Senior Paper

If someone was asked to describe a woman from the Victorian Age, it is likely he or she would describe the woman as someone whose sole purpose was to cook, clean, and raise children. This general assumption sums up the lives of many women that lived during the Victorian Age. Middle class Victorian women were not as privileged as women of the 21st century; they were expected to become obedient housewives that did not have any opinions of their own. Although they were typically very subservient in their actions, many women began to wish for the ability to make their own decisions. Many successful women emerged during the Victorian Age despite the restrictions on their lives. These women helped shape the era into what it is known as today. The Victorian Age is famous for introducing some of the most important women of the 19th century as well as the ludicrous underappreciation of women, which helped create the framework for a feminist movement across Britain after the era was over.
Out of all of the influential women that came from the Victorian Age, Queen Victoria is easily considered one of the most significant. Having the era named after her, Queen Victoria was one of the most illustrious leaders Great Britain has ever had. Alexandrina Victoria was born on May 24, 1819 in London. Her father died shortly after her birth, which made her the heir to the throne. She had three uncles that were ahead of her in the line of succession, and none of them had any living legitimate children. After her only remaining uncle died in 1837, Victoria was crowned on June 28, 1838. She was only eighteen years old. Queen Victoria's reign lasted until her death in 1901. Her time of rule lasted 64 years, which is the longest in British history. Queen Vi...

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...(Wojtczak, n.d.).
So, it is evident that women of the Victorian Age lived quite differently than women of the 21st century. It is hard to imagine that roughly a century and a half ago things that are now considered basic human rights were once denied to Victorian women. Some of the most famous women of the Victorian Age accomplished things that allowed women to make progress in things like leadership, literature, and medicine. Queen Victoria paved the way for female leaders of the future, Christina Rosetti’s writings set her apart as one of the greatest female writers of the 19th century, and Florence Nightingale’s contributions during the Crimean War helped establish the modern profession of nursing. Modern Britain would have been altered greatly without these three important women. These influential women and help embody everything the Victorian Age is known for.