Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper was first published in 1881 in Canada (before its 1882 publication in the United States). This is Twain's first attempt at historical fiction. Set in 1547, the novel tells the story of two young boys who are identical in appearance: Tom Canty, a pauper who lives with his abusive father in Offal Court off Pudding Lane in London, and Edward VI of England, son of Henry VIII of England.
When the two boys meet, they decide to switch clothes as a jest. The Prince fares poorly in London because he insists on proclaiming his identity as the true Prince of Wales. Meanwhile, despite Tom's repeated denial of his birthright, the court and the King insist that he is the true prince gone mad. Edward eventually runs into Tom's family and a gang of thieves and Twain illustrates England's unfair and barbaric justice system.
