HIS 52 — Love, War, and Empire: Britain in the Age of Austen and Bridgerton
Quarter: Winter
Instructor(s): Julie Taddeo
Date(s): Jan 25—Mar 8
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Mondays
Grade Restriction: No letter grade
Class Meeting Time: 5:30—7:20 pm (PT)
Please Note: No class on February 15
Tuition: $430
Refund Deadline: Jan 27
Unit(s): 1
Status: Registration opens Nov 30, 8:30 am (PT)
Quarter: Winter
Day: Mondays
Duration: 6 weeks
Time: 5:30—7:20 pm (PT)
Date(s): Jan 25—Mar 8
Unit(s): 1
Tuition: $430
Refund Deadline: Jan 27
Instructor(s): Julie Taddeo
Grade Restriction: No letter grade
Recording Available: Yes
Status: Registration opens Nov 30, 8:30 am (PT)
Please Note: No class on February 15
Country houses and glittering balls, ambitious marriages and razor-sharp wit: the worlds of Jane Austen and Bridgerton are endlessly captivating. But what was really happening behind the glamour? Familiar scenes and characters, from Wickham to Queen Charlotte, serve as windows into a society transformed by war and empire, slavery and political upheaval. Focusing on the 1760s through the 1820s, we'll discover how the dashing officers of Austen’s stories reflect Britain's long wars with France. We’ll examine the turbulent reign of George III and the scandals of the prince regent’s court, asking what Austen’s wit was really cutting against as we explore how Britain's changing economy shaped wealth, class, and everyday life. We’ll also trace the colonial sugar economy behind Bridgerton's lavish sweets and explore the real marriage market behind its courtship plots. Finally, we'll consider how Austen adaptations and shows like Bridgerton reinvent and romanticize Georgian and Regency Britain, shaping modern ideas of “Britishness” while revealing as much about our own desires as about the past.
Just an interest in learning British history, especially the Georgian and Regency eras, is required!
JULIE TADDEO
Research Professor of British History, University of Maryland
Julie Taddeo received a PhD in British history from the University of Rochester and has been teaching for more than 25 years. She is the author and co-editor of books on the Bloomsbury Group, period drama television, steampunk, and the novelist Catherine Cookson. She frequently lectures on such topics as the Victorians, the British royals, and British popular culture. Taddeo won the Provost's Excellence Award for Research for Professional Track Faculty and has been interviewed by The New York Times and the BBC. Textbooks for this course:
There are no required textbooks; however, some fee-based online readings may be assigned.