Fiche de révision : Victorian Britain and Public Health

📋 Plan du Cours

1. Le Public Health Act de 1875
2. Maladies et conditions de vie
3. Victoria et l’ère victorienne
4. Progrès, puissance et conflits
5. Pauvreté, religion et doute

📅 Repères chronologiques

1. from 1760 to 1840The first Industrial Revolution took place, and Victoria came to the throne during its early, frenetic phase.
2. 183231,000 people died.
3. June 20th, 1837William IV died and Victoria became the new Queen of the United Kingdom at the age of 18.
4. February 10th, 1840Victoria married Prince Albert, who became her closest advisor and went to Parliament with her.
5. 1861 and 1901Prince Albert died in 1861 and Queen Victoria died in 1901.
6. 1875The United Kingdom passed the Public Health Act as part of the Public Health Acts.

📖 1. Le Public Health Act de 1875

🔑 Notions clés & Définitions

• Public Health Act : An Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and a significant step in the advancement of public health in England.

💡 Astuce mémo

Accumulated filth and disease → the Public Health Act became a major step for public health.

📖 2. Maladies et conditions de vie

🔑 Notions clés & Définitions

• Common filth diseases : Cholera, typhoid, typhus and tuberculosis.

★ À maîtriser

• Accumulated dirt covered the streets, while human waste piled up in courtyards and ran through the streets because many people refused to pay night-soil men to empty cesspools.

• Many people had no access to toilets or water at home, so they used public toilets and a polluted water pump.

• The main causes of death were diseases and epidemics, followed by starvation and cold, and child mortality was high.

Compléments

• Poor living conditions included:
  • overcrowded houses
  • unclean homes
  • a lack of food

💡 Astuce mémo

Public toilets and polluted pumps contrasted with the lack of clean facilities at home.

📖 3. Victoria et l’ère victorienne

★ À maîtriser

• Queen Victoria’s reign lasted 63 years, and this period is called the Victorian Era.

Compléments

• Queen Victoria’s full name was Alexandrina Victoria, and she was born in 1819.

• Victoria and Albert had 9 children together.

💡 Astuce mémo

1837: accession; 1840: marriage; 1861: Albert’s death; 1901: Victoria’s death.

📖 4. Progrès, puissance et conflits

★ À maîtriser

• Industrialisation, urbanisation and technological progress took place during the Victorian period.

• In 1870, London became the financial and commercial capital of the world.

• The British Empire grew and became the first global industrial and military power, and Victoria became Empress of India.

Compléments

• The period also involved:

  • poor housing conditions
  • long working hours
  • infectious diseases
  • premature death

• Queen Victoria developed factories, cities, the British Empire, hospitals and railways, and the Victorian Era improved technology and industry in the country.

• The British Empire fought:

  • Russia
  • China
  • wars in South Africa

• Queen Victoria became depressed after her husband’s death.

💡 Astuce mémo

PPC: Progress, Power, Conflicts.

📖 5. Pauvreté, religion et doute

★ À maîtriser

• Spiritualism became important during the Victorian Era because people were fascinated by ghosts and supernatural phenomena.

• William Booth founded the Salvation Army, helped 11 million poor people and served at least 27 million hot meals.

• Darwin’s book On The Origin of Species, published in 1859, challenged religion.

Compléments

• The Ghost Club was created because of the Victorian fascination with ghosts and the supernatural.

• Christianity was important during the Victorian Era, and bosses obliged workers to go to church.

• Good behavior and politeness were Victorian values, and half of the population went to church every week.

• For sceptics, spirits were simply a subject of fascination and debate.

💡 Astuce mémo

Religion brought people to church, while Darwin’s book challenged religious beliefs.