A Study On British Sports In Victorian Ear(1837-1901)

The development history of British sports in the Victorian era was explored by using the methods of literature and historical analysis in this research.Firstly,the author introduces the traditional characteristics of sports in England before the Victorian era,and then discusses the origin of modern sports in England from the historical background of civilization process,religious reform and industrial revolution;On this basis,it further discusses the development process of modern British sports in the Victorian era,as well as the diffusion and growth of British sports in other United Kingdoms and overseas colonies.Research findings:In British history,sports has always been an important part of British culture and an important embodiment of national spirit.In the long period of time,the British sports possesses a unique national characteristic.Traditional English sports are closely related to people's religious and rural life.Simultaneously,there is a clear class concept in the traditional British sports,and it is bound up with barbarism and violence.Since entering the historical stage of industrial capitalism,British society has achieved the high development of material civilization such as lifestyle,medical care and communication technology,as well as the spiritual civilization such as traditional customs,code of conduct and aesthetic taste.In the changing social environment,a part of British traditional sports is gradually disappearing,while the other is constantly developing and evolving and realizing the modern transformation.In the Victorian era,British makes great development in terms of politics,economy and culture.Great changes have taken place in the way of production,way of life,class order and belief system of the British public,and the British sports are moving towards modernization in an all-round way.The British sports concept has realized its modernization,that is,the rise of the sense of physical fitness,owning to the redefinition of sports value by the British public,the scientific development of British education and the formation of “ Muscular Christianity” perception.Since then,the role of sport in the education system has become more and more important,which has promoted the formation of modern school sports ideology in Britain,and it has penetrated into the fields of public education,advanced education and girl's school.The distinctive features of athletic sports in Victorian England are the formation of “gentleman sport” and amateurism principle.And the development of professional sports in Britain has shown a rapid momentum.In the debate between amateurism and professional sports on the concept of athletics,many modern British sports have developed rapidly and gradually become popular,such as track and field,rugby,rowing,etc.Under the influence of industrial revolution and urbanization,the development of British mass sports in Victorian era is integrated into the mainstream culture system of British society.Sports participation has penetrated into all levels of British society,with the rise and development of women's sports,workers' sports and sports gambling.During the Victorian era,sport played an important role in maintaining and promoting social integration and solidarity in the United Kingdom and overseas colonies of the British empire.Without uncertainty,British sports are also subject to different forms and degrees of resistance in the process of entering other United Kingdom and overseas colonies,due to the existence of different races and cultural background in British society itself.The Welsh did not show a strong sense of resistance,on the contrary,they tried to adopted to and acquired the mainstream British sports culture;The Scots showed a altitude of neither total obedience nor complete exclusion towards British culture and sports,evolving interactively in integration and conflict.However,the Irish expressed a strong sense of resistance towards the introduction of British sports and its culture,which directly triggered Irish political nationalism in sports level.The dissemination and development of British sports in South Africa,New Zealand and Barbados shows that sports,as a soft culture,seems to be more effective than powerful political and tough military deterrence in promoting the cultural identity of the colonies and maintaining the loyalty culture between the British Empire and the colonies.