Deconstructing Mr. Darcy: Just How Rich Was He?

| By Jennifer Albers-Smith |

I took this awesome class in college at the University of Michigan that—10 years later—still resonates with me. It focused exclusively on Jane Austen and her contemporaries. We read all of Austen’s novels as well as Radcliffe, Burney, and Wollstonecraft, and it was easily the best four months of my academic career. The professor was really innovative and brought in one of her colleagues, Kathryn Dominguez, from the Economics department to do a lecture on what things cost in Jane Austen’s time.  She put together this great PowerPoint deck that I still have to this day because I thought it was so intriguing.

Numbers pop up all the time in Austen’s novels, but the reader really has no sense of how rich Bingley and Darcy are or how “poor” the Bennets are by comparison.

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Asserting Equality: Black Political Activism During Reconstruction

During Black History Month, we honor African Americans who profoundly impacted the course of American history. During Reconstruction—an era that lasted from about 1865 to 1877—African Americans gained new political and legal rights that were implemented with the support of the federal government. A number of activists redefined how blacks participated in American politics, society, … Read more

Celebrate Black History with Gale In Context: Biography

| By Carol Brennan | For Black History Month this February, we have another round of outstanding Americans from past and present to highlight in honor of Black achievement. All are featured in Gale In Context: Biography. One of the more fascinating milestones recently added to Gale In Context: Biography was the achievement of John … Read more

Prepare Your Students for the New ACT

| By Gale Staff | In 2024, roughly 1.4 million high school seniors took the ACT.1 As one of the top two college readiness exams in the United States, the ACT is essential for evaluating proficiency in core high school subjects to assess eligibility for college admissions and scholarships. After considering feedback from students, educators, … Read more

Exploring the Causes and Effects of Inflation

| By Gale Staff | Inflation has dominated national conversations since 2021, when the US inflation rate tripled from the pre-pandemic rate of 2.3% to 7%. Beneath these numbers lies a complex web of cause and consequence. A disruption in oil production can send energy prices soaring, while supply chain bottlenecks can drive up the … Read more

Bring the Executive Branch to Life for Presidents’ Day

| By Gale Staff | Celebrated on the third Monday in February, Presidents’ Day was initially established as a national holiday in 1879 in observance of George Washington’s birthday. In the time since, the holiday has grown to recognize all U.S. presidents and their contributions to the nation. Presidents’ Day is a perfect chance for … Read more

Reflect on Progress Through Women’s Studies Archives

| By Gale Staff | In 1978, a 24-year-old California educator named Molly Murphy McGregor was teaching when a student raised his hand and asked her to explain the Women’s Movement. Molly didn’t have a good answer. Instead, she turned to the classroom textbooks and, to her dismay, discovered next to nothing about women’s history. … Read more