How and why did the Victorians succeed?
From Samuel Hughes, in Works in Progress: The elites of Victorian Britain operated differently. Their schools and universities were not terribly academic and had very little STEM. As adults, they got up late, drank a lot, and spent a remarkable share of their waking hours partying. They loved feasting, sports, holidays, dancing, and dressing up. […] The post How and why did the Victorians…
The elites of Victorian Britain led unconventional lives compared to their contemporaries in other parts of the world. Their schools and universities, though not academically rigorous, placed little emphasis on STEM subjects. Socially elite Victorian boys started formal education at the age of seven or eight, spending approximately five years in preparatory schools before advancing to public schools, considered elite private institutions.
The Clarendon schools held the highest status, with Eton College being the pinnacle of this hierarchy.
About 30% of nineteenth-century cabinet ministers and 40% of prime ministers were Old Etonians, indicating a strong link between attending these prestigious schools and reaching positions of political power. Most students at both preparatory and public schools were boarders, meaning they were sent away from home by the age of eight and spent their childhoods primarily with peers rather than family members.
This was a distinctive aspect of the Victorian elite, as families in continental Europe and the United States were more likely to keep their children at home and educate them at smaller, local private schools.
The Victorian elites were known for their late start to the day, often procrastinating on waking up early. They were also characterized by their love for feasting, sports, holidays, dancing, and dressing up. Contrary to their reputation for being stodgy, they were likely a lot of fun. Despite these seemingly unconventional habits, the dominance of the Victorian elites in British society remains a subject of intrigue.
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