Contents -- List of tables -- Introduction -- PART I -- 1 Political developments, 1815-1830 -- The Liverpool government -- Ministerial changes -- Government and Opposition -- Government and monarchy -- Government and party -- Law and order -- Spa Fields -- Peterloo -- The Six Acts -- The Cato Street conspiracy -- The Queen Caroline affair -- Economic policy -- The 1815 Corn Law -- Cheap government -- Foreign policy -- Catholic emancipation -- Law reform -- Repeal of the Combination Laws -- Some Liverpool initiatives -- Banking reforms -- Years of Tory decline -- Religion and reform -- The Metropolitan Police -- The fall of the Tories -- 2 Government and administration, c.1815-1830 -- The monarchy -- Ministers of the Crown -- The Cabinet -- The Prime Minister -- Central administration -- The Civil Service -- The armed forces -- Law and order -- The high courts -- The Empire -- Parliament -- The House of Lords -- The House of Commons -- The parliamentary boroughs -- Electoral influence -- Local government -- The counties -- The municipal boroughs -- Improvement commissions -- The Poor Law -- 3 Economy and society, c.1815-1830 -- Population -- National identity -- Economic growth -- Agriculture -- Trade and consumption -- Industry -- An industrial revolution? -- Transport and communications -- Supply and distribution -- Science and technology -- The royal family -- The aristocracy -- The universities -- The landed interest -- Aristocratic patronage -- Problems of defnition -- The gentry -- Social class -- The 'middle class' -- Urban oligarchies -- The 'working class' -- Rural conditions -- Trade unions -- Friendly societies -- Popular discontent -- The standard of living -- Poverty -- Philanthropy -- Religion -- Women -- Sport and recreation -- PART II -- 4 Political developments, 1830-1852 -- Law and order -- The genesis of parliamentary reform.

Reform crisis, 1831-1832 -- The Great Reform Act -- The reformed parliament -- Peel's first ministry -- Decline of the Whigs -- Queen Victoria -- Chartism and the Anti-Corn Law League -- The Anti-Corn Law League -- The fall of the Whigs -- Peel's second ministry -- Conservative discontent -- Ireland -- The repeal of the Corn Laws -- The fall of Peel -- Russell's first ministry -- Derby's first ministry -- Foreign policy -- 5 Government and administration, c.1830-1850 -- Taxation -- The Civil Service -- Government and social problems -- Government and education -- Provision for the mentally ill -- The penny post -- Legislation -- Banking -- Companies -- Factory Acts -- The new Poor Law -- Information gathering -- Select committees and royal commissions -- Local government -- Grants in aid -- The Empire -- India -- Other imperial concerns -- 6 Economy and society, c.1830-1850 -- One nation, one economy? -- Population -- Occupations -- Industrialization -- Railways -- Mechanization -- The factory system -- Rural conditions -- Standard of living -- Social categories -- Women -- Children -- The 'middle class' -- The professions -- The aristocracy -- Trade unions -- Friendly societies and savings banks -- Temperance -- Education -- Scholarship and learning -- Religion -- Philanthropy -- Popular leisure -- PART III -- 7 Political developments, 1852-1880 -- The Aberdeen coalition ministry -- The Crimean War -- The fall of the Aberdeen ministry -- Palmerston's first government -- The Second China War -- Derby's second ministry -- Palmerston's second ministry -- The reform crisis of 1866-1867 -- The third Derby government -- Political changes -- The general election of 1868 -- Gladstone's first ministry -- Liberal reforms -- Conservative recovery -- The fall of the Liberals -- The general election of 1874 -- Disraeli's second ministry -- Conservative reforms.

The crisis in the Near East -- Conservative decline -- The general election of 1880 -- 8 Government and administration, c.1850-1880 -- Parliament -- Legislation -- Official inquiries -- Ireland -- Education -- Administrative developments -- Taxation -- National security -- Colonial administration -- India -- Local government -- Police -- Rates -- The Poor Law -- 9 Economy and society, c.1850-1880 -- Population -- Occupations -- Mining -- Other industries -- Engineering -- Textiles -- Entrepreneurial failure? -- Shipbuilding and shipping -- Railways -- Retail trade -- Financial services -- Agriculture -- Free trade -- The economy generally -- Wages -- Social mobility -- Trade unions -- Friendly societies and Savings banks -- Social changes -- Social continuity -- Women -- Children -- Housing -- Public health -- Medicine -- Philanthropy -- Education -- Scientific development -- Historical research and writing -- Literature -- Art and architecture -- Newspapers -- Religion -- Evolution -- The temperance movement -- Popular tastes -- Violence and crime -- PART IV -- 10 Political developments, 1880-1914 -- The fourth party -- Liberal disunity -- Egypt -- Ireland -- Domestic reforms -- The Third Reform Act -- Political crisis, 1885 -- The 1885 general election -- Irish home rule, 1886 -- The fall of Churchill -- Conservative Irish policies -- Gladstone's fourth ministry -- Lord Rosebery's administration -- The 1895 general election -- Unionist predominance -- South Africa -- The 1900 general election -- Tariff reform -- The end of Unionist rule -- The Taff Vale case -- Labour gains -- The 1906 general election -- The new government -- The Unionists -- Political divisions -- The Asquith ministry -- The 1910 elections and the Parliament Act -- Home Rule to the fore -- National unity and national efficiency -- Foreign policy -- Defence.

11 Government and administration, c.1880-1914 -- The monarchy -- Prime Minister and Cabinet -- Politicians and parties -- The electorate -- The House of Lords -- The women question -- Public expenditure and taxation -- Government expansion -- Administration in Scotland -- Legislation -- Factory reform -- Education -- The Poor Law -- Other areas of administration -- Local government personnel -- The police -- The Post Office -- The Civil Service -- The Empire -- India -- Ireland -- Security and the armed forces -- Summing up -- 12 Economy and society, c.1880-1914 -- Population -- Birth- and death-rates -- Migration -- The economy -- Industry -- Shipbuilding -- The merchant navy -- Railways -- Agriculture -- Differential growth and mergers -- Trade unions -- Standard of living -- Diet -- Housing -- Prices and wages -- Women -- Children -- Philanthropy -- Religion -- High culture -- Popular culture -- Education -- Violence and crime -- Poverty -- The 'classes' and the 'masses' -- Identities -- The British and the Empire -- Conclusion -- Biographical appendix -- Select bibliography -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- Y -- Z.