Introduction

Abstract

The introduction describes how this book explores commemoration practices and preservation efforts in modern England. This project explores how locations where significant events took place came to be viewed as heritage sites. The narrative takes shape through case studies of six famous English locales, and I tell a story of modern Britons making decisions about their heritage. Despite disparate backgrounds and motivations, these “characters” revived and celebrated proud episodes of their national history. At the same time, other events were seen as incongruent to the national image they hoped to project at home and abroad. These choices about heritage allowed England to put its best foot forward in changing socio-political environments.