them to fall back down to and in some cases below pre-industrial levels, creating more time for leisure.

Economy, industry, and trade

Before the Industrial Revolution, daily life had changed little for hundreds of years. The 19th century saw rapid technological development with a wide range of new inventions. This led Great Britain to become the foremost industrial and trading nation of the time. Historians have characterised the mid-Victorian era (1850-1870) as Britain's 'Golden Years', with national income

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