Romantic Period (1790-1832)
The Historical Background
1. The European War: The close of the eighteenth century saw England and France engaged in open
warfare (1793). Many causes contributed to set the war in motion, and many more kept it
intractably in operation. Hostilities dragged on till 1815, in the end bringing about the extinction
of the French Republic, the birth of which was greeted so joyfully by the English Liberals, the
rise and destruction of the power of Napoleon, and the restoration of the Bourbon dynasty. These
events had their effects in every comer of Europe, and in none more strongly than in England.
2. The Reaction. It has been well said: "At the beginning of every revolution men hope, for they
think of all that mankind may gain in a new world; in its next phase they fear, for they think of
what mankind may lose." This was the case with the French Revolution. The elder writers of the
period, with Wordsworth and Coleridge as conspicuous examples, hailed the new era with joy.
Then, as the Revolution proceeded to unexpected developments, there came in turn
disappointment, disillusion, dejection, and despair, and, notably in the case of Wordsworth, the
rejection of youthful ideals and the soured adoption of the older reactionary faith. The younger
writers, such as Leigh Hunt, Shelley, and Keats, still adhered to the Revolutionary doctiines, but
the warmth of the early days had already passed away.
3. Social Conditions. The conclusion of the long war brought inevitable misery; low wages,
unemployment, and heavy taxation gave rise to fiery resentment and fierce demands on the part
of the people. Men like Shelley and Ebenezer Elliott called aloud for social justice; in gentler
mood Mrs Hemans and Tom Hood bewailed the social misery. We have the massacre of Peterloo
and the wild rioting over the Reform Bill and the Corn Laws. The Reform Bill (1832) was a
grudging concession to the general discontent. To conservative minds, like those of Scott and the
maturer Wordsworth, the Bill seemed to pronounce the dissolution of every social tie. But the Bill
brought only disappointment to its friends. In the next chapter, we shall see how the demand for
social amelioration deepened and broadened, and coloured the literature of the time. The interest
in social conditions became intensified toward the end of the nineteenth century, until it has
grown to be one of the chief features of modern literature.
Characteristics of Romantic Period
Romantic-period writers stress the imaginative and subjective side of human nature
Romantic literature explores the intense beauty of nature, and Romantic writers invest
natural events and objects with a divine presence
Romanticism appeals to individualism, rather than conventional norms or collectivism.
For example, in "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley, the monster is a Romantic hero because
he symbolizes individuality and nonconformity.
Romanticism was in part a reaction against the Industrial Revolution. As urbanization and factory
production swept across Europe in the 18th century, writers looked to nature as a way to reclaim a way
of life that was being threatened. Similarly, increased economic inequality through the 19th century led
Victorian writers to want to expose the horrors of poverty. Disenchanted by the decline of religious
belief in Europe, poets and novelists saw their role as chronicling the bleakness of the modern world.
The Romantic period was one of major social change in England, due to depopulation of the countryside
and rapid development of overcrowded industrial cities that took place roughly between 1798 and 1832.
The movement of so many people in England was the result of two forces: the Agricultural Revolution,
which involved enclosures that drove workers and their families off the land, and the Industrial
Revolution which provided them employment, "in the factories and mills, operated by machines driven
by steam-power". Indeed, Romanticism may be seen in part as a reaction to the Industrial Revolution,
though it was also a revolt against aristocratic social and political norms of the Age of Enlightenment, as
well as a reaction against the scientific rationalization of nature. The French Revolution was an
especially important influence on the political thinking of many notable Romantic figures at this time as
well.
Reform Bill
During the 1700s and early 1800s, a time period known as the Industrial Revolution, there was an
enormous increase in the production of goods. Before that time most products were made by hand in the
home or in small shops. There were groups that made up associations called guilds usually found in towns
where the people worked. It wasn’t long before power-driven machinery replaced handwork and factories
replaced town shops.
Before the revolution most people worked as a family unit. They were basically farmers who
depended on their crops for food. They also worked at different trades passed down from their fathers.
They plied these trades in their homes for merchants called entrepreneurs, who would bring them raw
materials to make the products. The entrepreneurs would take the risk of finding a buyer for the products.
These families were very dependent on the land. There wasn’t a real market for their crops since
everybody grew the same thing. So they only grew what they needed, and there was very little chance of
getting ahead. Therefore, there was little change from generation to generation. If the crops failed, the
people went hungry. There wasn’t any real starvation, but malnutrition was common. Therefore, they
caught diseases readily, and epidemics were common.
England has always been a pioneer of industrial capitalism, having many natural resources, such
as coal, iron, and cotton. Because of these resources, Great Britain became the model for industrialization.
