The Architectural and Ideological Environment of the Nineteenth Century

Industrialization was an important influence upon William Morris’s ideology and the century’s architectural trends. Industrialization rapidly revised traditional business, commerce, economy, and society, which, in turn, led to the strengthening of the developing middle class and the weakening of traditional elites.1 All of these factors resulted in mixed reactions to the impact of industrialization, some positive and some negative. Three influential reactions against the Industrial Revolution most relevant to Morris and the SPAB were the Gothic Revival, the Arts and Crafts Movement, and socialism.