Queen-Victorias-Reign

Group41QueenVictoria’sReignⅠ.BriefIntroductionQueenVictoria(24May1819–22January1901)wasthelastmonarchofthekingdomofHannover.ShebecametheQueenattheageof18.ShewasthemonarchoftheUnitedKingdomofGreatBritainandIrelandfrom20June1837untilherdeath.FromMay1st,1876,sheusedtheadditionaltitleofEmpressofIndia.Duringherreign,theBritishwasknownastheVictorianAge,TheEmpireonwhichthesunneversets.Ⅱ.Victoria’sReignEconomy:Background(thedevelopmentofIndustrialRevolution)1.Whenshebegantocometopower,thewholecountryjusthadfewrailways,butby1850Britainhadcompleteditsrailwaysystem.2.Agriculturewasfurthermechanized.3.Englishgovernmentbegantodumptheirproductandestablishitsmarket.4.Sheencouragedfreecompetition,sotradeandcommercegrewtremendously.Inaword,Englandwasarrivingattheageofmachinery.Politics（Ironfistedrule）1.EnglandruledNewZealandin1840andthismarkedtheBritishcolonialsystembeganintheworld.2..EnglandstartedtheOpiumWaragainstChinain1840andputdownalarge–scalerebellionoftheIndians.3.In1857,EnglandandFrancecontendedfortheauthorityoftheSuezCanal.4..In1858,theBritishEmpirebegantocolonizeIndia.In1876,VictoriabecameEmpressofIndia.5.BritainsuppressedtherevoltoftheCanadians.6.EnglandfoughttheRussiansintheCrimeanWar.Finally,itmadeRussialostalmostallhisfruitsofvictoryMeanwhile,BritainbegantoadoptamoreflexiblepolicyinitsforeignGroup42expansion.Canada,AustriaandNewZealandweregrantedself-government.InEngland,secretvotingwasintroducedin1872andmalemembersoftheworkingclassinthetownsgottherighttovotein1876.Theruralworkingclasswasalsoenfranchised(给予选举权)in1886.ThereformoftheelectoralsystemincreasesthepoweroftheHouseofCommonsandonthecontrary,thekingandthehouseofLordspowerwereweakened.Culture1.TheGreatExhibitionwasorganizedbyQueenVictoria,herhusbandAlbertandHenryColein1851.2.TherearealotoffamouswriterssuchasThackeray,Bromte,Dickens.Meanwhile,agreatnumberofliteraryworksappearlikeJaneEyre,OliverTwist,GreatExpectations.3.In1859,DarwinpublishedhisOriginofspecies.4.The19thcenturyproducedgreatpoetry.Forexample,Wordsworthsharedtheiridelsandopenedhiscountrymen’seyestothebeautyofnature.4.In1891,Compulsoryeducationwasadoptedanduniversitiesbegantoadmitwomenstudents.5.OxfordandCambridgegottheirfreedomtoenrollstudentswhoarenotAnglicanChurchbelieversandthecollegefellowswereallowedtogetmarried.6.TheFabianSocietywasfoundedintheendof19thcentury,whichfavouredgradualchangeratherthanrevolutionarychange.Ⅲ.Influences1.Atthemorethan60-yearreignofherBritishliberalcapitalismreachedtothepeak,andthenchangedtothemonopolycapitalismperiod.2.ModernBritishconstitutionalmonarchysystemgraduallyimproved;shehadlaidthefoundationfortheempireanditsrealestablishmentwasachieved.3.Duetoherpersonality,“Victorian”waslaterappliedtoanypersonortimewiththecharacteristicsofdecency,moralityandself-satisfaction.Hertimewasthuscalled“thepolitesociety”inEnglishhistory.SheinfluencedonlifeandsetaGroup43atandardfortheEnglishmiddleclassformanyyearstocome.4.Untiltoday,manyoftheworld'splaceswerenamedafterVictoria,includingthestateofVictoria,Australia,Canada,HongKong'sVictoriaharbourandsoon.Generallyspeaking,Victoria’sreignwasatremendouslyexcitingperiodwhenmanyartisticstyles,literaryschools,aswellassocial,politicalandreligiousmovementsflourished.Itwasatimeofprosperity,broadimperialexpansion,andgreatpoliticalreform.Itwastheprecursor(先驱)ofthemodernera.