Our last class watched a DVD showing some of the dangers associated with Victorian homes, ranging from steep and uneven staircases to adulterated foods. I wonder how historians in the future will view our homes? It was a change to see the homes of the lower middle class rather than the mansions of the aristocracy that seem to be all the rage in recent documentaries. To be fair SBS did screen a series about the history of various London streets and I will be using one of this series in our next session.
We are now studying the middle years of the 19th Century and will look at Queen Victoria’s relationship with her many children and how the death of Albert saw her withdraw from public life. Eventually the public lost faith in the monarchy and it also led to constitutional problems that almost brought government to a standstill.
Whilst the Industrial Revolution was boosting the British economy and creating a new middle class, age old problems of disease were still a major challenge. We will view DVDs showing how diseases such as typhoid, dysentery and cholera were finally brought under control in the wealthier parts of Europe.
We are now studying the middle years of the 19th Century and will look at Queen Victoria’s relationship with her many children and how the death of Albert saw her withdraw from public life. Eventually the public lost faith in the monarchy and it also led to constitutional problems that almost brought government to a standstill.
Whilst the Industrial Revolution was boosting the British economy and creating a new middle class, age old problems of disease were still a major challenge. We will view DVDs showing how diseases such as typhoid, dysentery and cholera were finally brought under control in the wealthier parts of Europe.
