Victorian America
Encyclopedia
The Victorian Era
is a name for the period from 1837 to 1901, the length of the rule of Britain's Queen Victoria. American Victorianism was an offshoot of this period and lifestyle that occurred in the United States
, chiefly in heavily populated regions such as New England
and the Deep South
. The name was derived from the reign of Queen
Victoria
, which reflected the heavy British cultural influence on the nation during the time.
As American
business people of the Second Industrial Revolution
created sprawling industrial towns and cities in the Northeast, the growing upper class of the Gilded Age
mimicked the high society of their former mother country
in dress
, morality
, and mannerisms
. The period included various activities: the Second Industrial Revolution
, the Women's suffrage movement, and Republican
political domination.
." The wealthy were not yet sure what it was to be an American and they showed their uncertainty by borrowing heavily from European culture, especially French culture. Old money people ate French cuisine prepared by French cooks imported from France and drank French wines. Often, these families would buy up the entire stocks of a French vineyard for their house.
These wealthy families were always striving to keep ahead of the middle-class as the middle-class continually tried to imitate those who were wealthier. In the mid-19th century, only the rich owned private carriages, but, by the 1840s the middle class had begun to imitate this behavior. The rich then began to move to the suburbs, called "uptown," to get away from the noise, congestion, crowds, and dirt of the inner cities.
As streetcars become more popular, the middle-class also move to the suburbs and the rich move further out in the 1860s to places like Long Island
. Here, the rich built large country estates similar to those found in England with orchards and gardens. Now in the countryside, the rich had to take the train
into the cities. As the rich did not work but hired middle-class managers, they could afford the expense of trains.
By the 1890s, the cost of a train ticket had dropped far enough that the middle class could now afford to commute on trains. To set themselves apart, the rich sought out communities such as Newport, RI, where there were few economic opportunities. The rich also began to winter in warm states, like Florida. As this behavior began to catch on in the middle class in the 20th century, the rich began to vacation overseas in Europe.
These old rich showed off for the middle class, but there was also heavy competition within the class itself. Houses in Victorian America were elaborate fantastical affairs with a combination of different architectural styles. Turrets, gable
s, bright colors, false fronts and false chimneys were common. The rich also competed in the community to prove their wealth.
Unlike in Europe, all arts funding was through private donations and not government funding. These wealthy people donated money to found opera houses, symphony orchestras and art museums. Two competing art museums were founded in San Francisco by two competing families, each trying to best the other through their museum. The rich also funded charities and institutions such as hospitals and colleges.
The Industrial Revolution
was partly responsible for the lifestyle of the wealthy, but a body of new rich who threatened the status of the old rich. Culturally, these new rich were very different, who grew up with American food that was simpler then the old rich's French cuisine. However, many of the new rich converted to the Episcopalian
Church. To distance themselves from the new rich, the old rich created "society
" made up of "proper families." Newly rich people could not easily join society, except perhaps in New York City
, where they could buy their way in, but their children could if they married into an old family.
, until Queen Victoria's death in 1901. The Civil War was a time of awareness and change in American culture. 750,000 Americans died during the war out of a population of 31 million. Among men aged 18–35 about 20% had died by the end of the war. The Victorian culture in the United States was very much a reflection of the aftermath of the war. Victorian architecture
clearly reflects this point. Victorian homes were very elaborate and evoked romantic fairy-tale images with the many turrets, gargoyles, and bright colors. The interiors were dark with mahogany, curtains and wall to wall carpeting. Houses were the only place where the "stiff upper lip" attitude was relaxed and emotion could be displayed.
. New money was acceptable only if the individual was very wealthy or if the individual was the child of new money and had married into an established family.
Society members were often related by blood, marriage, or business to one another. Society also held debutante balls (still held in parts of the US) where young women would "come out" at 18 and be introduced to all the eligible young society men. In one season, there would be 18 or 20 balls.
