Alecia
Greyhound Bus Depot- Week 6
BEFORE THE WAR


In Edwardian London, smog filled the air because of the many factories. As you can see, the factories are very polluting to the city. The factories contained many workers, of all ages and both genders. The picture at left is of a public meeting in a street in London.




Girls in the upper class were recognized mostly for their beauty. "Coming Out" was the term used for when a girl was presented to the public, to signify her adulthood to family and friends.




In Edwardian London, the streets were crammed and there was not enough housing to go around, to accommodate the many workers. To the left is Fleet Street. Many lived in dirty "slums" where it was common for one to catch chicken pox or diphtheria.



King Edward VII, crowned in 1902, was ruler of England at the time. He was not in approval of the liberals, and rejected the Peoples' Budget of 1909, a document said to be important to the economy. He had many mistresses and a couple of scandals, and enjoyed horseback riding, yachting, and going to theaters.



In 1903, the first electric trams were installed in London. Public Transportation became popular- and economic for the poor workers. It was an ideal way to get to and from work. Also, in 1906, the first international rugby match was held. It was between the nations of England and France.



In the Edwardian era, there was a large middle class, but not by our standards. The middle class were blue collar workers employed by factories. Also, crime was on the rise and it was common for pickpockets to stand on bridges and spit, using much foul language. Many complained about their experiences with 'the distracting noises and disorderly scenes in the main streets of our town on Sundays', which the council addressed and ordered for more police to be present in London. Left: St. Augustine’s bridge, 100 years ago.


AFTER THE WAR

After World War I, London seemed to be returning to normal, although the population had taken a substantial dive. Jazz was a popular musical style, and more people were migrating to London. The many subway systems being devised helped public transport, and imitating American fashions was popular.


The poor laboring class, however, still existed. Coal was a major business, but people in the business weren’t paid much. The TUC (trade union congress) called a strike for the coal miners. This was a milestone in British history because more than a million people showed up, and they resorted to armored cars to squelch the strike. Although not successful, the strike demonstrated the power in numbers.


Coal was not the only example of unions being made. Many other jobs created unions, including those from metal fields, woodsmen, railroad personnel, and telegraphers. Unions were popular at the time, and were sought to be a solution to the economic strife occurring in the country at the time.



After WWI, people were actually listening to women, probably due to their contribution during war times. Because there were certain jobs dedicated only to men, women pushed for the Sex Disqualification Act, in which one could not be disqualified from a job due to gender, in 1919. Also, women began to wear more comfortable clothing and feminist movements were growing.


To the left is a coin with King Edward VII on it. Imperialism was still at its peak in Britain after the war. However, the US’s economy was growing rapidly and replacing Britain as a major world power. Britain had rebounded in the past by exploiting its colonies for resources, but it still only accounted for 41% of world exports, a number that sharply decreased and had fallen to 15% in 1914. The British Empire, on which once the "sun never sets" had been substituted.



SOURCES (I used a lot of sources on this one)