Victorian Era

The Victorian era (1837–1901) was a dynamic time of political reform and social change characterised by a railway and industrial boom and the invention of the first phone and telegraph. Many were migrating to the cities at this time as opportunities increased. However the quick rise in population led to increased poverty, and slums sprung up within the cities. The poor worked long, strict hours in polluted factories, while the middle and upper classes continued to exploit the manpower of this working class. As such, the Victorian era was certainly a prosperous one, yet it was underscored by the struggle and fatigue of Britain’s poor.