ASCIV Lecture 1

LMD3 (all groups)

Dr. B. Menouer

A Brief Guide on the Edwardian Era

The Edwardian Era was a relatively short period of British history, but it was still the
era of many important moments. During this period while Churchill was still coming into his
own, Roosevelt was already in power in America. But what was the Edwardian Period? What
was like life in Edwardian England?

What Was the Edwardian Era?

The Edwardian era began with the death of Queen Victoria on January 21st, 1901
and the accession of her son, Edward VII in 1902. Victoria was a very long-lived queen,
having lasted 82 years and reigning for 64 years. Edward was 59 years old during his
coronation. Already advanced in years by the time he became king, it wasn’t surprising that
his reign was a short one. Edward VII passed away in May 1910, not even a decade after his
coronation. Victoria reigned for 64 years, most of the nineteenth century which was a
period of great social reform. Industrialization had created vast wealth, which was in the
hands of a small minority of the population. Though the middle class was growing in
industrialized countries, a significant portion of the population, those who worked in the
factories which made the rich wealthy and gave the middle class the comforts they enjoyed,
lived in extreme poverty. Poverty leads to many other social problems. The reform
movements which sought to solve these problems often had women playing large roles.
These reform movements paved the way for the social change of the twentieth century,
which allowed for the emergence of some of the most remarkable, and notorious, women in
history.

The Edwardian Period was defined by momentous leaps in societal, creative and
technological advances heralded by the dawning of a new century. Countries changed, maps
were redrawn and science progressed at an amazing rate.  In this short period, however,
international tensions increased, leading to the sparks that would eventually become the First
World War. Some historians have extended the era to include the beginnings of this global
conflict because much of its origins stemmed from the period.

Edwardian England was a nation in flux, still in the primacy of its empire but facing
division and change within its orders. It was the last period to be named after its sitting
monarch.

Life in Edwardian Period Britain

British politics was in turmoil at the time of Edward’s reign and much of the
Edwardian Era was steeped in conflicts both large and petty. In terms of petty conflicts, the
Conservative, then called the Unionists, were already butting heads with the Liberals of the
time. For decades prior, the Unionists enjoyed almost hegemonic power over the politics of
England. However, during Edwardian Period, the Liberal party managed to pass multiple
legislations frowned upon by the Unionists. These legislations include minimum wages,
reasonable work hours and free trade rules. This conflict came to a head during the final
months of Edward’s reign. Edwardian England found itself in a deadlock over a Liberal
budget, blocked aggressively by their Unionist Colleagues. The deadlock was not resolved in
a timely fashion and the monarch died before the matter could be settled.

In large conflicts, it was during this time that Britain launched the Second Boer War1.
In this conflict in Africa, Churchill rose to fame for his writing and his daring acts. It was an
unabashed display of the brutal power of the British Empire and such brutality was the
standard of the time.
In the home shores, the previous and highly acclaimed reign of Victoria had elevated
the power of women. The Suffragette Movement2, already decades old at this point, was still
in full swing, with women demanding the same basic rights as men. The Edwardian Era was
full of small riots and demonstrations headed by women bearing placards demanding to be
recognized by the law as human beings rather than furniture. It was an alien concept to a
depressingly large number of people at the time.
International tensions were also at an all time high. Edwardian England was at the
flush of its powers, but on the continent its main rival was no longer France but the newly
unified German Empire. Across the ocean, the United States had also come into its own
power, occupying key positions around the world that both European powers greatly coveted.
It was this confluence of domestic and international tension that would set the stage for World
War I.
Although it was a relatively short time, it was a period of tremendous change. The
Victorian era brought about the Industrial Revolution3, which rapidly increased the size and
population of cities. This increase led to the poor and working classes living among the more
wealthy and this, in turn, led to a demand for social change. It was also the time when
women's suffrage came to prominence. High-profile campaigns brought women's suffrage4 to
the forefront of political discussion.

During the years of Queen Victoria, the British Empire was at its most dominant. The
end of the Edwardian era oversaw an event that would accelerate the fall of the empire. In
1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, which was the catalyst for the First World
War and the end of the Edwardian era. Although Edward's reign ended with his death in 1910,
the four years that succeeded are also referred to as 'Edwardian'. The Edwardian era is the last
in British history to be named after a reigning monarch.
1
It began on October 11 1899, following a Boer ultimatum that the British should cease building
up their forces in the region. The Boers had refused to grant political rights to non-Boer settlers,
known as Uitlanders, most of whom were British, or to grant civil rights to Africans.
2
The Pankhurst family is closely associated with the militant campaign for the vote. In 1903
Emmeline Pankhurst and others, frustrated by the lack of progress, decided more direct action
was required and founded the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) with the motto
'Deeds not words'.
Emmeline Pankhurst (1858-1928) became involved in women's suffrage in 1880. She was a
founding member of the WSPU in 1903 and led it until it disbanded in 1918. Under her
leadership the WSPU was a highly organised group and like other members she was
imprisoned and went on hunger strike protests.
3
The Industrial Revolution was a period in history when new technology helped develop
new forms of production, travel and farming, causing great growth in cities.
4
Women's suffrage was the campaign for earning women the right to vote in elections.
 Edwardian era facts

Sometimes referred to as 'the golden age', the Edwardian era was a time of great
change and famous literature. The turn of the century brought excitement and fear in equal
measures. Here we look at some facts about the Edwardian era across culture.

