The Victorian Era 1

1
The Victorian Era (1)

• Mr. Murphy

2
Introduction

• We need to understand how sports have developed
• Sport is an integral part of society changed
  through the three basic phases of British
  society
• Pre-industrial revolution
• Industrialisation (agriculturegtmanufacturing)
• Post industrial revolution/advanced technological
  society
• Changes in societygteffects on development of
  sports and recreation

3
Pre-Industrial Britain (pre-1750)

• Majority of population living in rural areas
• Upper/working class divide
• Occasional recreation retained tradition and
  known as popular recreation (e.g, mob football)
• Unwritten rules, physical force, lower class,
  limited structure, participation based,
  occasional

4
The Victorian Era (1839-1901)

• Industrial Revolution (1750-1850) already well
  established during this era
• 1800 1 in 5 lived in towns
• 1851 over 50 lived in towns
• 1880 75 lived in towns
• Urbanization change in working patterns
• Working in factories as opposed to fields
• COPY DIAGRAM ON P.161

5
The Victorian Era (1839-1901)

• By 1901 fewer than 10 of labour force worked
  in agriculture
• Population trebled during Industrial Revolution
• Constraints of a working week, lack of space
  effect on recreational opportunities?
• Material prosperity at a cost to quality of life

6
The Victorian Era (1839-1901)

• Early industrialisation - Recreational activities
  (for the working classes) began to disappear
• Increase in working hours, decrease in leisure
  time
• Many activities banned lost working hours and
  productivity
• Low spending power in reality
• Urban setting inappropriate environment for
  playing sports

7
The Victorian Era (1839-1901)

• Reform and Factory Act (1832), Ten Hours Act
  (1847), Factory Act (1878), trade unions
  introduced
• Less working hours, bank holidays, more
  disposable income
• Developments in
• Science, Transport, Rational Recreation, Social
  Reform and Education began to influence sporting
  participation.
• Use text books p. 163/165 to bullet point key
  aspects of each section
• - how did sport change alongside society?

8
Homework

• Bullet point key aspects of the British Empire
  and the Church in terms of their effect on sport
  and recreation during the Victorian Era. Be able
  to provide a definition of Muscular Christianity