Victorian Britain
Complete free lesson · 5 sections
Related guide: Read the first-time preparation guide.
The Victorian Age takes its name from Queen Victoria, whose reign opened in 1837 and continued for 64 years. Three broad trends defined the era:
- The country expanded its power overseas,
- The middle-class population increased,
- Reformers worked on improving the lives of the poor.
At its height during the Victorian Age, the British Empire stretched across all of India, the whole of Australia, and vast swathes of Africa, with a combined population totalling approximately 400 million people. Between 1853 and 1913, around 13 million British citizens emigrated from the UK to settle in other countries. In the opposite direction, significant numbers of people – Indians and Africans among them – came to Britain to build new lives, pursue education, and find employment.
Between 1870 and 1914, approximately 120,000 Russian and Polish Jews arrived in Britain seeking refuge. The communities they formed were concentrated mainly in London’s East End, Manchester, and Leeds.