Army and Navy
In the early nineteenth century, military pride and nationalism spread beyond matters of national security and into the realm of social dynamics and culture. Society’s perception of the military is explored in many of Austen’s novels, notably Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Persuasion. Numerous characters in her novels, including William Price, Colonel Brandon, and George Wickham have earned and elevated their social status through military efforts, showing an alliance between platoon and prestige. Furthermore, as we can see from the infatuations of Lydia and Kitty Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, military status was considered a desirable quality in a husband, suggesting bravery, patriotism, and masculinity. Many of the uniforms depicted throughout Loyal Volunteers of London bear similarities to the dress of military personnel that Austen depicts in her novels.
Published in 1798, Thomas Rowlandson’s work is comprised of proud illustrations of English military soldiers in their uniforms, accompanied by a description of their positions. As noted in the preface, and in the precise, elegant artwork in the text, this book was designed to elevate military pride and national zealotry, as well as to explain uniform particularities. For example, the uniforms of the London and Westminster volunteers are identical to the redcoat uniform of the British Army worn by George Wickham in Pride and Prejudice.
(Nicole Brindijonc, Ella Bruining)
A Manual for Volunteer Corps of Infantry is a military guidebook. It was created by the British government in 1803 to help new soldiers navigate military life. For instance, there is a list of commands that the soldiers needed to know. Also, there are many foldout images that demonstrate how the soldiers should act in different scenarios. The book is written in brief, efficient military jargon, suggesting that people outside of the military probably wouldn’t have read it. The copy we have here most likely belonged to a soldier because it contains handwritten notes. Interestingly, T. Egerton (the publisher of this book) also published Jane Austen’s novels Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Mansfield Park.
Austen had two brothers, Frank and Charles, who were sailors in the British Navy. They brought knowledge of the war and navy into her life, which also went on to influence her writing. Furthermore, Austen also read military material, as she mentioned having read essays on military policy to her sister in a letter. While she could not have fought in the war, it is clear that she was very interested in the military and sought to learn how it worked. Military manuals just like this one were likely commonplace on the bookshelves of the Austen home. Regardless of her awareness of this book, war was heavily influential on her life and work and manuals such as this one were important at the time.
(Gilad Granot, Kimberly Sorenson)
The Martial Achievements of Great Britain and Her Allies; from 1799 to 1815 provides illustrations and narrations of the naval achievements of Great Britain. Interestingly, the folio lists 1814 as its publication date, but it contains multiple depictions of The Battle of Waterloo, which would not occur until 1815. Three additional drawings were then added to encapsulate the influence of Waterloo – even though the printing of The Martial Achievements had already begun.
During the period covered in The Martial Achievements, Jane Austen was writing her celebrated novels. Austen was heavily influenced by the Napoleonic Wars. Austen’s personal connection can be clearly seen through the preserved correspondence with her brothers. Francis and Charles Austen were sailors, who travelled to the Mediterranean, Adriatic, and Indian Oceans, among other waters. Austen sent her brothers her writing as a means to connect them to England, to home. Henry, her favorite brother, even served as her “literary advisor” from his overseas military post. Not only was Austen guided by her brothers, but her works were also inspired by her brothers’ roles in the armed forces. For example, the novels Persuasion and Mansfield Park track social changes in early nineteenth century England by illustrating the elevated status of sailors and the impending bankruptcy of the traditional ruling class.
In this way, Austen’s novels offer an alternative view of war. She redefines battle in terms of economic and social status, rather than dwelling on the traditional militaristic definition proposed by The Martial Achievements.
(Jenna Barlage, Claire Fairbanks, Ina Zaimi)
The British Empire, one of history’s most powerful and influential, was known for their variety of assets and tools that allowed them to remain in power for so long. One of those tools was the British Navy, which helped to create colonies and territories in locations such as Africa, India, and Canada. During Austen’s lifetime, Britain experienced a lot of change, losing a war to what would become known as the United States, when their navy was out-strategized, but also defeating Napoleon Bonaparte and France. While Austen does reference the navy throughout some of her novels, she often chooses to focus on relationships and create a world of her own, rather than writing in detail about current naval affairs. Interestingly enough, the mystery of Jane Austen’s exclusion of world events doesn’t compare to the mystery of this list of Royal Navy ships, which has no known author or publisher. Many portions of the book appear to be unfinished, with entire sections left blank. All that can be said for certain is that the ship information included on the list is accurate, and that these ships were involved in many military expeditions. A simple search across the web reveals that many of the ships included in the book were participants in some of Britain’s toughest battles. Perhaps, however, this list resembles the “navy-list” that Austen’s most famous sailor, Captain Wentworth, looks over with his friends in Persuasion
(Antonio Whitfield)
Food and Drink
Bath