Welcome to the History Tricks, where any resemblance to a boring old history lesson is purely coincidental.

It hears your 30-second summary.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that many listeners and possession of good taste must be in want of a history-checks episode about Jane Austin.

The End

Let's talk about Jane Austin.

But first, let's drop her into history.

In 1775, the British are not amused by the rebellious antics of the colonists, battles ensue.

Patrick Henley proclaims, give me liberty or give me death, and Paul Revere takes a famous ride from Charleston to Lexington.

The first abolitionist society in North America organizes in Philadelphia, and lets play around of six degrees of history-chick separation.

John Adams graduates from Harvard, where he and Tuneet is five years into her marriage to Louis XVI and still childless.

Georgiana is celebrating the first year of marriage to the Duke of Devonshire.

George III, Mad King George, Grandpa Pot to Princess Charlotte is the King of England.

Mary Wilsoncraft celebrated her sweet 16.

And on December 16th, 1775, and Hampshire England, Jane Austin was born.

At last, we've come to the winner in our season 4 guaranteed content poll. I mean, by a landslide winner.

Some call her a feminist author, some call her the very first chicklit author.

Some people are so obsessed with her that their houses become Regency Khan, and they write fan fiction.

Some people, like Mark Twain, are so against her that, quote,

I wish I could dig her up and beat her with her own shen bone.

But, for the purposes of this podcast, to us, she is simply Jane.

Neither an icon, nor a revolutionary, but a complex woman, very much of her time and place.

And so, as they say, without further ado, we give you Jane Austin.

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