Study of Early Nineteenth Century Aristocracy Life

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“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” With that first line I am captured, thrown back into a world two hundred years old. The scene around me melts into a Regency-style ball room, elegant young ladies in long, ornate gowns waltzing on the arms of dashing gentlemen, sleek black chaises pulling up the cobblestone drive, portly musicians puffing at their instruments in the corner. And I am in the middle of it all, experiencing the lives of my ancestors with the turn of each page. This is my guilty pleasure, the Regency. However, the only way I have been able to learn about this grand era has been through novels and the internet- mediums that, while very depictive and revelatory, cannot provide me with all the information I seek. I want to know about more than just the dances and the social lives of the early nineteenth century aristocracy. I want to know about the lives and cultures of all the people: the peasants, the workers, the farmers, the merchants, the gentry, and the royalty. What did they eat? What were their laws, written and unwritten? How many were religious? What did they learn in school? How did they spend their money? What were their political views? There is only one way I could possibly learn all of this and more- by being taught, in a class.
My dream class would be entitled “What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: or the Life and Culture of Regency Society”, after a useful encyclopedia I have read on the late Georgian period. This reference guide by Daniel Pool would naturally be the first reading assignment, giving students a general taste of life in the early nineteenth century. The students would then write an essay comparin...

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...ple of the Regency and describing any hardships or benefits they experienced while reenacting this era.
While a class on life during the Regency era has absolutely nothing to do with my intended major- or most likely anyone else’s- it would still be an interesting and enjoyable subject to learn. The past often plays an integral role in shaping the future, and understanding it can help us better appreciate the life we live today and the effort it took to get here. Not only that, but learning about the Regency era would provide important background for many other classes such as Romantic literature and European history. However, to me the Regency is more than just a potentially beneficial college course- it is a fascination I want to further explore; a love I hope to nurture and grow. That is why, if a Regency course is ever offered, I will be the first to sign up!

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