Editing Regency era (section)

=== Social, economic and political counterpoints ===

The Prince Regent himself was one of the leading patrons of the [[arts]] and [[architecture]]. He ordered the costly building and refurbishing of the exotic [[Brighton Pavilion]], the ornate [[Carlton House]], and many other public works and architecture. This all required considerable expense which neither the Regent himself nor [[HM Treasury]] could afford. The Regent's extravagance was pursued at the expense of the common people.<ref>Parissien, Steven. (2001). ''George IV: Inspiration of the Regency'', p. 117. New York: St. Martin's Press. {{ISBN?}}</ref>

While the Regency is noted for its elegance and achievements in the fine arts and architecture, there was a concurrent need for social, political and economic change. The country was enveloped in the [[Napoleonic Wars]] until June 1815 and the conflict heavily impacted commerce at home and internationally. There was mass [[unemployment]] and, [[Year Without a Summer|in 1816]], an exceptionally bad [[harvest]]. In addition, the country underwent a [[population boom]] and the combination of these factors resulted in rampant [[poverty]]. Apart from the [[national unity government]] led by [[William Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville|William Grenville]] from February 1806 to March 1807, all governments from December 1783 to November 1830 were formed and led by [[Tories (British political party)|Tories]]. Their responses to the national crisis included the [[Peterloo Massacre]] in 1819 and the various [[Corn Laws]]. The [[Whigs (British political party)|Whig]] government of [[Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey|Earl Grey]] passed the [[Representation of the People Act 1832|Great Reform Act]] in 1832.<ref name="hewitt2006"/><ref>{{cite book |author-link=Erskine May, 1st Baron Farnborough |last=May |first=Thomas Erskine |title=The Constitutional History of England Since the Accession of George the Third, 1760–1860 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YxYYAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA253 |year=1895 |volume=1 |pages=263–364}}</ref>

Essentially, England during the Regency era was a stratified society in which political power and influence lay in the hands of the landed class. Their fashionable locales were worlds apart from the [[slum]]s in which the majority of people existed. The slum districts were known as [[rookery (slum)|rookeries]], a notorious example being [[St Giles, London#The rookery|St Giles]] in London. These were places where alcoholism, gambling, prostitution, thievery and violence prevailed.<ref name="Low_x">Low, Donald A. (1999). ''The Regency Underworld'', p. x. Gloucestershire: Sutton. {{ISBN?}}</ref> The population boom, comprising an increase from just under a million in 1801 to one and a quarter million by 1820, heightened the crisis.<ref name="Low_x"/> [[Robert Southey]] drew a comparison between the squalor of the slums and the glamour of the Regent's circle:<ref>Smith, E. A., ''George IV'', p. 14. Yale University Press (1999).</ref>

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The squalor that existed beneath the glamour and gloss of Regency society provided sharp contrast to the Prince Regent's social circle. Poverty was addressed only marginally. The formation of the Regency after the retirement of [[George III]] saw the end of a more pious and reserved society, and gave birth of a more frivolous, ostentatious one. This change was influenced by the Regent himself, who was kept entirely removed from the machinations of politics and military exploits. This did nothing to channel his energies in a more positive direction, thereby leaving him with the pursuit of pleasure as his only outlet, as well as his sole form of rebellion against what he saw as disapproval and censure in the form of his father.
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