The Changing Roles of the People, 18 th Century

1. The Changing Roles of the People, 18th Century Unit V, Chapter 20

2. Old Patterns of Marriage & the Family • The family has evolved over time. • People married later • Couples couldn’t marry until they could support themselves • Town councils didn’t want poor marrying poor. Laws were passed. • Few church records of illegitimate kids born. • 33% of all first born were born shortly after marriage • Implication: People were having pre-marital sex, but pregnancy stepped up the date. • Community members pressured marriage • Families had several kids. • Birth control was primitive

3. New Patterns of Marriage and Illegitimacy • 1750- 1850, illegitimate births soared • More girls having sex, fewer men marrying the girls they got preg. • Cottage industry provided more independence. • Movement to other cities for job opportunities; meet new people (village traditions not there to stop you) • Idealistic women were seduced with promises of marriage. • Men didn’t want financial burden of a wife and kid

4. Old Views of Children • High infant mortality rates • Women were not breast-feeding their children • No bonding with child • Low immunity for child • Wet nurses were hired by the wealthy class • Breast-fed babies for the mothers • Believed bad traits of the wet nurse could be passed to baby. • Infanticide • Killing babies • Rolling over- kill baby by squishing them • Foundling homes • Baby deposit centers • 100,000 babies deposited by the end of the 1700’s • Married couples did this too

5. Old Attitudes About Children • Couples were indifferent to children • Another mouth to feed • All social classes • Why? • High death rate; don’t get attached

6. New Attitudes About Children • Enlightenment • Re-think parenting skills • Rousseau encouraged parents to love their kids • Nurse your kid for bonding/health purposes • Dress your kid in comfy clothes

7. Schools and Education • Everyone should be able to read the Bible • Growth of literacy among commoners • Not necessarily reading the Enlightenment • Wealthy class movement • Read chapter books • Christian devotionals • Fairy tales, romance, adventure • How-to books: agriculture, etc.

8. Food & Nutrition • Wealthy Class (unhealthy) • Ate more quantity than poor • Consumed meat & sugar • Lacked vitamins due to no veggies • Poor Class (unhealthy) • Ate bread and veggies • Lacked vitamin A & C due to no meat & dairy • Suffered scurvy due to lack of minerals • Potato came to the rescue; had many vitamins

9. Medicine • Medicine stayed rather primitive • Blood-letting • Purging • Surgeons attempted to learn the body • No clean atmosphere • No anesthesia • Women • Not allowed to be doctors, surgeons • Mainly midwives & faith healers • Some changes: • Ventilation • Small Pox vaccine; developed from Cow Pox; Edward Jenner

10. Religion • Church still influential in Europe • Protestant Revival- Pietism • Promoted a “warm” religion • Brotherhood of believers • Christians should lead moral lives • Methodist sect emerges • Catholic Piety • Catholic Europe still very devoted • Many community rituals; often pagan • Carnival

11. Recreation and Leisure • Lower classes more verbal than written • Women: sewing clubs • Men: taverns • Fairs and festivals • Blood sports • Cock fighting, bull fighting • Wealthy class looked down on leisure activities • Class separation in the future

12. Scurvy