At the beginning of the nineteenth century, many individuals were motivated by their religious creeds to give. As religious faith began to wane in the period, others were inspired by humanitarian commitments or moral (but not necessarily scriptural) zeal. The contents of this volume introduce readers to the many individuals who distinguished themselves through charity and philanthropy, including Angela Burdett-Coutts, Florence Nightingale, Grace Kimmins, the Earl of Shaftesbury, and the American George Peabody, and the causes they took up.