 The Edwardian era is sometimes known as the 'golden age', this is because it was a
time of great prosperity and luxurious parties among the wealthy elite.
 Child labour laws were finally introduced to prevent children from working during
the Edwardian era. No longer did children have to perform dangerous tasks like
sweeping chimneys or mining for coal.
 King Edward VII was a popular if somewhat controversial monarch. He was thought
of as quite fashionable with the company he kept and made frequent visits to Paris. He
also had a reputation as a playboy due to his fondness for parties and women.
 The Edwardian era oversaw a lot of progressive social change. As well as child labour
laws being introduced, the Edwardians also saw women's suffrage rise to prominence
and the working class becoming an active voice in politics.

Edwardian literature

Because of the era's short length in time, there is an overlap between Victorian and
Edwardian literature. Renowned authors such as Arthur Conan Doyle and Joseph
Conrad were prolific in both periods and could be considered either Victorian or Edwardian.
For that reason, we will primarily look at individual texts written between 1901 and 1914. The
writers George Bernard Shaw and E.M. Forster are much more closely associated with the era
and helped bring forward a dramatic shift in storytelling.

The Edwardian era saw the origins of movements such as Modernism5,

the Bloomsbury Group6 and, somewhat ironically, the Georgian poets7. The Bloomsbury
group were a collective of authors, painters and critics who would often meet in
the London district of their name. The majority of these movements chose to move away from
the traditional forms of storytelling and poetry to embrace more experimental methods.
Authors started using techniques including unreliable narrators and using a stream of
consciousness8. The Georgian poets, by contrast, were almost anti-modern, producing lyric
poetry9 with rural and pastoral themes. Many of these Georgian poets found themselves
fighting in the First World War.
5
Modernism is a movement in art and literature that rejected traditional forms to present new
ways, to tell stories and poetry to reflect modern society.
6
The Bloomsbury group was a circle of artists, writers and intellectuals including Virginia
Woolf, her sister Vanessa Bell, their brother Thoby Stephen, Clive Bell, Leonard Woolf,
Lytton Strachey, and Saxon Sydney-Turner. E.M. Forster, John Maynard Keynes, Duncan
Grant and Roger Fry also became prominent members of the group from around 1910.
7
Georgian Poets or Poetry refers to a series of poetical collections showcasing the work of a
school of British poetry that established itself during the early years of the reign of King
George V of the United Kingdom.
8
Stream of consciousness is a technique used by writers to depict the speed and sometimes
randomness of human thought.
 Edwardian Vs Victorian

The Victorian era marks the period of time during the reign of Queen Victoria - from
1837 until 1901. In that period, Great Britain became an immense global power, and its
empire expanded as far as Asia and the Caribbean. The Edwardian era gave writers cause to
reflect on the imperial rule and its flaws. Edwardian literature became more critical of
imperialism compared to Victorian literature. The Edwardian writers became more political,
they examined issues including the class system, colonialism, and other societal issues like
women's suffrage.

Some authors in the Victorian era also addressed social issues, with
the novelists Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy condemning child labour in their works. A
large percentage of Victorian literature tried to move away from the Romanticism10 that
preceded it; stories of the wealthy 'upper' class and their romantic travails. Novels concerning
more 'everyday' characters increased during the Edwardian era. Victorian literature is also
famed for the revival of Gothic Romanticism. Some of the gothic novels to be published in
the Victorian era included Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) and Bram
Stoker's Dracula (1897).

Edwardian literature, by contrast, moved away from the supernatural and focussed
more on realism11. There was an increase in spy thrillers and provincial novels. Arnold
Bennett's work was renowned for its realistic depictions of life in the towns that surrounded
his youth. But Bennett himself was inspired by the regional fiction12 of
Victorian novelists George Eliot and Thomas Hardy. Despite their efforts to create new forms
of literature, the Edwardians were greatly indebted to the Victorians that preceded them.

9
Lyric poetry is a poetic form which is deeply personal. Emotions and feelings are expressed
explicitly in the first person.
10
Romanticism is a movement in art and literature which valued inspiration and subjectivity
over reality.
11
Realism is a movement in art and literature which aims to capture life as it is commonly
perceived.
12
Regional literature or Local color is fiction and poetry that focuses on the characters,
dialect, customs, topography, and other features particular to a specific region.