What Would Agirl in the 1750s Read

Introduction

In the menses between the 1670's and 1750's, sweeping changes transformed both the the public social lives and private family lives of the British people. Increased literacy, combined with The Restoration led the British people to an increasingly public life. In that location were as well clear class distinctions that were prevalent in the realms of both home life, outward social life, and education. New developments in recreation, commercialization, and industrialization besides led to a transformation in both amusement and occupations available. Additionally, new fashion trends came onto the scene. This page explores the social construction of United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland, its touch on on life, both private and public, likewise as the new developments that changed the way the people spent their leisure time. In that location was a clear gap between the wealthy and the poor, which made itself visible in almost all aspects of life, simply there were certain areas where form was unimportant.

Family Life

The family lives of people were separated past two distinctions: roles for men versus roles for women, and social grade. In general, men were the breadwinners, providing income for the family, whereas the mothers were in accuse of the household. This role grew more prominent with more wealth, every bit with that came more estate to manage. Marriage was also very closely tied to social form; women were seldom married into lower social rungs. It also came with heavy social implications for the family'southward legacy and reputation amongst their peers.

Role of Women and Men

Women had to take on various roles in the household during the 17th and 18th centuries. They were responsible for running the household, and for more than affluent families, managing the servants. Women, or mothers, were too responsible for raising and educating their children. In add-on, they were responsible for cooking and feeding the family unit. This required women to be well-educated in medicinal and culinary uses of herbs and plants, needlework, reading, and writing. In general, women had very few rights and experienced oppression at the easily of the patriarchy. SOURCE? Housework was specially taxing due to the lack of modern cleaning methods. Women were expected to tend the garden, melt for the family unit, take care of the children, and see that their husbands' needs were met. The mother of the household would frequently have many children considering not many children were able to survive early babyhood. Typically, most mothers had upwards to viii children, in hopes that some would survive and be able to piece of work for the family. Loftier baby mortality rates was a major event during this fourth dimension. The average life expectancy in England was about 39-40 years one-time. Information technology was assumed that if a man or a woman reached the historic period of 30, they would probably simply live for some other 20 yr. The infant and child mortality rates during the tardily 17th century and 18th century had a serious touch on on the average life expectancy. A total of 12-xiii% of children would die during the start yr of their lives, due complications such as diseases, physical accidents, and nascence trauma. Men were usually in charge of all the finances involved in the household and did most of the piece of work to financially support the family. It was common for a homo to be well educated and have piece of work outside of the household. The patriarch made decisions on behalf of the family, such as whether his wife could work exterior the abode and whether the children could attend school. He was the owner of all the property and monetary values in the household and women rarely spoke confronting or divorced their husband. Children were taught to obey the patriarch. The early half of the 18th century was a tumultuous fourth dimension for women'south rights. Though women could work, they did non bask nearly all of the luxuries and rights as men. Women could not vote, own land while married, go to a university, earn equal wages, enter many professions, and even report serious cases of domestic abuse. Women who were found to be too argumentative or radical could deal with barbarous and humiliating public penalties.

18th Century Wedding ceremony

Matrimony
Due to the the importance of land, daughters posed a large problem for landowning families. Other than widows, non many women owned land, and many daughters certainly did not receive any–then they did not carry an estate with them upon union. Besides, it was of import for families to maintain social status, which meant a daughter was never married to someone of lower standing. Mothers and fathers spent much time searching for the the best possible spouse for their child, in order to benefit the family. As a result, families typically placed a dowry on their daughter, which consisted of a big sum of money. These union negotiations were some of the most enervating strains on a mother and male parent due to a family'south heritage and legacy being at stake. Then came along another problem: The idea of individualism, reason, and romantic sensibility began growing rapidly in the early role of the century leading to daughters wanting to cull their own husbands. For poor families, not near as much was at pale when marrying, thus relieving pressure. Information technology was incommunicable to transfer poverty to one some other or to lose any kind of societal condition as a result of a marriage, so men and women were free to choose who they wanted.

