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Primary sourceBook1791

The History of England

Jane Austen · 1791

A handwritten page from Jane Austen's youthful parody history, written when she was a teenager.

A manuscript written by Austen herself as a teenager, showing her early comic writing talent.

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Handwritten manuscript title page reading 'The History of England from the reign of Henry the 4th to the death of Charles the 1st', followed by a dedication 'By a partial, prejudiced, & ignorant Historian' and a note to Miss Austen, daughter of the Rev. George Austen, with an authorial signature and a note about dates.
Jane Austen, The History of England, manuscript page, 1791.

About this source

What it is

This is a page from Jane Austen's manuscript 'The History of England from the reign of Henry the 4th to the death of Charles the 1st', written in 1791 when she was a teenager. The page shows the title, a playful dedication, and the author's note.

Why it matters

This juvenile work shows Austen's early comic voice and her habit of mocking conventional historical writing. She dedicates it to her sister, Miss Austen, showing the close, playful relationship within her family that shaped her early writing.

Look closer

  • What does the phrase 'a partial, prejudiced, & ignorant Historian' tell you about the tone of the work?
  • Why might a young writer dedicate her work to a family member?
  • What does the note about dates suggest about how Austen approached 'serious' history?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Jane Austen on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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