At the time of David Copperfield, Dover was expanding from the role of a garrison and protecting the shores of England, to a seaside destination town. The purpose Dover served as a garrison, was to protect the coastline of England for up to one and a half miles along the shortest crossing between England and France. A major landmark that served this purpose was the Dover Castle and the attached buildings which included medieval walls, a fort, artillery, and underground tunnels for protection. In making the transition to a seaside destination town, the town of Dover constructed hotels, ice rinks, and a boardwalk to provide entertainment. They also underwent massive technological updates to make modernize Dover for the age of the 19th century by installing sewers and gas street lights. Furthermore, the town expanded more when the South Eastern Railroad was installed in 1844, and a shipbuilding business brought in major income for the area. Since there were no major battles on the coast of Dover during the 19th century, England cut costs and reduced its military force, so the Dover Castle was used less and less as a garrison and more as a storage area for military supplies. 

Nowadays, Dover is a popular tourist destination because of the history contained in its walls. After the 19th century, Dover was a major line of defense during World War 2 so it underwent heavy bombing and was a major military center for England. Because of that, the town of Dover and Dover Castle contain numerous stories and artifacts from these events, enticing tourists from all over the world to visit. In 2019, about 368,000 tourists visited, providing Dover with a booming tourism economy. Aside from the tourist attractions, there are about 30,000 residents who mainly work in the shipping industry, the tourist industry, and the retail industry. Furthermore, there is a new high-speed train connection to link Dover to London, which also brings in more people to Dover for either business or tourism.