Britain in 1815 began a century of rapid change: industrialization expanded rapidly; railroads and telegraphs brought transportation and communication revolutions; a series of political reforms produced a democratic nation; sanitation, health and education improved, as did working conditions; new thinking in religion, science and the arts upended old ideas. By 1913, Britain was a modern, prosperous, and confident nation.
In our SDG, we will be guided by the award winning historian (and novelist) Peter Ackroyd, author of our core book Dominion. Ackroyd is known for his narrative style and, in Dominion, he presents a chronological account of the years from Waterloo to Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee with a focus on Britain’s political upheavals, industrial expansion, cultural renaissance and imperial domination.
Each week we will supplement our Ackroyd reading with related sections from historian Susie Steinbach’s Understanding the Victorians: Politics, Culture and Society in Nineteenth-Century Britain. Steinbach covers the social history of Britain with its focus on everyday life, class structures, gender roles and social movements.
Using both of these sources allows us to dive deeply into the historical significance of events as we analyze the intersection of the social, cultural, economic and political changes that shaped the era.
In addition to our weekly reading of 50 to 60 pages, we will encourage our participants to research topics and share results with the group. Please note that Dominion is available on Amazon and we will supply the Steinbach book in pdf format.
Peter Ackroyd, Dominion: The History of Britain from the Battle of Waterloo to Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, 2018.
Susie Steinbach, Understanding the Victorians: Politics, Culture and Society in Nineteenth-Century Britain, 2012 (will be provided by the coordinators in pdf format).