Parties held by society members were very elaborate with each party trying to outdo every other party. At one party, all the women received diamond necklaces as party favors while the men were given cigars made out of dollar bills to smoke. Most Victorian mansions had ballrooms with orchestras. Reports of the parties were published in the social papers in newspapers.
and as individuals became wealthy from the Industrial Revolution
they converted to Episcopalian. Episcopalian churches had a British
feel and were very ritualistic. Some of the old money were Unitarian
or Quaker and only a few were Catholic
. New York City
tended to be more open about religion than cities like Boston
.
Architecture of the Victorian era was very elaborate, romantic, and emotional. The architecture of the house advertised the amount of money that the owner had. Houses were very large with many small rooms: each room had a particular function "a place for everything and everything in its place." Houses had ballrooms, morning rooms, sitting rooms, libraries, piano rooms, etc. Houses often were set in the middle or towards the back of lots. The exteriors of houses were often brightly colored with false fronts and false chimneys. The interiors were dark with heavy drapes, dark wood, dark wall paper, and wall to wall carpeting. Many houses had two hallways and two staircases, one grand for company, and one plain for the children and servants. The staircase for guests allowed for dramatic entrances. The back halls and private rooms were not decorative and were plain with whitewash and wooden floors. The public areas of the house were displays of wealth and virtue. It was an age of was materialism, and Victorian houses were correspondingly larger. The Victorians also despised pragmatism and hid the functions of furnishings.
Cities expanded rapidly under the onslaught of immigrants and from 1880-1900 New York City grew from 1.9 million to 3.4 million. These immigrants settled in the North and obtained poorly paid jobs in factories. Housing was crowded, poorly ventilated, and unsanitary. Some blocks in New York City had as many as 10,000 residents, all living in buildings no higher than six stories. Some rooms in tenement houses had no outside windows or air ducts. Cities grew much faster than resources, so indoor plumbing and sewage were inadequate. Tenement buildings often had their own well in the basement, where the sewer drained, that tenants could use for water. However, in the summer, the water table often dropped below the level of the pump for many hours of the day. Child labor was common due to intense poverty.
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
is a name for the period from 1837 to 1901, the length of the rule of Britain's Queen Victoria. American Victorianism was an offshoot of this period and lifestyle that occurred in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, chiefly in heavily populated regions such as New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and the Deep South
Deep South
The Deep South is a descriptive category of the cultural and geographic subregions in the American South. Historically, it is differentiated from the "Upper South" as being the states which were most dependent on plantation type agriculture during the pre-Civil War period...
. The name was derived from the reign of Queen
Queen regnant
A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
, which reflected the heavy British cultural influence on the nation during the time.
As American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
business people of the Second Industrial Revolution
Second Industrial Revolution
The Second Industrial Revolution, also known as the Technological Revolution, was a phase of the larger Industrial Revolution corresponding to the latter half of the 19th century until World War I...
created sprawling industrial towns and cities in the Northeast, the growing upper class of the Gilded Age
Gilded Age
In United States history, the Gilded Age refers to the era of rapid economic and population growth in the United States during the post–Civil War and post-Reconstruction eras of the late 19th century. The term "Gilded Age" was coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their book The Gilded...
mimicked the high society of their former mother country
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
in dress
Victorian fashion
Victorian fashion comprises the various fashions and trends in British culture that emerged and grew in province throughout the Victorian era and the reign of Queen Victoria, a period which would last from June 1837 to January 1901. Covering nearly two thirds of the 19th century, the 63 year reign...
, morality
Victorian morality
Victorian morality is a distillation of the moral views of people living at the time of Queen Victoria's reign and of the moral climate of the United Kingdom throughout the 19th century in general, which contrasted greatly with the morality of the previous Georgian period...
, and mannerisms
Victorianism
Victorianism is the name given to the attitudes, art, and culture of the later two-thirds of the 19th century. This usage is strong within social history and the study of literature, less so in philosophy. Many disciplines do not use the term, but instead prefer Victorian Era, or simply "Late 19th...
