Culture and Anarchy: An Essay in Political and Social Criticism

The Victorian Era (1837-1901) is named after the reign of Queen Victoria, the ruling monarch of England and its wider empire during that time period. Over the course of the Victorian Era, England underwent radical and significant transformations politically, economically, and culturally.

Politically, England had risen to be the dominant world power, boasting the largest empire the world had ever seen. England’s extensive reach from Canada to India and beyond gave it enormous influence and prestige on the world stage while also reinforcing the stability of the monarchy under the long-lived Victoria. There were also important political changes occurring at home within England’s borders with the rise of what Matthew Arnold refers to in Culture and Anarchy as the “Populace” (see: Index of Terms): the lower- and working-class English subjects, who increasingly flocked to urban centers in search of work in the many factories springing up. The growing working-class portion of society began to form trade unions and agitate for significant political reforms, such as extended suffrage (i.e., the right to vote) and greater protections for laborers. Working-class demands for fairer employment conditions, better political representation, and easier access to education all created unique political pressures in what had traditionally been a political establishment dedicated to protecting the interests of the upper classes.