Family Life Later Union
Many issues and concerns were brought upward during the process of arranged marriages. English club had been strictly patriarchal–where women were supposed to be under a man's care for the duration of their life. The concept of a strictly male person-controlled, nuclear family began spreading once puritanical influence intensified in the 17th century. SOURCE? This gradually decreased in the 18th century, as L EHMBERG AND Heyck note in The People of the British Isles: 1688 – 1870, "The reasonableness and tolerance advocated in late seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century thought mitigated some of the harsh intensity of the Puritan-mode family and led to more companionable relations between husbands and wives as well as to more affectionate concern by parents for their children" (56). Though this new abstraction of "companionship" began to grow, at that place were still many families whose first priority was social mobility. Many of the wealthy ignored their children because their vast fortunes immune them to. In poorer families, it was unpredictable what the structure and attitude was like inside the household; it could be dangerous, warming, or all effectually indifferent. Another problem for impoverished families, as previously mentioned, was an increased infant bloodshed charge per unit. Yet, this was generally offset by large birthing rates, which oft compensated for this facet. For the virtually part, these households, ranging from rich to poor, owned animals of some sort. The upper class had a collection of animals ranging from dogs to horses with the extraneous instance of some having pet monkeys. The middle class generally had cats and birds along with dogs who could deed as protection for the household. The poorer families mostly had animals who could provide food for the families, such as cows, pigs, and geese.

Divorce and Separation
Divorce was carried out through Parliament and was a lengthy and extremely expensive process reserved mainly for the bourgeoisie. Between 1700 and 1749, just 13 cases of divorce were reported. A woman could non independently file for divorce and a husband'due south unfaithfulness was non grounds for i either. These separations could be made in private understanding or in public, ecclesiastical court.

Lower/ Heart Course
The life of an boilerplate family in late 17th century England was simple, let laborious. Many lived in i or two room houses that were often crowded with big families, as well equally lodgers that shared their living space. Women typically gave nascency to eight to ten children; notwithstanding, due to high mortality rates, only raised 5 or half-dozen children. The children of boilerplate or poor families began working very early on in life, sometimes even equally early as age 7. They worked by and large on farms as shepherds, cowherds, or apprentices and often left home to do so. Daughters of these families remained domicile, ofttimes aiding the matriarch of the household until they institute a husband and started a family of their own. The oldest son of each family would stay as home also, in lodge to inherit the farm. The concept of inheritance was often a source of tension for many families. The boilerplate and poor families of the tardily 17th century England did non however take the luxury of piped h2o, which created a rarity in bathing. Considering of the unhygienic lifestyle, lice and vermin were very mutual with these families.

Upper Class
Wealthy families of the late 17th century England enjoyed many more than luxuries than the average and poor families. As opposed to the rural properties of the boilerplate families, the wealthy lived in beautiful suburbs or villages. Houses were outset to be designed to display and boast the wealth of the families that lived in them. For the offset time, the wealthy were enjoying the luxury of piped h2o into their homes. These homes independent families with an average of ten or more people. The women of these households were responsible for keeping everything running smoothly. They were in charge of the servants and ran the estate if the married man was not around. They were so involved in their husbands businesses that "frequently when a merchant wrote his will he left his business organisation to his married woman- because she would exist able to run it" (Lambert p. #?) .

17th Century Family Portrait

Similarities Between Families in Both Classes
Despite the departure in economical status, in that location were many similarities between wealthy and average or poor families. In both families marriages were more of a business deal than a relationship. Love was not a factor in a matrimony in 17th century England. A woman typically married in her early twenties. Bundled marriages occurred primarily for resources such as coin and land. It was expected that a man would vanquish his wife and non seen as an upshot. Children did not have close relationships with their parents or siblings either. High infant mortality rate was a common effect and the reason why many women had a high number of childbirths but a lower number of children.

18th Century Family Farm

Labor
In agricultural families, men, for the virtually part, took care of the majority of the household income. Households were starting time and foremost a patriarch; they controlled every aspect of the business firm. Women were to act as subordinates. Men did the most tiring labor in the field such equally clearing, plowing, sowing seed, harvesting, and threshing. This was also with the help of their sons and hired laborers. Women were helped by their daughters or servants in everything from knitting; to cleaning; to tending to the animals; to instruction the children. They were to take care of well-nigh of the internal tending in the household as it was commonly seen as women'southward chores.
In shopkeeping families, the men and women both worked in the shop. In artisanal families, the wife was nevertheless responsible for housecleaning but she sometimes oversaw the workers. There was a large pressure on women to piece of work due to the "economics realities" of the 18th century– equally some women worked in became prostitutes, actresses, coal miners and jail keepers. Source??

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Social Life

Equally with the more personal family life, life in the public spectrum was often defined by social class. The more wealthy groups were able to send their children to private school, something that most people still could not beget to practice at this time. This made the didactics gap significant during the period, and made information technology difficult for the poorer people of Britain to movement up the social ladder. Some things permeated the entire society without regard to course, however; both the theater and, afterwards, the increasing role of organized sports were both things that were available and enjoyed by everybody.

