Victorian Era

In the Victorian Era, the economic, social, and political status was one huge “tennis ball” effect. The Social conditions of Charles Dickens time were stable, and although there were clear distinctions between classes, they were referred to by “rank” or “order”.

The lower class and impoverished people made up an estimated 70% of Britain’s population. 27% were of the middle class, and only 3% were classed as dukes, knights, and assorted gentry. Most people had little possibility of achieving higher or lower social status, and could only escape their poverty by immigrating to the colonies.

The political landscape in Charles Dickens England was a “tennis ball” effect, going back in forth between powers, because of the civil wars between the Stuart Kings, and the British Monarchy. The British people wanted a monarchy, but not an absolute monarchy where they would have no power or say in decisions made for them. They called it a mixed or “limited” monarchy. The lower working class saw it for what it really was; A regime that was based on an accord between the land owners, and the monarchy. The limited monarchy was definitely liberal, but by no means democratic.

The economy in Victorian England was a confusing mess of laws and rich royals who cared little for the poor. The government had to make numerous laws to help find accommodations for the impoverished working class, and sometimes the labor bosses had to pay for their workers housing. Many of the upper class had average salaries of 2000 pounds, but some of the richest had over a 30000 pound salary, and owned up to 200000 acres of land. On the flip side, the poor were causing an agricultural and industrial revolution. Farmers and land owners had to find more effective, and better crop producing methods to keep up with the quickly growing population. The vast increases in the amount of people in England caused the social changes, and economic growth caused England to go from a slow growing country, to a world power with a huge population.