Victorian Age

Question 1

Reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901)

Answer 1

ascended the throne in 1837
• first woman since queen Anne
strong ties with Germany:
- married a German prince named Albert
Albert from German house of Saxon Coburg Gotha —> name for royal dynasty
Victoria was educated in England but preferred to speak German
mother of many persons of the royal dynasty of several countries
1917: change of „too“ German name (WWI)

Question 2

Origins of the Industrial Revolution

Answer 2

• 3 dominant sectors: coal, iron, textile industry
  starting point in 18th century
  abundance of coal as cheap source of energy
  middle of 19th century:
• Britain was so far ahead of other European countries
  —> „workshop of the world“ (Disraeli)
  estimations today: British agriculture was 3-times more effective
  than French
  urbanization in Britain was also far beyond European continent
  London itself had replaced financial centre of Europe namely Amsterdam
  17th cent.: Dutch were most successful nation in Europe
  shift concerning power in Europe to British isles

Question 3

Cotton & Wool

Answer 3

wool as main commodity in Britain (sheep farming), but cotton became
more and more important
cotton became more important when industrial revolution kicked off
Britain starts to import cotton from USA (slaves, working on plantation)
—> did have huge markets to sell its cotton products
• advantage of cotton over wool: because machine production favours use of cotton over wool
hand-operated spinning jenny by James Hargreaves

Question 4

Railways

Answer 4

1805: no railways —> fastest travelling by coash
using horsepower
—> railways were much faster
—> revolution in transport: every city in Britain could be reached by one day
no necessity to live in the centre of the city
could live in the suburbs
->suburbanization
doctors thought that travelling by railways could be damaging
originally used in the coalfields•
revolution in transport:
first public railway between Manchester and Liverpool
—> North of England became one of the Powerhouses

Question 5

Urbanisation

Answer 5

first state to generate a predominantly urban society
Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham: = cities of the industrial revolution
new industrial towns: urban powerty and mystery
polution as defining characteristic of cities
strong, expressive cultural, literary industrial movement namely Romanticism
Romanticism —> nature became important topic in literature
nature as antidote to cities and towns
—> 1851: first time in history in world: more people lived in cities than in surburbs

Question 6

Free Trade & ‘Great Exhibition‘

Answer 6

British economy in the 1850s and 1860s: marks the climax of British economic dominance in the world; industrial output deminished other European countries
—> workshop of the world
‘Free Trade’: expression for how economy should run
idea: state should stand aside and not interfere economic processes;
not any tarifs between trading nations
concept that benifited the strong powers
linked with the Victorian notion of self-responsibility
‘Great Exhibition’ of 1851:
is part of a strategy to showcase the power of economy in different countries/ regions
many countries took part of it by showing their products etc.
but Britain was still far the strongest economy
Crystal Palace = symbol for modern economic status

Question 7

The Evils of Industrialisation?

Answer 7

often grim, but also necessary, alternatives were worse
Marx and Engels:
two German intellecutals living in Britain
reflecting new economic system
1840s: manifesto
favored in philosophy
idea of class struggle, harshly critized capitalism
society without classes and barriers
period were also working conditions became better
still living conditions were horrible
industrial revolution = jobs for people
wages rose around working society
—> issue of their theory: had not considered that issues

Question 8

The Industrial Revolution & the World

Answer 8

in the 18th cent.:
industrial revolution spread
—> Belgium was second best industrialized country after Britain
but Britains tried to keep rest of Europe from industrial progress
Belgium = first textile factory in new industrial activity (British inventions copied)
Industrialisation of Britain de-industrialised the Third World:
—> before industrial revolution India and China were dominant economic countries
production in India much cheaper than in Britain
Example 1: the power loom (India):•
= machine that British invented
—> India was outsmarted by Britain
—>Britain was able to produce more cheaper than India
—> more and more cotton exported from Britain to India
Example 2: porcelain/pottery (China):
18th cent.: Chinese pottery very desired (luxury)
but: very expensive in production by hand
British strategy: invented machine that printed patterns on pottery
—> no painting by hand
—> Britians undercut Chinese industry
—> British industry de-industrialized the Third World

Question 9

The Industrial Revolution & Europe

Answer 9

abolishing tolls•
on British products, so people could buy products of their country
erecting high tariff walls
investing in infrastructure and transportation
builing canals, rivers and railway tracks
system of universal education
more effective labour classe