The edwardian era

Major Events

• Reign of Kings Edward Vll and George V
• London Hosted the Summer Olympics (1908) 
• World War 1 through 1914-1918
• Women suffrage movement. Fully significant by 1928 
• Growing awareness of human rights (Universal Rights established in 1984)

Economy

• Led the world in trade
• Leisure over concerns of entrepreneurship
• Financial centre of the whole
• However, slow to react to changes in the global market
• But most people found it an Era of peace and plentiness

Social class mobility was previously seen as limited. Class structure was rigid, however, the increase in industry and allowed more people to work their way up. The Era was believed to be a 'Romantic Golden Age'.

People in poverty began to decline and domestic servants (male or female) were rare to have due to the increase of higher status work in industry. This meant people did not need to choose being a servant in order to make a living.

The rich

• The rich were much less concerned for matters of work
• All about leisure, sports, entertainment and fashion
• Saw the decline of the Corset and strict guide lines on clothing 
• A.M: "no one ever put the lost inches back on the hems of women's skirts"

Popular Writers

• Sir James Matthew Barrie: Peter Pan
• Joseph Conrad: Heart of Darkness
• H.G Wells (Sci Fi): The War of Worlds
• Saki (Hector Hugh Munro): Esme
• P. G Wodehouse (comedy): Jeeves and Wooster series

During the Era literature saw an increase in new genres of work such as: Science fiction, Comedy, Imaginism, fantasy and news publications.