Social Classes
The thought of a status hierarchy or "social class" was a distinguishing key feature in the 18th Century. This hierarchy determined everything about lodge and etched their fate eternally in stone. Among the differences in these classes were the attitudes that each one exhibited. The poor could spend their entire life attempting to motion up the social ladder and attain some grade of wealth and "class," only these men and women were ridiculed and pitied for their lack of social graces. No matter the pigeonholes that were set up on those of poorer status, there was still a pecking social club and sense of loyalty to social superiors. The 1 style to move up in this time period was to own country. Landowners held power and influence. This made it difficult to motility up the social ranks, seeing as how buying state was considered a luxury even in those days.

Social Class Structure
Wealthy Landowners
This was the nearly powerful group, which made upward the smallest corporeality of the population. It included the near important of the aristocracy and squires.
Gentry
This included those who received a loftier standard of upbringing but were not as of import equally the upper echelon of wealth. This included: gentlemen, merchants, wealthy tradesmen, and well-off manufacturers.
Yeoman
Yeoman were those who owned and worked their own land. They are also better known as "freeholders."
Eye Class
A newer rung on the social ladder came to be known as the blooming center grade comprised about 15% of the population. The upper middle class included certain professionals and merchants. The lower middle grade included artisans, shopkeepers, and tradesmen.
Laboring Poor
This comprised almost 25% percent of the population and it included all who worked in rural areas, did menial jobs, and the "urban laboring poor," who worked in the country side.
Black Britons
Though they made up a small portion of the population, blackness slaves existed and were a hot issue during the early half of the century. Their labor fabricated bolt bachelor and cheap, only the thought of slavery every bit wrong was extremely prevalent. No matter the protest, though, the labor and trade continued until its abolitionism in 1833.

Though this class structure was almost ever prepare from nascency and heavily protected by those were already inducted into loftier social standing, information technology was not incommunicable for those of lower condition to suspension through. Everyone was mainly subject to the aforementioned body of police equally everyone else and certain privileges for ruling classes only went so far. Property was the key to wealth and power, and property could be purchased. So, any human could amass a fortune and land, and begin to climb the social ladder; and any family could lose all of its estate and see their social continuing vanish.

London and the Chore Market

London in the 18th Century

London was the biggest and most commercialized and industrialized city in England at the time. Information technology was dwelling to roughly half a million citizens at the starting time of the century and would only grow from in that location. I could come up beyond any business concern from merchant shops to ale houses and the people were as eclectic as the commerce with numerous faces, such as: the wealthy and their servants, inn keepers, beggars, doctors, prostitutes and pickpockets. The noble and the lowly all walked the same streets painting a great picture of social life in the 18th century. Unfortunately for the better half of the century, the streets they walked on were atrociously covered in filth and dirty h2o that had been dumped from upper windows. Equus caballus manure and man waste were too common to come across on the street. New foods were eaten like bananas, pineapples, and chocolate for the upper class. Tea and java were as well introduced as exciting new drinks and coffee shops were up and coming, helping with the economic system and job marketplace.

Education
Rich children, both boys and girls, were sent to fiddling school, like a preschool. However, just boys went to simple school or grammer school, while upper grade girls were tutored. Some mothers taught their daughters in the middle class until boarding schools began to take place. These girls were oftentimes taught writing, music, and needlework. While boys studied more than bookish subjects, girls were believed to simply need to be taught subjects that were more than on the line of abilities. At the grammar schools, boys attended school from nigh six or 7 in the forenoon until around 5 at night. They were allowed some breaks for meals, only if they acted out of hand they would be punished with a smack on their blank butt with birch twigs.

Article of clothing
Women's Clothing
Forth with their linen shirts and chemises, women as well put on "stays" or corsets. For the better function of the century, these suffocating devices were idea a necessity for proficient posture. A adult female's legs were commonly covered past a petticoat and overskirt and included the "false rump" which was normally fabricated of cork. But soon into the century (from 1713-1740), "fan hoops" made an emergence, which pushed out the fabric on all sides. There were both arguments for and against these apparel contraptions. Nay-sayers complained that they made women struggle to get around and ruined comfort, merely those in support insisted it ke

18th Century Women's Manner

pt men at a "chaste altitude." Women from every class adopted the new style. Women's hair varied from big to small and wavy to curled with each year. Caps were immensely popular for the majority of women and embraced a lace around the brim. Women'south shoes and stockings remained rather traditional with white and black laced stockings along with high-heeled, pointed toe shoes. And not every bit uncommon every bit today, fashionable women were many accessories that interchanged between different gloves, watches, masks, and jewelry.

