Victorian England in the 1800s was rapidly becoming an industrial power, as well as a leader in scientific, artistic, and political developments. In mid-nineteenth-century England, a period marked by political upheaval, mass industrialization, and social ills, the Brotherhood at its inception strove to transmit a message of artistic renewal and moral reform by imbuing their art with seriousness, sincerity, and truth to nature. (Meagher, The Pre-Raphaelites) Before the Pre-Raphaelite move towards artistic change, the Royal Academy was heavily influenced by Neoclassic, and as a result, Renaissance perspectives. In the years 1750-1850, Neoclassicism was a style that emerged in Britain and France. It drew inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece and Rome, in particular, the archaeological discoveries at Herculaneum and Pompeii in Italy. The was a return to the age of antiquity. Neoclassical artists then pursued the ideals and classical philosophies of antiquity, much like the High Renaissance masters. Since the Pre-Raphaelites sought to move away from the "perfection" that was perpetuated by antiquity and the Renaissance, they in turn had to develop their own philosophy outside of this common narrative. 
Above is a timeline showcasing several influential events and dates of the Victorian era that lie current with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. It includes social, political, scientific, and literary events that transformed England, and by extension, the whole world.