Where did Britain's wealth come from in the Victorian period?

Throughout the Victorian period, the British Empire became larger and wealthier.

Britain used its empire to gather many raw materials, such as cotton and tea, from across the globe and its colonies, such as India and South Africa. A colony was a country in the British Empire outside of the UK.

Using new steam-powered technology, Britain turned these materials into goods and became the ‘workshop of the world’.

Trading with other countries across the world made Britain incredibly wealthy, but it also created a large gap between the rich and poor.

The British Empire was a large group of countries that were ruled over by Britain. These included Canada, Jamaica, Kenya, India, and Australia.

It first began in the late 1500s under Queen Elizabeth I, but it reached its greatest power and size during the Victorian period when Queen Victoria ruled.

At this time, the British Empire covered around one-quarter of the world's land. It was often called ‘the empire on which the sun never sets’. This was because it was always daylight in at least one of the countries it ruled.

Queen Victoria was the head of the British Empire and was given the title 'Empress of India' in 1876. This showed how important India was in Britain's power.

Trade involves the buying and selling of different goods between people and countries.

Britain ruled over many countries which gave it access to different and valuable raw materials, such as:

• Tea, cotton, spices and timber from India
• Palm oil from West Africa
• Diamonds and gold from South Africa

Merchants used large ships to gather these materials cheaply and bring them back to British ports. These materials were then used to create more expensive goods that could be sold for a profit. For example, raw cotton was brought to Britain and turned into clothes and textiles in large factories.

Britain's powerful navy, and control of the merchant ships, helped the country grow its trade across the world. This was one of the reasons why Britain became one of the wealthiest and most powerful nations in the world.

Britain brought in raw materials cheaply from its empire. The invention of the steam engine in 1712, and improvement of it meant steamships and locomotives (trains) could be used to transport raw materials and finished products more quickly.

It also allowed factories to operate all day and night. This meant items like cloth, iron tools and pottery, could be quickly and cheaply produced in large amounts.

This activity led to Britain being known as the ‘workshop of the world.’ The goods made in British factories were sold and made the business owners money. This led to Britain becoming one of the wealthiest and most powerful nations in the world.

British merchants and business owners (who were part of the upper class) became wealthier. However, many people in Britain's colonies, such as India and South Africa, were treated poorly and worked in difficult conditions.

During the Industrial Revolution, a new middle-class grew very quickly. These Victorians owned and ran some of the businesses and factories which needed lots of different types of workers.

Working class people were often unskilled workers who worked hard and had dangerous jobs in factories and coal mines. They lived in overcrowded areas called slums that were often dirty and had no running water. This group included children.

Have a look at the thinking points below and think about your answer to each question. You could even write them down on a piece of paper or discuss them with somebody else if you want to.

• The British Empire grew significantly throughout the Victorian Period. Why do you think this played an important role in making Britain so wealthy?
• How do you think steam power changed the way Britain made and sold goods?
• By the end of the Victorian Period, Britain was very wealthy. How do you think this new wealth affected the gap between different groups of people?

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