A Christmas Carol Background
Mikah Striefel
Charles Dickens
Charles Jon Huffam Dickens Was born on Feb. 7, 1812, in Portsmouth, England. He was the second of eight children. His father, John Dickens, was a naval clerk who dreamed of striking it rich. Charles Dickens' mother, Elizabeth Barrow, aspired to be a teacher and school director. Despite his parents' best efforts, the family remained poor. In 1827,he had to drop out of school and work as an office boy to contribute to his family's income. As it turned out, the job became an early launching point for his writing career. Within a year of being hired, Dickens began freelance reporting at the law courts of London. Just a few years later, he was reporting for two major London newspapers, In 1833, he began submitting sketches to various magazines and newspapers under the pseudonym "Boz," In 1836, his clippings were published in his first book, sketches by Boz. Dickens' first success caught the eye of Catherine Hogarth, whom he soon married. Catherine would grace Charles with a brood of 10 children before the couple separated in 1858.
Industrial Revolution
the industrial revolution began in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Britain experienced change in all aspects of life, as a result of the industrial revolution. Scientific advances and technological innovations brought growth on agricultural and industrial production, economic expansion and changes in living conditions, while at the same time there was a new sense of national identity and civic pride. The most dramatic changes were witnessed in rural areas, where the provincial landscape often became urban and industrialized following advances in agriculture, industry and shipping. Wealth accumulated in the regions and there was soon a need for country banking.
Victorian Era
The Victorian Era usually is agreed to stretch the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). It was a tremendously exciting period when many artistic styles, literary schools, as well as, social, political and religious movements flourished. It was a time of prosperity, broad imperial expansion, and great political reform. It was also a time, which today we associate with "prudishness" and "repression". Without a doubt, it was and extraordinarily complex age, that has sometimes been called the Second English Renaissance. It is, however, also the beginning of Modern Times.
Child Labor & Poverty During Victorian Age
Child Labor was not an invention of the Industrial Revolution. Poor children have always started work as soon as their parents could find employment for them. But in much of the pre-industrial Britain, there simply was not very much work available for children. This changed with industrialization. The new factories and mines were in need for workers and required the execution of simple tasks that could easily be performed by children. The result was a surge in child labor - presenting a new kind of problem that the Victorian society had to tackle.