The Hidden Mystery Behind Victorian England Facts!

The Victorian era in the British empire was defined by the reign of Queen Victoria, which lasted from June 20, 1837, until January 22, 1901.

The period followed the Georgian era and preceded the Edwardian era, and its latter half overlapped with the first half of Continental Europe's Belle Époque era. The Victorian era was named after Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837 to 1901 (Victorianism).

From 1307 until his deposition in January 1327, Edward VII (April 25, 1284 – September 21, 1327), commonly known as Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England. Edward succeeded to the kingdom in 1307 after his father died.

The Victorian era also had a big British empire and was prosperous, owing to its high level of industrialization and imperial possessions, despite the fact that three-quarters or more of its populace were working-class families.

Late in the century, Great Britain began to deteriorate as a worldwide political and economic force in comparison to other great countries, notably the United States, although this deterioration did not become obvious until after World War II.

Thanks to all the new innovations and the rapid rate of development and growth, living in the Victorian era was thrilling, but it was a difficult time to live in if you didn't have a lot of money.

Even very young children were required to labor if their families needed it. Furthermore, the Victorians established Christmas traditions such as sending Christmas cards and adorning Christmas trees, which we still enjoy today!

Charles Darwin created a firestorm of controversy and industrial revolution in the scientific and, notably, religious communities, as well as spawning a new wave of thinking across the world.

With the power of steam, the Industrial Revolution accelerated throughout Victoria's reign.

If you like this article, you may find it interesting to read these fun fact articles on what a queen is and how tall Vikings were, here on Kidadl.

Victorian England Crime Facts

The Victorian era was characterized by a class-based society, a growing number of people able to vote, a growing state and economy, and the status of the British empire as the most powerful nation in the world between approximately 1820 and 1914, roughly but not exactly corresponding to Queen Victoria's reign (1837–1901).

Victorian Britain was a great nation with a rich culture throughout the Victorian era. It had a stable government, a fast-growing state, and a growing franchise.

Lord Melbourne, Queen Victoria's personal friend and primary political adviser served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1834 until 1841. By the conclusion of the Victorian era, however, people's lives had vastly improved.

Laws were enacted to improve working conditions in industries and coal mines, as well as to prohibit young children from working by mandating them to attend school instead.

Increasingly people were living in cities, but because of people like Florence Nightingale, sanitation and cleanliness became more essential. Victorians believed in progress.

The belief that crime might be defeated was one aspect of their thinking. The yearly release of Judicial Statistics for England and Wales, which began in the middle of the 19th century, seemed to bolster their trust; practically all types of crime looked to be declining.

Pickpocketing was by far the most prevalent sort of crime, but there were other problems that plagued society far more than the vicious and nasty stories in the newspapers.

Prostitution and solicitation were the most common offenses for which women were convicted. Domestic violence was a widespread crime in the Victorian period, although it was rarely reported to the police.

For Victorians, reputation was everything, and having stories of what happened behind closed doors broadcast in public would almost surely plunge a family into dishonor, so, many stayed quiet and didn't say anything.

Victorian Era Creepy Facts

The Victorian period was life with inconsistencies. Victorians were ecstatic about the railroad growth, yet they were concerned about railway mania.

There are many weird facts about the Victorian that keeps you in awe-struck. They surrounded themselves with death by wearing bird carcasses on their clothing, but they sought to avoid their own deaths by wearing 'protective coffins.'

It was typical practice in the early 19th century to bury the lifeless bones of cherished pet dead animals in the family garden.

Men sold their wives at the market one day and then demanded that women keep their modesty at the beach the next day by hiding in 'bathing machines.' Makeup was slammed as cheesy, yet arsenic-based skincare was marketed as 'absolutely harmless.'

The population growth of London tripled between 1815 and 1860, reaching more than 3 million people. Unfortunately, the city's quick expansion had several unfavorable consequences.

The cost of population increase wasn't the only thing that came with a hefty price tag.

While the burgeoning railroad industry made crossing England simpler than ever, physicians blamed the technology for railway madness, which they characterized as a sudden mental breakdown that led people to become insane simply because they were on a train. The so-called 'railway madmen' were said to have been driven insane by the typhoon.

The Victorians had a morbid interest in death. It makes sense when you consider the variety of diseases that afflicted Victorians, including scarlet fever, rubella, measles, diphtheria, typhus, and cholera.

The practice of pouring raw sewage into the River Thames made London nasty and unclean, and diseases like cholera spread swiftly.

Every day, children and adults alike ran through what amounted to a death ring. As a result of the very real risks and sense of loss, people retained memento mori (Latin for 'remember you must die') souvenirs like locks of hair and photos of the dead.

Christmas greetings were a new phenomenon in the 1800s, and they didn't look like they do now. Of course, there were some lovely, heartfelt Christmas cards, but many were just plain strange!

