The Crimean War

by Charles McLeod

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William Russell

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The Victorian era.

The Victorian era was a time of great change for Britain. Queen Victoria's reign lasted from 1837 until 1901. She was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Empress of India. When she died her reign had been the longest in British history and she became one of the best known figures not only in the British Empire but the world. She gave her name to an age- the age of Victorian Britain. The Victorian era was a period of technical invention. The railway network expanded across Britain and the invention of the telegraph and the rise of steam power increased communication. Britain would later in the 1880s become the starting point of the industrial revolution. Britain was a workshop of the world; this gave her great prestige and honour but not everyone shared in the wealth of this industrial age. The population was growing, and more and more people went to live in cities like Birmingham and Manchester in search of factory work. They often lived in crowded 'back to back' houses with poor sanitation which led to diseases such as Cholera and Typhoid. During the 1830s there were a series of reforms to try to sort out these problems. There were reforms in local government, factory and mines, public health and the 'Poor Laws'. Because of the industrial expansion Britain needed markets for her goods and raw materials which caused her to expand her empire to countries as far away as India. She therefore always kept a watchful eye on the expansion of other powers; especially Russia so that they did not take countries away from Britain.