| This dissertation examines the cultural legacy of the battle of Waterloo in nineteenth-century Britain. It begins with the experiences of military families by considering how war widows and war veterans coped with the emotional and economic costs of war. It deals next with two institutions---the Waterloo Subscription Fund and the regiments of the British army---that helped to sustain Waterloo's legacy. Lastly, it considers how Waterloo was commemorated in civil society more generally, by turning to local communities and the marketplace.;The dissertation argues that economic structures channeled people's memories of the past. This was especially true in societies where most people struggled to subsist. People could wield the past to secure economic gains, and as a result, what and how they remembered could be tied to whatever monetary payments they received. With regard to Waterloo, the economic benefits that mattered most were pensions, prize money, and promotions. The marketplace is another component of this economic analysis, because during the modern period it shaped how younger generations, or those who did not personally experience a specific event, nevertheless learned about it.;The emphasis on economic structures illuminates the boundaries of the British state. The commemoration of Waterloo was sustained by a shifting balance between the state and civil society. This study demonstrates how Westminster extended its influence by cooperating with civic organizations and local authorities. The process is seen especially well in a detailed case study of the Waterloo Subscription Fund, which at the time ranked as Britain's largest war-related charity. Because it embraced voluntarism as well as parish networks, the Subscription demonstrated how the central state could reach deep into the localities. Describing this cooperation between state and society throws into doubt the common assumption that Britain's state was more limited than its European counterparts. Instead, we can conclude that while the British state's influence was unobtrusive, it was also remarkably extensive. |