Once the mechanical inventions began, the flood gates of the industrial revolution opened, and these
natural resources came into their true value. Inventions like Hargreaves Spinning Jenny and Cartwright’s
Loom demanded a new source of power. The hand and foot power of the worker became obsolete.
Eventually water power was incorporated into the production of products, but there was still a need for
power that didn’t depend on water, since water limited the locations of factories to creeks and rivers. The
answer came by way of the invention of the steam engine. The name of the new power this engine
produced is called horsepower. Once horsepower replaced hand and foot power, production shifted from
the home to the factory. The factories were located in the cities, so by the earlier eighteen hundreds the
population migrated to the cities.
This left the rural areas without very many people, which created boroughs that had seats in
Parliament that didn’t represent anyone. These “rotten boroughs,” as they were called, were sold to the
highest bidder. In fact this practice became so common that a group formed which called themselves the
“Christian Club.” These fine fellows grouped together and sold their votes as a block. This enabled them
to get more money from the group per vote then was possible by selling them as single votes. Naturally
the lower class was without representation, and the entrepreneurs would buy these votes and in-turn
control the legislation. This led to unrest in the working class because the entrepreneurs were making all
of the money, and the people were starving and living in abhorrent conditions. “It was not by merely
selling and buying that these elections were distinguished; tumults also riots occurred in several places.
The cause appears to have been the high price, which still continued, of provisions, and the consequent
resentment of the people, though they scarcely knew against what or whom.”
Political and Historical Context
Outside of England, the French Revolultion :(1789-1799)
The French Revolution, as well as other revolutionary movements of the time (i.e. American
Revolution), had set an influential tone on the global environment. In the early years of the war,
Englishmen expected the French to establish a political structure based on that of Britain’s. As violence
continued to grow in France, Parliament and the governing class began to take note. Soon they began to
realize the proposed outcome of the radical democratic ideals on the forefront of the French Revolution.
Witnessing another country in the midst of an upheaval and possible removal of social and class
distinction was frightening to those who enjoyed the luxury of governmental representation. The launch
of the French Revolution caused a large decrease in the number of proponents of parliamentary reform. In
what was already an uphill battle, now many politicians became firmly against any significant social
reform.
Parliament
In the midst of the French Revolution and a growing population of the impoverished working class,
England’s wealthy class feared a revolution may come about. Legislation by Parliament was the only
democratic way to assuage the fears and doubts of the working class on their current economic and social
position. It was also the only way these undeserved economic handicaps would be alleviated. In
Parliament, the House of Lords and the House of Commons competed for political control. Aided by the
French Revolution, many members from both Houses were opposed to significant Parliamentary reform.
Yet proponents of reform established themselves in groups.
Tories
The Tories are well known for being a the long standing conservative party in England. They are
known for their support of traditional political and social institutions and the determined retention of these
institutions against the forces of democratization or reform. The Tories had been restraining against the
proposed legislation for almost the entire first decade of the nineteenth century. The proposition of the bill
by Grey and his Whigs met with discernible defiance from the Twigs, most overwhelmingly in the House
of Lords.
Whigs
Aside from the short-lived Talents Ministry of 1806-7, the Whigs had no living memory in office.
When the Grey Administration took office in 1830 the party was given the test of time for a whole
generation of Whigs. Here, they emulated themselves at a pivotal opportunity to regain power: under the
light of proposed social reform in 1830. Foxite Whigs, led by Prime Minister Charles Grey, had always
advocated parliamentary reform as the only way for the tyranny of the monarchy of be controlled by the
people. They were the most resolute advocates of the Reform Bill of 1832
In total, 56 of these “rotten boroughs” along with their Members of Parliament lost their
representation and 30 more MP’s were removed from counties with a low amount of population. In
return, over 100 representatives were distributed among the counties and 21 small towns were
given one representative each. In addition, Scotland was given eight extra seats and Ireland was
given five more seats.
Impacts
The Reform Act of 1832 did away with boroughs that were disproportionately represented, and
hence were unfair compared to the larger districts in the north who needed those seats in Parliament. The
growing districts in the north, due to the Industrial Revolution, now had a fairer amount of seats
represented in Parliament. The smaller and more diminutive boroughs lost representatives, as they were
reassessed elsewhere.
The middle class was now able to share the power with the upper class because they were better
represented in Parliament due to the effects of the Reform Bill. The right and power to vote was now
extended to members of the middle class (still only white men) who were worth £10. Parliament had a
more accurate presentation of representation.
The Reform Act greatly divided the Whigs and the Tories. However, the House of Commons did
appear to become more powerful with the passing of this bill. Although the Reform Act gave more power
to the middle class, they were not entirely satisfied if they could not fulfill the requirement of £10. This
led to the Chartist Movement, which demanded universal suffrage for men.
