1837–1901
The Victorian age: the Empire at its height
After Napoleon was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, Britain entered a long period of peace and growing wealth. George III's sons, George IV and William IV, reigned in turn, but neither left a legitimate heir, so the crown passed to William IV's niece. Queen Victoria was only 18 when she became queen in 1837, and she stayed on the throne until 1901: almost 64 years in all. Britain has only ever had one Queen Victoria, so she has no number after her name. That long stretch of British history is called the Victorian Age.
It was a time when Britain's power and influence abroad kept growing. At home, the middle classes became more and more important, and some reformers worked to improve life for the poor.
The biggest empire in history
In Victoria's time the British Empire came to include all of India, Australia and large parts of Africa. No empire in history had ever been bigger: an estimated 400 million people or more lived in it.
People moved in both directions. The government encouraged British people to settle abroad, and between 1853 and 1913 as many as 13 million left the country. At the same time, people also came to Britain. Between 1870 and 1914 about 120,000 Russian and Polish Jews arrived to escape persecution, and many settled in London's East End, Manchester and Leeds. Others came from across the Empire, from India, Africa and elsewhere, to make their homes in Britain, to work or to study.
Quiz
How old was Queen Victoria when she became queen in 1837?
Victoria became queen at 18 and reigned until 1901, almost 64 years. Questions often mix up her age, the year she came to the throne and the length of her reign, so learn the three numbers together: 1837, aged 18, almost 64 years.
Quiz
During the Victorian period, the British Empire had an estimated population of more than how many people?
The Empire then covered all of India, Australia and large parts of Africa, with an estimated population of more than 400 million: the largest empire in history. 13 million is the number of British people who emigrated between 1853 and 1913, and 120,000 is the number of Russian and Polish Jews who came to Britain between 1870 and 1914.
Quiz
Between 1870 and 1914, many Russian and Polish Jews came to Britain to escape persecution. Apart from London's East End, which TWO cities did many of them settle in?
Many of these 120,000 or so Jewish migrants settled in London's East End, Manchester and Leeds. Glasgow and Cardiff are big cities too, but they are not the places named in this story.