The Temperance Movement in Victorian England - Essay Example

Industrial Revolution, Agricultural Revolution and growth of imperial power of England made it unbeaten in the world. Developments in the fields of art and literature were comparable to the Elizabethan age. All these greatly influenced the social conditions and interactions of the different classes of contemporary English people and Temperance movement was one of the examples of it. In short, like the second half of the sixteenth century, there developed another ‘Golden Age.’ As part of their religious belief, in the eighteenth century, people from upper class and middle class societies would dish up and drank wine at their dinners.

Gradually, moderate use of wine among the people became unrestrained status. Studies mention that “the earliest temperance associations were founded in Scotland in 1830, but the movement soon came South and similar groups were established in Preston and other industrial towns” (Hope UK, n.d.). Temperance Movement had kept an eye on moderated use of alcohol and motivated people about the necessity of self control or moderation in drinking. Excessive use of alcohol seriously affected working class people and it paved the way for severe social inconvenience.

Number of social organizations and welfare movements has emerged during the end of 17th century and worked aligned with the evil effects of alcohol consumption. In the beginning, Rev. John Edgar, Belfast professor of theology gave spiritual guidelines. Then Joseph Livesey made some remarkable progress in Temperance Movement. Temperance Movement is not only a political or religious movement, but also an artist’s propaganda against the evils of drinking. As a social reform movement against alcohol, Teetotal Movement registered its name through the concept of “total abstinence from alcohol.

” Leaders of Temperance and Teetotal movements have caught the attention of eminent personalities from art, literature and religion. Victorian poet Tennyson, novelist Charles Dickens, George Cruickshank and William Hogarth marked their conscious effort in promoting awareness programs related with Temperance Movement. The evils of drinking had coined direct and indirect consequences in Victorian society. Members of working- class community have faced bitter consequences than middle-class and upper class people.

Industrialization and related events contributed a new system in work field and service sector. Workers in large scale industries and factories often tend to follow drinking as an essential means of entertainment because of heavy workload and limited opportunities of amusement. Without a doubt, the main focus of the Temperance Movement was the elimination of drinking habits among the working-class people who lived in Victorian England. Historians have identified number of reasons which promoted physical backgrounds for the formation of the Temperance Movement.

The study of Temperance Movement permits the reader to comprehend the class struggles of Victorian society in which social status designed everything. Excessive drinking nature among the workers in factories made a payment to many other problems such as serious health issues, increased rate of criminal activities, problem of child labour and economic crisis.