1. What was life like in victorian England?

2.  A crew of
“navvies”
at work.
 A spike

3.  Queen Victoria (b. 24 May 1819)
reigned from 20 June 1837 until
22 January 1901.
 Her reign of 63 years and seven
months is known as the
“Victorian era”.
 It was a period of
industrial, cultural, political, scie
ntific, and military change
within the United Kingdom, and
was marked by a great expansion
of the British Empire.

7. The “railway mania”: In 1840 Britain only had 480 km of railways. A total of 6,220
miles (10,010 km) of railway line were built as a result of projects authorized
between 1844 and 1846.
A “ boom and bust” cycle.

8. Economic Social Political
Industry grew as the railways needed
coal and iron.
The railways provided jobs for the
navvies, drivers, guards etc…)
National newspapers, pamphlets
and newsletters could be delivered
much faster by train.
The transport of heavy materials
and other goods became much
cheaper.
Seaside resorts developed – the
railways made cheap day trips
possible.
The government could send soldiers
by train to stop political unrest and
protests.
Seaside resorts developed – the
railways made cheap day trips
possible.
Fresh meat, fish, milk and
vegetables could be delivered into
towns by the railway.
Political movements spread around
the country because members of
organisations could travel around
the country to drum up support.
Fresh meat, fish, milk and
vegetables could be delivered into
towns by the railway
Railways encouraged people to travel
further and this meant people could
move to different areas to find work.
People were willing to invest in
railway stocks and this boosted
Britain's economy.
The railways mixed regional cultures
because people from different
regions were able to meet.
One of Britain's biggest exports was
locomotives and train parts.
Many sports became regulated
because national competitions could
be set up for rugby, football and
cricket.
Turnpike trusts, canals and stage-
coach companies could not compete
with the speed of the railways.
British time became standardized
(GMT) because trains had to run to
a set timetable across the country.
Thousands of navvies suffered
injuries or even died while building
the railways.
Many houses were destroyed to
build large railway stations.