London, the capital of Britain, is presently one of the best cities globally with a rich history and culture.Aside from Buckingham Palace and Big Ben, London is well-known for its status as one of the world’s most cosmopolitan urban areas, British museum, Natural History Museum, underground railway, the Hyde Park, the regent street, designer shops, restaurants, street food. It is known for its fascinating history regarding royalty, arts, science, politics, and grand architectural designs.With its lively culture, London city has something for everybody. It’s entirely a fantasy land, and this is why it’s one of the most visited cities in the world. As the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland capital, London has an epic history and essential role during the Middle Ages. While visiting London, you can learn about its past glory at every corner of the street, from its rich history to its throbbing present. How about we hop into the rundown of what London is known and renowned for in Victorian London and what happened during that period. If you enjoy reading our article, you could also check out 19th-century theatre facts and 21st-century facts.History Of 19th Century LondonLondon was drastically changed and was the capital of the British Empire during the nineteenth century. People in London in the early 19th-century lived in poverty. Regardless of Britain’s political power, poor and middle-class people had a hard life. Let’s learn about this captivating period of history in our fascinating Victorian London facts.During the Victorian era, Britain extended its domain all through the world and turned into the most extravagant, most remarkable, and most extensive empire in the world. A fourth of the total populace lived in the empire. During this period, Queen Victoria was the Empress of India! Natives were treated unreasonably by British invaders, and pressures were intense. After some significant protests, the British Empire separated, and slowly, nations acquired autonomy.Many charity organizations were founded during the Victorian era, like the Salvation Army And Barnardo’s. They cared for the hungry and the poor children in shelters.The poor in the Victorian period were mistreated. Children had to work for long hours with less payment than grown-ups. The jobs offered to the kids were frequently dangerous and hard to do. Many young children worked in chimney sweeps, factories, and coal mines.The sudden growth in the industry saw loads of individuals moving to cities to look for employment. London labour and destitute individuals resided in swarmed ghettos- houses that were packed, stinky, rotten, and in an awful state.Innovations like the motorcar, bicycle, the typewriter, telephone, and moving film completely changed how individuals lived, worked, and voyaged. In 1856, Henry Bessemer designed another technique for transforming iron into steel, making it possible to construct bridges, ships, and different constructions on a large scale! The development of the railways meant that individuals could travel quicker to faraway lands.Queen Victoria believed that education was important for all, and by the end of her reign, she made education compulsory.Improvements in education implied that more people could enjoy reading and writing. There were many children’s books, not only for reading but for an enjoyable reading experience. This period also saw incredible improvement in arts! Britain’s most popular authors, poets, and thinkers who thrived in the Victorian period are playwright Oscar Wilde, authors Emily Bronte and Charles Dickens, and poet Elizabeth Browning. One of the famous novels from Charles Dickens is ‘Oliver Twist’; his accounts featured their predicament. The novel ‘Oliver Twist’ was centered around poor people.According to the Bank Holidays Act of 1871, extra days off were considered. Banks and offices would remain close.The first travel agent, Thomas Cook, a businessman, organized beachside tours that were exceptionally famous among Victorian families.In Victorian times, television didn’t exist! Victorians engaged themselves by watching live music or by going to the theatre. Visiting the music hall was one of the pastimes of the poor.Victorian London saw enormous upgrades in the healthcare sector. Clinical pioneers like Florence Nightingale worked with the government for the cleanliness of the hospitals.The nineteenth century saw a quick turn of events and change, far swifter than earlier. Victorian London transformed from a rural, agricultural country to an urban, industrialized one. It led to monstrous disengagement and drastically modified the nature of society.Victorian London started in 1837 and came to an end with the demise of Queen Victoria in 1901. But it was extended to include the years before and after her death, from the Napoleonic Wars until the episode of World War I in 1914.Famous Events Of 19th Century LondonBritain’s compass reached out across the globe because of its empire, wealth, political power, and innovation in transport and communication. In short, during this long rule, the nation obtained exceptional power and wealth. During Victorian London, many famous events took place.Victorian London built the most well-known structures and landmarks like the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, Victoria and Albert Museum, and Victoria Station. Trafalgar Square is located in Central London city.The London underground lines were first built-in 1863. Today, the first lines of the London underground have around 270 stations, with more than 250 miles of track. Victorian London built the first railway line from London Bridge to Greenwich.Jack the Ripper, the Victorian London murderer who killed people: One of the most infamous celebrities in east-end London was Jack the Ripper, the murderer. Today, Jack the Ripper’s famous killing site in east London is a well-known tourist spot. The east end became notoriously famous. Many fled east-end London due to the crime scene. Common crimes in Victorian London were murder, pickpocketing, and child prostitution.The Victorian London fog: Another event during Victorian London was the fog, which was incredibly thick. Since it had a slight green tone, the fog was referred to as a pea-soup. Many individuals often walked direct into the River Thames as they couldn’t see anything and walked blindly.In 1851, the Great Exhibition took place to grandstand science and technology. Prince Albert played a significant role in organizing this event. The Great Exhibition showed the world’s largest diamond, a machine that counted votes, and an early fax machine. The Great Exhibition was