- The English Kingdoms (449–1071) – tracing the Anglo-Saxon settlement, conversion to Christianity, the rise of Wessex, and finally the Norman Conquest.
- The English Towns (1071–1204) – examining how Norman rule changed England, the growth of towns, and the early struggles for freedom.
- The Charter (1204–1291) – focusing on the reigns of John and Henry III, the granting of Magna Carta, and the first development of Parliament.
- The Parliament (1291–1461) – detailing the evolution of representative government during the later Middle Ages, the Hundred Years’ War, and the Wars of the Roses.
- The Monarchy (1461–1540) – exploring the Tudor consolidation of power, the Reformation Parliament, and the beginnings of the English Church’s break from Rome.
- The New England (1540–1603) – discussing the Elizabethan era, the flowering of literature, overseas exploration, and the nation’s growing self-conscious identity.
- The Puritan Revolution (1603–1688) – recounting the Stuart monarchy, the Civil War, Cromwell’s Commonwealth, and the Glorious Revolution.
- Modern England (1688–1873) – reflecting on the age of constitutional monarchy, the Industrial Revolution, and the progress of political and social reforms.
Through these chapters, certain key themes emerge:
- The growth of freedom:
Green repeatedly traced how English liberties — trial by jury, parliamentary representation, local self-government — were slowly wrested from monarchs and aristocrats by the people. He saw this as the defining thread of English history.
- Religion as a force for change:
From the conversion to Christianity to the Protestant Reformation and the struggles of Nonconformists, religion is treated not only as spiritual doctrine but as a driving social and political force.
- Rise of the common people:
Green celebrated the gradual empowerment of the middle and working classes, the spread of education, and the improvement of living conditions.
- National character:
Though modern readers might be more cautious with such generalizations, Green was keen to describe a distinct “English character” that he saw as practical, liberty-loving, and independent. shutdown123