. The period included various activities: the Second Industrial Revolution
Second Industrial Revolution
The Second Industrial Revolution, also known as the Technological Revolution, was a phase of the larger Industrial Revolution corresponding to the latter half of the 19th century until World War I...
, the Women's suffrage movement, and Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
political domination.
Culture
Victorian America was a time of uncertainty for the Americans with "old moneyOld Money
Old money is "the inherited wealth of established upper-class families " or "a person, family, or lineage possessing inherited wealth." The term typically describes a class of the super-rich, who have been able to maintain their wealth across multiple generations.- United States :American locations...
." The wealthy were not yet sure what it was to be an American and they showed their uncertainty by borrowing heavily from European culture, especially French culture. Old money people ate French cuisine prepared by French cooks imported from France and drank French wines. Often, these families would buy up the entire stocks of a French vineyard for their house.
These wealthy families were always striving to keep ahead of the middle-class as the middle-class continually tried to imitate those who were wealthier. In the mid-19th century, only the rich owned private carriages, but, by the 1840s the middle class had begun to imitate this behavior. The rich then began to move to the suburbs, called "uptown," to get away from the noise, congestion, crowds, and dirt of the inner cities.
As streetcars become more popular, the middle-class also move to the suburbs and the rich move further out in the 1860s to places like Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. Here, the rich built large country estates similar to those found in England with orchards and gardens. Now in the countryside, the rich had to take the train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
into the cities. As the rich did not work but hired middle-class managers, they could afford the expense of trains.
By the 1890s, the cost of a train ticket had dropped far enough that the middle class could now afford to commute on trains. To set themselves apart, the rich sought out communities such as Newport, RI, where there were few economic opportunities. The rich also began to winter in warm states, like Florida. As this behavior began to catch on in the middle class in the 20th century, the rich began to vacation overseas in Europe.
These old rich showed off for the middle class, but there was also heavy competition within the class itself. Houses in Victorian America were elaborate fantastical affairs with a combination of different architectural styles. Turrets, gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
s, bright colors, false fronts and false chimneys were common. The rich also competed in the community to prove their wealth.
Unlike in Europe, all arts funding was through private donations and not government funding. These wealthy people donated money to found opera houses, symphony orchestras and art museums. Two competing art museums were founded in San Francisco by two competing families, each trying to best the other through their museum. The rich also funded charities and institutions such as hospitals and colleges.
The Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
was partly responsible for the lifestyle of the wealthy, but a body of new rich who threatened the status of the old rich. Culturally, these new rich were very different, who grew up with American food that was simpler then the old rich's French cuisine. However, many of the new rich converted to the Episcopalian
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
Church. To distance themselves from the new rich, the old rich created "society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
" made up of "proper families." Newly rich people could not easily join society, except perhaps in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where they could buy their way in, but their children could if they married into an old family.
Events
The Victorian era began in 1837, with the accession of Britain's Queen Victoria, and endured throughout upheavals such as the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, until Queen Victoria's death in 1901. The Civil War was a time of awareness and change in American culture. 750,000 Americans died during the war out of a population of 31 million. Among men aged 18–35 about 20% had died by the end of the war. The Victorian culture in the United States was very much a reflection of the aftermath of the war. Victorian architecture
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
clearly reflects this point. Victorian homes were very elaborate and evoked romantic fairy-tale images with the many turrets, gargoyles, and bright colors. The interiors were dark with mahogany, curtains and wall to wall carpeting. Houses were the only place where the "stiff upper lip" attitude was relaxed and emotion could be displayed.
Entertainment
Attitudes toward work and working greatly changed entertainment in Victorian America. Before the Civil War, everyone worked, even the very wealthy. Not working was scandalous. However, after the Civil War, this attitude changed and the wealthy began to hire middle-class managers to manage the day-to-day affairs of business leaving the wealthy to be lazy. The combination of more time coupled with larger cities with a higher concentration of wealthy lead to the creation of an upper-class subculture often referred to as "society." Society membership basically required one thing: old moneyOld Money
Old money is "the inherited wealth of established upper-class families " or "a person, family, or lineage possessing inherited wealth." The term typically describes a class of the super-rich, who have been able to maintain their wealth across multiple generations.- United States :American locations...
