Perez 1

Lexi Perez
Mr. Munoz
English IV Honors
23 January 2015
Victorian Age
During the Victorian Age, England was at the top, economically and politically and
Britain dominated the world of politics. This age was named after Queen Victoria who, at
eighteen years old, was crowned in 1837. She ruled for sixty-three years, seven months, and two
days. This was the longest reign ever in English history. The Victorian era ended with Queen
Victorias death in 1901. The Victorian Age was a time of great advancement from scientifically
to medically to technologically.
The Industrial Revolution turned England into a modern industrial state with many new
inventions (Allen et. al.). This took place during the 18th and 19th centuries. These inventions help
to improve modes of transportation, new ways of banking and new ways of communication with
others. Before the industrial revolution people used wagons pulled by horses to transport goods
but by the 19th century, the steamboat was transporting good across the ocean. Also, during this
time, railways made it easier to transport goods, telegraphs made it easier to communicate and
more banks were opening up. These new inventions were showcased at the Great Exhibition of
1851. The showcase included seventeen thousand exhibits which included indoor toilets, electric
lights and telegraphs. While the industrial revolution had its high points, it also had it low.
While the upper and middle class were rising to the top, the poor were suffering even
more, especially children. Children were forced to work as early as the age of five and were
sometimes given hazardous tasks, but they were not the only ones suffering though.

Perez 2
Unemployment among many people due to the improvement of machines left families without
an income and money to survive. This led to two million people having to emigrate from Ireland
to England. The average person suffered from low incomes, malnutrition and disease. Some
people who couldnt find housing lived in overcrowded homes filled with disease and many
other families in the same situation. By the end of the 19th century, conditions had begun to
improve as the government created and instituted laws on labor.
The Victorian age was also a time of change in literature from Romanticism to Realism
Romanticism had a huge influence on Victorian writers and poets such as Browning, Alfred, and
Tennyson. While these writers were influenced by this, they wrote of other things and focused on
other poetic subjects such as legends, nature and foreign land. Many people in the middle class
saw poetry as something that wasnt needed in their lives while other people saw the writers as
the people of the highest order. During this time, people started looking for other forms of
writing, such as novels. The middle class loved these because they portrayed realism, such as the
effects due to the Industrial Revolution. Eventually, authors started to combine realism and
romanticism.
The Victorian Era was time a time of rapid improvement in different areas such as
medical, transportation and communication. With Queen Victoria as ruler for over 63 years, the
time between the 18th and 19th centuries were named after her. Along with the vast improvements,
the era was also a time of struggle for those who could not find work due to the lack of jobs the
new machines required. The Victorian Era was influenced by romanticism and realism through
writers of poetry and later, novels. This was a time in history of great advancement.
Works Cited
"Industrial Revolution." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2015.

Perez 3
Littell, McDougal. Literature British Literature. United States: McDougal Littell, 2007. Print.