The Impact of Social Class Divisions on the Women of Victorian England :: essays research papers fc

The Impact of Social Class Divisions on the Women of Victorian England Two hundred years ago, during the reign of Queen Victoria in England, the social barriers of the Victorian class system firmly defined the roles of women. The families of Victorian England were divided into four distinct classes: the Nobility or Gentry Class, the Middle Class, the Upper Working Class, and lastly, the Lower Working class . The women of these classes each had their own traditional responsibilities. The specifics of each woman’s role were varied by the status of her family. Women were expected to adhere to the appropriate conventions according to their place in the social order . For women in Victorian England their lives were regulated by these rules and regulations, which stressed obedience, loyalty, and respect. The highest social class in Victorian England was the Nobility or Gentry class. The members of this class were those who inherited their land, titles, and wealth . Popular opinion at the time asserted that the noble class women led lives of lavish luxury and wedded bliss. "Ladies were ladies in those days; they did not do things themselves, they told others what to do and how to do it." It is apparent as to how this notion that the women of the noble class led lives of fortune. Social parties and balls were common festivities, which these women regularly attended. For many, dancing was a favorite pastime. To an outsider, it seemed that a lady of the gentry class had nothing short of an enviable existence. The lavish way of life these women exhibited was outwardly apparent in the fashions of the time . Noble class women were adorned in ornate dresses, extravagant jewels, and the finest accessories. The best way to describe the look of upper class women in Victorian England is to say that she looked like a porcelain doll . However, the lives of these women were not as easy as it may have seemed. In retrospect, their roles, although seemingly wonderful, were actually oppressive. They were taught to be obedient and loyal to their husbands . Their opinions were devalued, and they were thought of as nothing more than an accessory to their husbands. Furthermore, there was little security in terms of financial stability . Land, titles, and money were inherited by the closest male relative; typically the older son, but if there was no older son then the estate would go to a more distant relation.

Compromise of 1850

The Compromise of 1850 was a series of acts passed in 1850, by which the United States Congress hoped to settle the strife between the opponents of slavery in the North and slave owners in the South. There is much speculation about how our country would be without this Compromise. The Compromise is a major stepping stone in United States history because of its many forces and provisions. California's admission to the Union would tip the balance in favor of free states—sixteen free states to fifteen slave states. A balance had been achieved with the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which tried to settle the growing slavery issue at that time by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. The proposed admission of California in 1850 was further complicated by unresolved slavery questions in the vast southwestern territory that had been ceded to the United States after the war with Mexico ended in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. As he had done with the Missouri Compromise thirty years earlier, U. S. Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky attempted to find a solution in 1850. This time the stakes were higher—the real possibility that the Union would break apart. Now seventy-one years old and in ill health, Clay gave his last great speech to the Senate on February 5–6, 1850, outlining the many features of the compromise, which once again tried to give satisfaction to both sides, and staking his reputation upon its passage. It was Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois, though, who successfully crafted the measures. The Compromise of 1850 called for the admission of California as a free state as well as the organization of the ceded southwestern land into the territories of New Mexico and Utah, without mention of slavery. It stated that, when the territories became states, voting citizens living in those territories could then decide on their slavery status, a solution known as popular sovereignty. The compromise also settled the boundary dispute between Texas and New Mexico and called for prohibition of slavery in the District of Columbia. But by far the most contentious part of the Compromise of 1850 was the Fugitive Slave Act. It was the second of such acts, the first having been passed in 1793. Southern states demanded it largely in response to the growing number of fugitive slaves who were escaping to freedom in the North or into Canada. The act not only called for the return of runaway slaves, as the previous law had done, but prohibited the fugitives a trial by jury or even to testify in their own behalf. In addition, marshals in the North who did not enforce the law were given heavy penalties, as were those who helped slaves to escape. The act was so severe and the outrage against it in the North so intense that it led to heavy abuses and therefore defeated its own purpose. Some Northern states passed personal liberty laws to defy the Fugitive Slave Act. The number of escapees increased, as did the number of abolitionists who took up the cause against slavery. Putting the law into effect only led to more animosity between North and South, and when South Carolina justified its secession from the Union in December 1860, it listed the personal liberty laws as one of its grievances. The Fugitive Slave Act was not repealed until June 28, 1864, well into the Civil War. The Compromise of 1850 accomplished what it set out to do — it kept the nation united — but the solution was only temporary. Over the following decade the country's citizens became further divided over the issue of slavery. The rift would continue to grow until the nation itself divided. Compromise of 1850 The Compromise of 1850 was a series of acts passed in 1850, by which the United States Congress hoped to settle the strife between the opponents of slavery in the North and slave owners in the South. There is much speculation about how our country would be without this Compromise. The Compromise is a major stepping stone in United States history because of its many forces and provisions. California's admission to the Union would tip the balance in favor of free states—sixteen free states to fifteen slave states. A balance had been achieved with the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which tried to settle the growing slavery issue at that time by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. The proposed admission of California in 1850 was further complicated by unresolved slavery questions in the vast southwestern territory that had been ceded to the United States after the war with Mexico ended in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. As he had done with the Missouri Compromise thirty years earlier, U. S. Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky attempted to find a solution in 1850. This time the stakes were higher—the real possibility that the Union would break apart. Now seventy-one years old and in ill health, Clay gave his last great speech to the Senate on February 5–6, 1850, outlining the many features of the compromise, which once again tried to give satisfaction to both sides, and staking his reputation upon its passage. It was Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois, though, who successfully crafted the measures. The Compromise of 1850 called for the admission of California as a free state as well as the organization of the ceded southwestern land into the territories of New Mexico and Utah, without mention of slavery. It stated that, when the territories became states, voting citizens living in those territories could then decide on their slavery status, a solution known as popular sovereignty. The compromise also settled the boundary dispute between Texas and New Mexico and called for prohibition of slavery in the District of Columbia. But by far the most contentious part of the Compromise of 1850 was the Fugitive Slave Act. It was the second of such acts, the first having been passed in 1793. Southern states demanded it largely in response to the growing number of fugitive slaves who were escaping to freedom in the North or into Canada. The act not only called for the return of runaway slaves, as the previous law had done, but prohibited the fugitives a trial by jury or even to testify in their own behalf. In addition, marshals in the North who did not enforce the law were given heavy penalties, as were those who helped slaves to escape. The act was so severe and the outrage against it in the North so intense that it led to heavy abuses and therefore defeated its own purpose. Some Northern states passed personal liberty laws to defy the Fugitive Slave Act. The number of escapees increased, as did the number of abolitionists who took up the cause against slavery. Putting the law into effect only led to more animosity between North and South, and when South Carolina justified its secession from the Union in December 1860, it listed the personal liberty laws as one of its grievances. The Fugitive Slave Act was not repealed until June 28, 1864, well into the Civil War. The Compromise of 1850 accomplished what it set out to do — it kept the nation united — but the solution was only temporary. Over the following decade the country's citizens became further divided over the issue of slavery. The rift would continue to grow until the nation itself divided.

