England was involved in many conflicts during the 17th century which ended in Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo in 1815, in which France was defeated. Now England was entering into an era of relative peace, political and social stability which was called the Victorian Period. Historically the Victorian era is defined by the Monarchy of Queen Victoria's reign (1837-1901). She was a constitutional monarch, which meant that the Monarchy had few powers and who was expected to remain above party politics. She ruled England with a Parliament and two Houses, The House of Lords and the House of Commons. England had grown with its colonial interests to be a world power. Victorian society witnessed a massive transformation in many fields. Advancements in science, technology, and engineering changed and shaped England. Victorian England was a time of new growth, with its military, government, and economy becoming the backbone of the Victorian Age.
             Generally, the soldier that was in the army was of low social status. A soldier had to pay for his own uniform and food costs, all on one shilling a day; a bricklayer was paid four shilling a day. If you did not like your job you could quit, in the army you were in for 21 years and you were flogged for trivial infractions. Thus the army was filled with the lowest of society, people escaping poverty, criminals and tramps. The Victorian Age needed a different and bigger army. England had new colonies in North America, Australia and India. It was not fighting a traditional war. England needed troops to protect these colonies and protect the valuable goods that were coming from them. The Army looked at different recruitment methods that allowed the men to stay closer to home at their bases. Sons followed fathers into the Army, nice uniforms; better rationing made it more appealing. The officer corps changed in that the nobility and upper classes served to lead the troops. England used this to spread the Eng...