The years during which Dickens wrote, 1835-1870, turning out twenty novels and innumerable sketches and articles, were a time of great change for England. Queen Victoria ascended the throne on June 20, 1837, the year The Pickwick Papers was becoming a household phrase. She began her reign at the age of eighteen and ruled till the age of eighty-nine.

The queen was a wise and hardworking monarch who wanted the best for her people and knew how to delegate leadership to a series of talented prime ministers. As a result of their skilled leadership, England during the Victorian age reached the height of its economic and political power, built a great colonial empire, and instituted numerous political and social reforms at home. Dickens did not live to see all these changes, but he was there at the inception of most, and his...