs and influenced writers like Arnold and Tennyson.

Doctrine of Coverture

Women’s legal identity was "covered" by their husband’s, restricting their rights.