held in a glass-made hall called Crystal Palace built in Hyde Park. After the exhibition, the Crystal Palace was moved to Sydenham in south London city.The Great Stink occurred due to raw sewage issues in the summer of 1858 in London. The people pumped the raw sewage into the River Thames; this raw sewage got dried up in the blistering weather and made a horrendous smell that spread in the capital city. It led to the development of the London sewage system in the late nineteenth century.What happened in the 19th century in England?Victorian London was set apart by progress and inventiveness. Victorian London was known for the industrial revolution, the first telephone and telegraph, political reforms and social change, the London underground, great books by Charles Dickens and Charles Darwin. The literary critics in the early 19th-century met in London to discuss their literary works. Victorian London became the center of innovative literature.There were many changes and advancements in each circle of life during this period.Expansion of the British Empire: Before the beginning of the nineteenth century, Britain had effectively lost its American empire and tried to hold India. Restricted with the Empire were Britain’strading strength, military strength, naval strength, and conquest of a new territory.Form of democracy: The establishment was continuously stretched out to the working classes until, by 1918, there was a general testimonial for men. The battle for equal votes for women was going at full speed, but it was not until 1930 that women had the same voting rights as men.The rise of the middle classes: Society was divided into classes, but there was much social and topographical versatility. Self-made entrepreneurs utilized their skills to rise in society, build houses, educate their children, and employ domestic servants.Increase in population and migration: Somewhere between 1801 and 1871, the number of inhabitants in the UK increased to double. Migration in the two ways was a part of Victorian period life. Working-class Londoners left the UK for North America or the settlements looking for a superior life. The migrants were mostly the poor Irish people, particularly after the Irish potato starvation in 1845; the Irish migrated to England, Scotland, and other countries. Many Jewish people migrated from other parts of eastern Europe and Russia to Britain.Introduction of critical social reforms: Because of campaigns by individuals like the Earl of Shaftesbury and Michael Sadler and reports by parliamentary commissions, enactment protecting the child and grown-up laborers started to be sanctioned. Significant changes included legislation on child labor, public health, the end of slavery in the British empire, safety in mines and factories, and education became important for children up to ten years old by 1880. Also, the metropolitan police were founded in 1829. Robert Peel founded the metropolitan police. Robert Peel bought law and order in London city.The concept of the ideal family: The ideal of family concept ruled the Victorian period. Women of the high class did not work. Most women stayed at home, but women in poor and middle-class families needed to work due to financial issues. The faction of the family concept grew consistently, with Queen Victoria and her family giving an excellent example to the nation.The growth of leisure activities: Victorian London saw the start of holiday and leisure activities like seaside holidays and religious activities. Public parks were improved and introduced spectator sports, theatres, museums, libraries, and music halls.Victorian London also enjoyed gardening. The gardens in mid-19th-century had pleasure gardens and tea gardens. Also, people were involved in farm and market gardening.The Industrial Revolution: Industrial Revolution led to industrial and scientific innovations. The Industrial Revolution led to mass production, railways, steam engines, gas and electric light, the telephone, the telegraph, the invention of sewing machines, and so on. Also, they built many new bridges and new docks. It is the golden age of steam.The Victorian period is described as creepy because of death and diseases. There were social issues related to pollution, the dehumanization of work, child labor, poor living conditions in the urban areas where desperate poverty, illness, and filth prospered. Child labor and extreme poverty were additionally a component of country life.Who led the sanitary movement in the latter half of the 19th century in London?During the 1700s, Great Britain started changing into an industrialized nation. By the 1800s, London was the largest city globally because of the social changes achieved by industrialization, like mass migration. In 1831 an alarming new epidemic showed up in London, carrying dread and panic and a need to keep moving regarding the city’s sterilization issues.However, London was a city overpowered by the byproducts of its consistently developing populace. London’s poor lived in the dirtiness of stuffed ghettos or slum housing. Human waste overflowed in the patios and flooded from basement cesspits into the waterways and drains. In such extreme desperate living conditions, diseases were unavoidable. Flare-ups of infections, for example, typhoid and red fever, were usual. But with the outbreak of cholera prompted the local government to take severe measures for sanitation.Cholera first appeared in 1831 and continued till 1837. It was followed by plagues of influenza and typhoid in 1838, inciting the government to ask the legal counselor and driving social reformer Edwin Chadwick to inquire about the sanitation issues in the area.Edwin Chadwick was known as the greatest British sanitary reformer, a whose thorough examination into the situation compelled in getting the section of the Public Health Act of 1848.This Victorian city in the 19th century denoted an incredible development in the public health sector. It is known as the period of the great sanitary awakening.Joseph Bazalgette was responsible for building sewage pipes in 1860. Joseph Bazalgette helped London get rid of pollution in the river and control diseases. He was the chief engineer in the Metropolitan Board.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 15 Interesting 19th-century London facts: all about Victorian London, then why not take a look at Aboriginal music facts: why is music so important in their culture or 7 amazing Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna facts that you should know?
London, the capital of Britain, is presently one of the best cities globally with a rich history and culture.