Men'south Clothing
Men's clothing was non early as much a spectacle as women's. Men wore mostly bland haircuts while some wore wigs which at the showtime of the century tended to be long. Hats varied in width and were commonly worn among these wigs.Three slice suits also ruled the male fashion scene, containing a jacket, vest, and pants equally the essentials. With these suits, men wore black leather shoes with stockings underneath. Men's wearable as well entailed a ruffled shirt with waistcoat over it in the early part of the century. Coats appeared every bit longer waist coats with the rich showing off many different features while the working class displayed much simpler details. When outdoors, a admirer wore cloaks, which later on became highly unfashionable. Beneath all of this, a man wore breaches.

Court Apparel of 1750

Dating and Social Interactions
Dating life for women in the 18th century had started to modify every bit they had more of a say in their marriages and weddings. It was at this time the thought of marrying because of who your parents arranged had died, and the idea of marrying on the basis of personal affection and started taking its place. The average historic period women had started to marry was 22 compared to decades before when the age was much younger. The husband also needed to non only pay a dowry to the brides family unit, only accept an allotment of things lined upward for the happy couple. Things such as: housing, clothing, prospect of decent income and savings. On average, men tended to marry at 26 during this fourth dimension, looking for specific attributes in a woman to be considered as his hereafter wife. These qualities included: the typical household wife of maid, mother and caregiver, as well as a youthful looking woman who was wise with a decent holy background.

Entertainment
Sports

18th Century Backyard Bowling

The English were an outdoors people when it came to sport. Sometimes, archery and pole vaulting intercepted its way into people's routine activities. Water ice skating in wintertime months was extremely common, and during the summer months, swimming and water sports reigned supreme. Boating for the purpose of line-fishing, picnicking, and watching regattas was all very popular. During fall months, hunting took a big function in many lives where the master game was dear and certain birds. Equus caballus races have been documented since 1709 until the Jockey Gild was officially founded in 1750. Many denounced the racing due to it being a distraction to labor that needed to be done, merely the protest had little to no effect. Leaning towards the middle of the century, cricket started gaining increasing popularity due to its viability with both men and women of all classes. Along with cricket, other organized sports included lawn tennis, golf, and lawn bowling.

The Ragamuffin's Opera, Written by John Gay.

Plays
Almost everyone enjoyed the theater whether information technology be watching it in the metropolis, travelling companies, or performing in their own dwelling. The country's greatest play of the century was John Gay'southward The Ragamuffin's Opera, which was produced in 1728. Information technology was a scathing social satire that included the poor and alienated the rich. it was much disliked past Prime number Minister Robert Walpole who was able to go his revenge with the Licensing Act that caused plays to exist reviewed and made actors subject to arrest for taking parts in unacceptable plays. With the increment in theater popularity, many theaters renovated and put on multiple shows. The audiences were diverse and a lot of the fourth dimension were rude to the signal where they would throw produce at the actors if they were unhappy with what they had seen.

Other Amusement
Art shows were some other source of pleasure for diverse people of all ages. Wax figures, sculptures, and paintings were all popular. Public fairs were immensely popular, ranging anywhere from 2 to vi weeks. Fireworks, music, plays, animal fights, eating competitions, and gambling could all exist found at various fairs. Assemblies and balls offered young people an opportunity for courtship. The price of admission sorted out the very poor and distinguished the balance by their respective social class. Women loved the aspect of dancing and gossiping about the men in attendance and the mothers enjoyed the matchmaking thought of it all. Clubs and societies offered mostly men a identify to meet others with common interests. Coffeehouses saw some of the greatest thinkers of the 18th century gather and talk over everything from sports to philosophy. Admirer'due south club acted as more exclusive, all male coffeehouse. The Freemasons were founded in 1717 and included nearly of the male royals by the end of the century. Gambling and card games became other large sources of entertainment for the public. It was very mutual to bet on various sporting events where huge sums of coin were sometimes gambled away in one sitting. The government did not desire to penalize its own members who gambled then information technology made life difficult on working class game house owners. Whether or non they were gambled on, games were played by everyone. The well-nigh notable of them being backgammon, chess, checkers, and cribbage. Some of the more than vehement forms of entertainment came in the form of animal torture and fighting where many gathered around to encounter the carnage that ensued. A popular spectacle was "baiting" where tying up animals and sending dogs afterward it was commonplace. Fighting between humans were considered all in practiced fun including the emergence of boxing and wrestling. Booze also became popular during this fourth dimension with the liquor of choice being gin. Information technology was cheap and easy to make, and you lot did not need a license to sell it, making information technology a hot commodity during this fourth dimension. The downside to lesser shelf liquor was the affects it had on your health. Many people suffered greatly from the overabundance of gin, only for many poor people it had go well-nigh a condolement to them. People of upper class by and large never bothered with things similar homemade gin, due to the fact that they could afford better quality liquor.

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Source: https://sites.udel.edu/britlitwiki/social-and-family-life-in-the-late17th-early-18th-centuries/