Victorian Era Culture Facts

Gift-giving, Christmas greetings, Boxing Day, and caroling are all popular holiday customs that originated during the Victorian period. German-born husband of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, is credited with popularising various British holiday customs, most notably the Christmas tree.

William Booth started the Salvation Army in the East end of London in 1865. Booth was an evangelist who desired to aid the poor and impoverished in addition to teaching the Gospel to them. It was first referred to as the Christian Mission.

The Illustrated London News produced a sketch of the royal family spending Christmas around a Christmas tree in 1848. Families across the United Kingdom attempted to imitate the royal family, resulting in a rise in the number of Christmas trees in households.

These trees were decked up with homemade ornaments, candles, fruits, and sweets, as well as modest gifts hidden beneath them.

The first Christmas ornament advertising came in 1853. A glass pickle was a delightful, if odd, decoration that featured on the Victorian Christmas tree. The ornament was frequently concealed in the tree, and the person who discovered it on Christmas Day was either given a unique gift or allowed to open their gifts first.

Christmas In Victorian England Facts

Many people believe that Mr. Charles Dickens' novel 'A Christmas Carol,' published in 1843, transformed the way we celebrate Christmas - and ultimately into the Christmas, we know today!

Another Victorian innovation was Christmas crackers. Tom Smith created the first one in 1845, albeit he referred to it as a 'Cosaque.' A bunch of British people created the largest Christmas cracker in the world in 2001. It measured 206 ft (63 m)in length!

Child Labor In Victorian England Facts

Children were employed at nine years old in Victorian factories and were provided housing, food, and an hour of schooling every week. The mills were noisy, hot, dusty, and hazardous places to work, and the hours were long.

Victorian children were forced to labor from an early age. In the Victorian period, children had been expected to labor for generations before that.

Every day, they worked extremely hard and for extended periods of time. At the same time, in the workplace, safety was not a priority, and they were frequently asked to labor in filthy circumstances.

They didn't have much choice in the issue. Their parents forced them to work at home to help pay the bills.

Children who worked in industries were exposed to hazardous conditions for lengthy periods of time, ranging from 14-18 hours a day.

For working Victorian children, occupational mortality was fairly uncommon. Since turning off a machine would halt production, their small size made them excellent for crawling into tight locations in, around, and under equipment, often while they were still running.

Accidents and sickness were prevalent, according to medical data. Due to their low cost of labor, Victorian children were in high demand for jobs such as mining, industrial work, street cleaners, clothing manufacturers, domestic servants, gardening, textile factories, maids, and, sadly, prostitution.

In middle-class homes, some young boys worked as chimney sweeps, climbing up chimneys to clean soot. Many children and people died as a result of suffocation or serious burns. In mines, factories, and workshops, children made up more than a quarter of the British workforce.

What was life like in Victorian times?

In the Victorian age, there was a significant divide between the wealthy and the poor. When telephones were first introduced, the wealthy could buy a variety of luxuries such as vacations, fine clothing, and even telephones.

Poorer people, including children, were forced to labor long hours in industries, mines, and workhouses. They didn't get a lot of money for their efforts. Childhood was initially recognized as a unique and valuable stage of life during the Victorian era. The young queen Victoria, her loving prince Albert, and their nine children were idealized as a family.

When it came to entertaining youngsters, many Victorians were as inventive as they were in so many other areas. Animal stories (such as 'Black Beauty'), exciting adventures (such as 'Treasure Island'), and the quirky brilliance of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' augmented the moral tales of the early period, all of which would influence children's literature in the 20th century.

Education In Victorian England Facts

Education became a global necessity and, later, a universal right. In 1880, it was declared obligatory until the age of 10. Many new state or 'board' schools, as well as church schools, were constructed to ensure universal education.

By 1900, nearly all children were literate, which was a huge accomplishment given how bad the situation for impoverished children had been in the 1830s. By the conclusion of the Victorian era, all children were entitled to free education. If you didn't follow the rules in Victorian school, your instructor might even beat you.

With the founding of medical schools, medical education became more formalized, and many doctors emerged dramatically, from 14,415 in 1861 to 35,650 in 1900.

What was marriage like in the Victorian era?

Only within one's class was marriage promoted. Those that aspired higher were labeled as upstarts. It was thought beneath one's dignity to marry someone from a lower socioeconomic class.

In upper-class weddings, women frequently presented a large dowry as an inducement to marry. In Victorian culture, many women had just one basic purpose in Victorian life: to marry and participate in their husbands' hobbies and enterprises. Unless they were from a rich family, they would study housewife skills such as weaving, cooking, washing, and cleaning before marrying.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Victorian England facts, then why not take a look at facts about the oldest river in the world, or what the oldest thing on Earth is.