MSSU ENG272 - Fall 2025

Driven by pent-up demand, rising incomes, and new technologies, the Postwar Consumer Boom (roughly 1945–1970s) resulted in widespread purchases of homes, cars, and appliances, suburbanization, the expansion of the middle class, and the emergence of contemporary consumer culture driven by credit and advertising. The transition from wartime to civilian manufacturing, greater free time, and the…

Due to the Great Depression, advertising changed into a more practical "hard sell" strategy in the 1930s, consolidating its influence on mass modern culture through its widespread use in print and radio media. The "hard sell," which was more direct and frequently used consumers' fears, such as the fear of social disgrace or health concerns, to promote items, replaced the upbeat, lifestyle-…

The exhibition, which was organized by Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, and Henry Cole, a civil official, sought to highlight the technological ingenuity and economic advancement of Britain and other countries following the economic Revolution. In addition to highlighting Britain's dominant position as an economic power, it was meant to foster international understanding,…

Driven by better fonts, cheaper printing, and technological advancements, the 1810s–1830s were a critical period for mass publishing and serialization, making literature accessible and affordable to audiences outside the elite. During this time, mass-market magazines like Godey's Lady's Book, inexpensive, portable serialized novels in magazines and newspapers (like Dickens' Pickwick Papers…

My map will include places that connect to the 6 woman I chose from this class's readings. 

These six locations mark the geography of childhood suffering across Britain and France: from Speenhamland where poor relief counted children like livestock to Fulbourn where the last climbing boy died, from Huskar Colliery's flooded mines to Parliament's Factory Acts that legalized exploitation, from the Somme's…

Britain's Industrial Revolution began in 1770, largely because of important apparel developments like Richard Arkwright's Water Frame (patented in 1769) and James Hargreaves' Spinning Jenny patent (1770), which mechanized yarn production, moving work from homes to factories and igniting mass production. Iron innovations, improved roads (Turnpikes), and the growth of finance all contributed to…

My map will lead to destinations where human rights have been defined and advocated for, linking to some of the greatest works of British Literature writers who were passionate about seeing the rights of all humans be acknowledged by the state. 

This timeline will give insight on impactful tragic events throughout British history that has shaped and inspired writers throughout the ages. 

This timeline traces the evolution of childhood exploitation through British literature from 1795 to 1918, revealing how each era crafted distinct rhetoric to justify abuse. From the Speenhamland System (1795) that made children economic calculations to George Brewster's death in a Fulbourn chimney (1875), from the…