Victorian Values In CanadaSocial Studies 10:

Fashion in 2014. “Best Dressed at the Golden Globes”

Fashion in 1850. “Best Dressed in Victorian Canada”

Victorian Values in Canada• So now that we have an idea of what our values and

beliefs are in Canadian society are today, let’s rewind the clock to the time period we are focusing on: 1840 to 1867

• As we know, the 1837 Rebellion and Act of Union of 1840 have just occurred

• Upper and Lower Canada have been united and now have responsible government

• Although the Canadas have gained some independence from Great Britain we must still be aware that Great Britain and the monarchy still greatly impacted Canadian life

Victorian Values in Canada

- Queen Victoria was now the ruler of the British Empire

- While Queen, she was the largest influence on the British Empire

- Her values, beliefs and attitudes were adopted by people who did not even live in Great Britain

- Many Canadians were influenced in their daily lives by her values

- Because of Queen Victoria, Canadian society changed drastically during this time period

Queen Victoria’s Reign 1837-1901

Modeling the Queen

• Victorian Values were:1. Work hard2. Success in business and dealing with others3. Have attitude: confidence in themselves. Swag.4. Religion was very important. Christian based5. Status: Show wealth, snobbery, show superiority

over others who were non-British6. Materialistic: Showed wealth through large

houses, beautiful decorations and expensive clothing

7. Always act proper

Modeling the Queen In Canada

• These Victorian values were also in Canada at these times. Many Canadians were still loyal to Great Britain, and many even viewed themselves as being British

• Consequently this meant they would follow Victorian values– Following Victorian values meant, that essentially

Great Britain was Canada’s role model– Canada copied British fashion, decorating, building

which were all related to Victorian values

Victorian Women• Victorian Women in Canada:

• Women still were not equal to men• Women did not have suffrage

and still could not own property• Victorian women were to

always be fully clothed, not to show any skin to show how proper they were

- Their dresses would be made out of the finest clothes to show wealth and status

- They would have material goods: Such as parasols to show wealth

Victorian Men in Canada• To show their value of

wealth and material: Men dressed very well in Canada at the time– Suits and ties were common

even at sporting events– Even labourers who were

not as wealthy still attempted to dress fancy

– Remember: This was caused by Victorian values

Victorian Architecture in Canada• Large houses and buildings to show wealth and status:

Usually for large families• Usually churches were the greatest buildings in the entire

city, because of their importance and use in Victorian society

Architecture in London

Architecture in Toronto

Victorian Decoration in Canada• Large, heavy furniture, heavy curtain, smaller rooms• Numerous artifacts and decor: to us would seem cluttered. To Victorian

Canadians, this was normal• Decor were material goods to show wealth and status over others. Does

this still occur?• The poor would decorate their much smaller homes with cheaper decor

Victorian Skit Activity• - In your groups you have 10 minutes to plan a 1-2

minute skit:• - In this skit you will be an Upper Canadian family in

1840s Canada• - Your group is a family has just sat down at the dinner

table or is just about to sit down for dinner in their Victorian home

• You need to include your new knowledge of Victorian life and values

• In your skit, you must include all of the following:- A mention of Victorian fashion- A mention of gender roles at that time- A mention of the decorations in their home

Lastly: Creating Your Own Values- You have been sent back in time and are the

monarch of England- You will be creating your own set of values for

Canadians living during this time- You are to make your values in the best

interests of all Canadians during this time- Make sure they are relevant and use the

knowledge you have about this time period to guide you in creating your values

- Refer to the handout for more guidelines