The Years of the Regency Trivia Quiz

Answer: Denmark

The battle took place off the coast of Anholt, a small Danish island which the British navy had occupied since 1809. Two British vessels, the Tartar and the Sheldrake, successfully engaged 18 Danish gunboats. As a result, the British continued to occupy the island until 1814. A monument erected on the island in 2011 commemorates the lives lost in the battle.

Answer: He was assassinated.

Perceval was assassinated as he entered the House of Commons building. His assassin, John Bellingham, was a merchant who felt he had been unjustly denied compensation by the British government. Through the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries, Perceval was the only British Prime Minister who was assassinated.

At the time of his death, Perceval was married to the former Jane Wilson and was the father of thirteen children, twelve of whom survived him. He was born in Mayfair, London in 1762. He never led troops into battle.

Answer: Sense and Sensibility

The works of Jane Austen (1775-1817) represent to many a modern reader the spirit of the Regency. "Sense and Sensibility" was first published anonymously "By A Lady" in 1811. The novel, which tells the story of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, sold out of its first print run of 750 copies by 1813.

Answer: Washington, DC

The burning occurred during the War of 1812 and was seen in part as retaliation for the US Army burning buildings in Port Dover in Canada. Public buildings in Washington that suffered severe damage included the President's Mansion (today's White House) and the Capitol Building. Due to the attack, President James Madison and others were temporarily forced to relocate to Brookville, MD.

The underlying causes of the war included British impressment of sailors from US ships into the British Navy.

Answer: Mining

The Davy Lamp was designed to be used by coal miners inside the mines. With the wick of the lamp enclosed inside a mesh, it was thought that explosions from methane and other flammable gases were less likely. Scientist Humphrey Davy (1778-1829) also discovered multiple elements, including potassium and calcium.

Answer: John Polidori

The most famous work to come out of this event was the novel "Frankenstein", by Mary Godwin (soon to become the wife of Percy Bysshe Shelley). The second most famous work was the story "The Vampyre" (1819). Polidori's "vampyre", Lord Ruthven, is thought to be one of the inspirations for Count Dracula. Physician John Polidori (1795-1821) was also the author of several other works.

Answer: Teetotalism

It is believed that Skibbereen Abstinence Society was the first of its kind in the world. Teetotalism, or abstinence, is the promotion of complete abstinence from alcohol. Jeffrey Sedwards is described as a sailmaker. The group--which at one time numbered in the dozens--would later merge with another such society.

Answer: The United States and British North America

The Treaty of 1818 would set 49 degrees North Latitude as the eventual western border between the United States and British North America (Canada). It also included the Northwest Angle (crossing through Lake of the Woods) as part of the United States--leading a small part of the future state of Minnesota being separated from the rest of the lower 48 (the US minus Alaska and Hawaii).

The United States gained a small part of Rupert's Land from the British and the British gained a small part of the Louisiana Purchase from the United States.

Answer: Representation in Parliament

The protest took place in Manchester, Lancashire. At the time, representation in Parliament was very uneven due to many constituency boundaries not having changed in hundreds of years. Some small towns that only had a handful of residents elected two members to Parliament, while some large towns and cities such as Manchester did not have any representation.

The largely peaceful protest was broken up by the Army, causing 15 deaths and about 600 injuries.

Answer: Antarctica

Edward Bransfield (c. 1785-1852) rose from the ranks, beginning his Naval Career as an ordinary seaman. During his voyage, he also claimed King George Island of the South Shetland Islands for the United Kingdom. He also discovered Elephant Island and Clarence Island. Accounts of his journey were first published in 1820.