One of the best ways to learn about a particular era of a country is through literature like A Christmas Carol, and the Carol can be looked at as an incredible historical piece, for it takes place during the Victorian era which occurred between 1832 and 1901.
We know that the novella was published in 1843 because Dickens tells us. We know that Dickens' style of writing falls under realism, the use of facts of his time combined with fiction, so we can assume that any references to life in Victorian England in the novella can be associated with that date. So let's begin our search for historical references to 1843 Victorian England.
The first bit of evidence would be Scrooge's name, for it was a colloquial or vulgar word of the time which meant to crowd or squeeze. There were a few variants of the word's spelling during the time such as scroodge, scrowde, scrowge, and skrouge.
Speaking of words, another word that Dickens uses that gives authenticity to the 1843 date is the use of the word "nuts' in the following passage from "Stave I":
But what did Scrooge care? It was the very thing he liked. To edge his way along the crowded paths of life, warning all human sympathy to keep its distance, was what the knowing ones call "nuts" to Scrooge.
The use of "nuts" in this passage meant "good luck" in 1843.
The third bit of evidence that A Christmas Carol takes place in 1843 is found in the reference to the Union workhouses. These workhouses were established by the Poor Law of 1834 which stated that two or more parishes unite to provide a home for the destitute where they might labor in exchange for their room and board.
The diction and the references to governmental agencies in A Christmas Carol do support its 1843 setting.
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