Historical Background
When Queen Victoria came to the throne, the Industrial Revolution was well advanced and the government was attempting to come to grips with its consequences. Social, economic and demographic change led to problems on an unparalleled scale and triggered a cult of the Middle Ages, fed by nostalgia for a fictional past.
By the 1850s, Parliament was getting some grip on the situation. The rising power of the industrial cities had been recognised, if reluctantly, in a limited redistribution of parliamentary representation. Towns remained crowded, insanitary and cholera-infested, but a start had been made on the public health programmes that would ultimately provide clean water and efficient waste disposal for the new urban proletariat. Factory acts had been introduced to protect the child workers and attempts were being made to enforce them. Meanwhile, some of the benefits of the Industrial Revolution were beginning to seep through. Food supplies and factory-made products were becoming cheaper and travel was easier. The Great Exhibition of 1851, which showcased achievements in science and commerce, reflected a new sense of optimism.
The sites visited during this programme vividly demonstrate the impact of the Industrial Revolution on landscape and workforce. The case study of the Crossley brothers, whose riches transformed the ancient town of Halifax, provides a useful reminder of the positive aspects of this great change in British life. This case study of change in Halifax could be set alongside a study of change in your own area.
Time line
1825 The first passenger steam railway is opened
1837 Victoria becomes queen
1842 The Queen travels by train for the first time
1830-1850 Opening of the main branch lines
1851 Opening of the Great Exhibition marks the beginning of 'Albertopolis'
1868 St Pancras is completed
1871 The Bank Holiday Act closes banks and shops for six days each year