. New money was acceptable only if the individual was very wealthy or if the individual was the child of new money and had married into an established family.
Society members were often related by blood, marriage, or business to one another. Society also held debutante balls (still held in parts of the US) where young women would "come out" at 18 and be introduced to all the eligible young society men. In one season, there would be 18 or 20 balls.
Parties held by society members were very elaborate with each party trying to outdo every other party. At one party, all the women received diamond necklaces as party favors while the men were given cigars made out of dollar bills to smoke. Most Victorian mansions had ballrooms with orchestras. Reports of the parties were published in the social papers in newspapers.
Religion
Most of the old money were EpiscopalianEpiscopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
and as individuals became wealthy from the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
they converted to Episcopalian. Episcopalian churches had a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
feel and were very ritualistic. Some of the old money were Unitarian
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
or Quaker and only a few were Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
. New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
tended to be more open about religion than cities like Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
.
Architecture and Furnishing
Poverty
The Victorian Era in America was also a time of massive immigration. This wave of immigrants, referred to as the Third Wave (1880–1914), consisted of immigrants mostly from Southern and Eastern Europe. German and Scandinavian were very common.| Decade | Number of German Immigrants | Number of Scandinavian Immigrants |
|---|---|---|
| 1830s | 152,454 | 1,202 |
| 1840s | 434,626 | 13,903 |
| 1850s | 951,667 | 20,931 |
| 1860s | 787,468 | 109,298 |
| 1870s | 718,182 | 211,245 |
| 1880s | 1,452,970 | 568,362 |
| 1890s | 505,152 | 321,281 |
| Total | 7,176,071 | 2,163,047 |
Cities expanded rapidly under the onslaught of immigrants and from 1880-1900 New York City grew from 1.9 million to 3.4 million. These immigrants settled in the North and obtained poorly paid jobs in factories. Housing was crowded, poorly ventilated, and unsanitary. Some blocks in New York City had as many as 10,000 residents, all living in buildings no higher than six stories. Some rooms in tenement houses had no outside windows or air ducts. Cities grew much faster than resources, so indoor plumbing and sewage were inadequate. Tenement buildings often had their own well in the basement, where the sewer drained, that tenants could use for water. However, in the summer, the water table often dropped below the level of the pump for many hours of the day. Child labor was common due to intense poverty.
See also
- Gilded AgeGilded AgeIn United States history, the Gilded Age refers to the era of rapid economic and population growth in the United States during the post–Civil War and post-Reconstruction eras of the late 19th century. The term "Gilded Age" was coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their book The Gilded...
- Victorian architectureVictorian architectureThe term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
- Victorian decorative artsVictorian decorative artsVictorian decorative arts refers to the style of decorative arts during the Victorian era. The Victorian era is known for its eclectic revival and interpretation of historic styles and the introduction of cross-cultural influences from the middle east and Asia in furniture, fittings, and Interior...
- Victorian eraVictorian eraThe Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
- Victorian fashionVictorian fashionVictorian fashion comprises the various fashions and trends in British culture that emerged and grew in province throughout the Victorian era and the reign of Queen Victoria, a period which would last from June 1837 to January 1901. Covering nearly two thirds of the 19th century, the 63 year reign...
- Victorian literatureVictorian literatureVictorian literature is the literature produced during the reign of Queen Victoria . It forms a link and transition between the writers of the romantic period and the very different literature of the 20th century....
- Victorian moralityVictorian moralityVictorian morality is a distillation of the moral views of people living at the time of Queen Victoria's reign and of the moral climate of the United Kingdom throughout the 19th century in general, which contrasted greatly with the morality of the previous Georgian period...
- VictorianismVictorianismVictorianism is the name given to the attitudes, art, and culture of the later two-thirds of the 19th century. This usage is strong within social history and the study of literature, less so in philosophy. Many disciplines do not use the term, but instead prefer Victorian Era, or simply "Late 19th...