Class Description
This course will focus on English society, culture, and politics during the late Georgian period, especially the Regency (1811-1820). Among the topics to be treated will be the personalities of the royal family; the "madness" and eventual debility of George III; the messy personal life of the Prince of Wales (the future George IV); the cultural tension between sense (the Age of Reason) and sensibility (the emergence of Romanticism); art and architecture during the period; the French revolutionary and Napoleonic wars and their effects on English politics and society; women's roles and domestic life; the influence of the evangelical movement; the importance of the slave trade for the British economy and the development of the anti-slavery movement; the beginnings of industrialization and popular protest movements, including the Luddites; the end of the Regency and reign of George IV. Fans of Jane Austen may find the course to be of particular interest in providing background to the novels.
All virtual classes are recorded and made available to participants registered in the class. These recordings are password-protected and available for up to two weeks after the class ends.
Frank Biletz received his PhD in History from the University of Chicago, with a primary specialization in modern British and Irish history. He is currently Adjunct Instructor in History at Loyola University Chicago and has been teaching seminars at the Newberry since 1994.
What to Expect
Format: Virtual
Class Capacity: 30
Class Style: Mix of lecture and discussion; participation encouraged
Materials List
Required
- Carolly Erickson. Our Tempestuous Day: A History of Regency England. New York: Harper, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-380-81334-6.
First Reading
- Participants should read chapters one and two of the Carolly Erickson book prior to the first class meeting.
A Brief Syllabus
- Introducing the Prince Regent and his Era
- Women and Family Life in Georgian England
- High Society and Country Life in Regency England
- Art and Architecture in Regency England
- Industrial Progress and Popular Protest
- The End of the Regency and the Reign of George IV
Cost and Registration
6 Sessions, $270 ($243 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.
We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($270), Community Supported ($250), and Sponsor ($290). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.
To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.
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