Colleges Where 75% of Students Score 30 - 36 on the ACT

When youre considering to which college or university to apply, sometimes its helpful to browse through schools who have students scoring similarly on the ACT as you did. If your ACT scores are completely lower or higher than 75% of the students who were accepted to a particular school, perhaps youd be better off searching for a school where students are more in your range, although exceptions are certainly made all the time. This is a list of colleges and universities where 75% of the accepted students scored above or at a 30 - 36 composite score on the ACT. What does this mean? The following schools are accepting students who are scoring at the top of the ACT range! If you have scored between 30 – 36 and all your other credentials fit – GPA, extracurricular activities, recommendation letters, etc. – then perhaps one of these schools would be a good fit. Please keep in mind that this list is for the composite ACT score – youll see ACT scores a bit lower on particular sections (English, Mathematics, Reading, Science Reasoning), but the composite scores are always between 30 - 36. More ACT Score Information How to Understand Score PercentilesAverage National ACT ScoresACT Scoring 101: Scaled Vs. Raw 1. Amherst College Amherst, MassachusettsWebsite: http://www.amherst.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3075th Percentile: 34 2. Bowdoin College Brunswick, MaineWebsite: http://www.bowdoin.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3175th Percentile: 33 3. California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CaliforniaWebsite: http://www.caltech.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3375th Percentile: 35 4. Colgate University Hamilton, New YorkWebsite: http://www.coldgate.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3075th Percentile: 32 5. Columbia University New York, New YorkWebsite: http://www.columbia.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3275th Percentile: 35 6. Cornell University Ithaca, New YorkWebsite: http://www.cornell.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3075th Percentile: 33 7. Dartmouth College Hanover, New HampshireWebsite: http://www.dartmouth.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3075th Percentile: 34 8. Duke University Durham, North CarolinaWebsite: http://www.duke.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3075th Percentile: 34 9. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering Needham, MassachusettsWebsite: http://www.olin.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3375th Percentile: 34 10. Harvard University Cambridge, MassachusettsWebsite: http://www.harvard.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3275th Percentile: 35 11. Harvey Mudd College Claremont, CaliforniaWebsite: http://www.hmc.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3375th Percentile: 35 12. Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MarylandWebsite: http://www.jhu.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3075th Percentile: 33 13. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MassachusettsWebsite: http://web.mit.edu/student/ ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3275th Percentile: 35 14. Middlebury College Middlebury, Vermont Website: http://www.middlebury.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3075th Percentile: 33 15. Northwestern University Evanston, IllinoisWebsite: http://www.northwestern.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3175th Percentile: 34 16. Princeton University Princeton, New JerseyWebsite: http://www.princeton.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3175th Percentile: 35 17. Rice University Houston, TexasWebsite: http://www.rice.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3075th Percentile: 34 18. Stanford University Stanford, CaliforniaWebsite: http://www.stanford.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3175th Percentile: 34 19. Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PennsylvaniaWebsite: http://www.swarthmore.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3075th Percentile: 33 20. Tufts University Medford, MassachusettsWebsite: http://www.tufts.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3075th Percentile: 33 21. University of Chicago Chicago, IllinoisWebsite: http://www.uchicago.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3175th Percentile: 34 22. University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IndianaWebsite: http://www.nd.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3175th Percentile: 34 23. University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaWebsite: http://www.upenn.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3075th Percentile: 34 24. Vanderbilt University Nashville, TennesseeWebsite: http://www.vanderbilt.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3275th Percentile: 34 25. Washington University in St. Louis Saint Louis, MissouriWebsite: http://www.wustl.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3275th Percentile: 34 26. Williams College Williamstown, MassachusettsWebsite: http://www.williams.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3075th Percentile: 34 27. Yale University New Haven, ConnecticutWebsite: http://www.yale.edu ACT Composite: 25th Percentile: 3175th Percentile: 35