Victorians Abroad: Travellers, Tourists, Adventurers (abstract)

Abstract

Scholars studying British history agree that travel was made more accessible in the nineteenth century and travel by train is held to be one of the main reasons for the increased numbers of British travellers, both locally and internationally. However, I argue that it was not just the rise of the railway system that encouraged Britons to travel. Indeed, I believe curiosity about travel embedded itself in Victorian culture through literature, advertisements, and adventure stories. Using extensive online archival resources, I critically examine primary sources that discuss, or are relevant to, travel in the nineteenth century. Through an analysis of newspaper articles, journal entries, and travel handbooks and guidebooks, I show how the abundant resources available during the mid to late nineteenth century awakened in Victorians a wanderlust for travel, and helped Britain to become recognized as a nation of travellers.