Historical Context
Yorkshire, England
Setting of Wuthering Heights
The novel begins around the 1770s in Yorkshire, England and ends around 1802 in Yorkshire. Yorkshire is a county in England that is between the Pennines and the North Sea and is considered England’s largest historical county. During the end of the eighteenth century, the coal mining industry in the area prospered, and canals were dug for transportation. The industry in Yorkshire was helped by these improvements in transportation. Also, towards the beginning of the nineteenth century the population of Yorkshire grew rapidly. Now Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights are both depicted to be on the Yorkshire Moors, also called the North York Moors.
Victorian Era(1837-1901)
Emily Bronte published Wuthering Heights in 1847 during the Victorian Era.
When Queen Victoria ascended the throne in 1837, Britain had already started its transformation into a world power. Her reign lasted until her death in 1901. The Victorian Era was a time of prosperity, broad imperial expansion, and great political reform. It was also a time, which today we associate with “prudishness” and “repression.” Many members of this middle-class aspired to join the ranks of the nobles, and felt that acting “properly,” according to the conventions and values of the time, was an important step in that direction. The middle and lower classes were striving for higher social statuses. Among the lower classes the Chartist movement peaked as a democratic movement in 1838. The Chartist movement was the first mass movement driven by the working classes. The movement came with a petition which was drafted by the London Working Men’s Association. Also, during the early part of the era, the House of Commons was headed by the Whigs and the Conservatives, however the Whigs transformed into the Liberals in 1850. Part of the Victorian Era, 1850 to 1870, was considered the “Golden Years” of Britain because the national income per person grew by half. Much of the prosperity was due to the increasing industrialization. By the 1880s, 80% of Britain’s population lived in cities. The Victorian Era embraced urbanization and industrialization.
