The history of England is a continuous movement and a series of constant changes. But the whole history of England, beginning with primitiveness, permeates continuity, so that the main thing in it is not change, but constancy. In England, there is still a strong connection with the past, with traditions and customs. So far, this country has resisted changes in any aspect of life. Peter Ackroyd shows the origins of England's age-old immutability, its conservatism, and its commitment to the past. The narrative in this book begins with an analysis of the reasons why national fame after the Battle of Waterloo gave way to a long period of postwar depression. The events of the time of George IV, whose government was led by Lord Liverpool, who was strongly opposed to reforms, and the reign of William IV, nicknamed the "Seaman King", whose power was marked by the modernization of the political system and the abolition of slavery are covered. The beginning of the era of major innovations put the accession to the throne of Queen Victoria at the age of eighteen years. Technological progress swept the country, the emergence of the middle class changed the face of society, and scientific advances transformed the old views of the Church of England and contributed to the spread of secular ideas. Intensive industrialization brought factory owners success and prosperity, but the working classes continued to suffer under conditions of poor housing, long working hours, and extreme poverty. And yet it was a time of flourishing literature: readers were able to enjoy the work of poets - Byron, Shelley and Wordsworth, as well as the great novelists of the XIX century The Bront sisters, George Eliot, Elizabeth Gaskell, Thackeray and Dickens, with whose works Victorian England became associated. In politics, expansionism was no longer confined to Britain itself: by the end of her reign, Victoria had become Empress of India, and the British Empire dominated much of the globe and confirmed its right to be considered the "Lord of the Seas". A deep, multidimensional historical analysis is accompanied by a wealth of literary quotations and rich illustrative material. PDF A4 saved publishing design.