The History of England from the Accession of James II

The History of England from the Accession of James II Synopsis

Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800–59) was one of the foremost nineteenth-century historians in the Whig tradition, which saw history as a series of developments towards enlightenment and democracy. He believed that the 'Glorious Revolution' of 1688 had preserved England from the constitutional upheavals suffered by much of Europe in 1848. Using a wider range of sources, including popular literature, than was then usual, and written in an accessible, novelistic rather than academic style, this five-volume work proved hugely influential upon contemporary historians and phenomenally successful with the public, although it was not without its critics. Volume 5 was unfinished at the author's death; the text was edited by Macaulay's sister, Lady Trevelyan, and published in 1861. It covers the period from 1697 until 1702, and includes a description of the death, in 1702, of William, regarded by Lady Trevelyan as her brother's hero.