The Changing Life of the The Changing Life of the People of the 18People of the 18thth century century

Chapter 20Chapter 20

Extended FamilyExtended Family

Rarity by 1700Rarity by 1700 May never have been common in EuropeMay never have been common in Europe

Family of Country People,” oil painting by Louis Le Nain, c. 1640. In the Louvre, Paris

MarriageMarriage

Later in lifeLater in life Years after reaching Years after reaching

adulthoodadulthood Men and women Men and women

average age 27average age 27 Some never at allSome never at all

William Hogarth: Marriage a la Mode 1735

Why Delay Marriage?Why Delay Marriage?

Not allowed to marry unless you could support Not allowed to marry unless you could support yourselfyourself

Land source of incomeLand source of income Wait until fathers death (peasant)Wait until fathers death (peasant) Small dowry to help fiancé buy land or build a Small dowry to help fiancé buy land or build a

house (peasant)house (peasant) Community controlsCommunity controls Legal permission/ approval of lordLegal permission/ approval of lord Landless paupers, abandoned children, more Landless paupers, abandoned children, more

money for welfaremoney for welfare

Hogarth

Hogarth

Work Away From HomeWork Away From Home

Apprentice for 7-14 years (males)Apprentice for 7-14 years (males) Servant (girls even middleclass)Servant (girls even middleclass) Wage paid to parentsWage paid to parents Endless workEndless work No laws against exploitationNo laws against exploitation Seducers- Prey of master of his friendsSeducers- Prey of master of his friends

The Kitchen Maid with Provisions, 1739 by Jean-Baptiste Simeon Chardin

from Black, An Illustrated History of Eighteenth-Century Britain, 35 (Mid-18th century machines were still dependent on human energy. Note the broadside song or poem of D. Defoe's Moll Flanders hung upon the idle apprentice's loom.)

Premarital SexPremarital Sex

Illegitimate children rareIllegitimate children rare 1 % of babies born out of wedlock1 % of babies born out of wedlock CommonCommon 33% of first children conceived before 33% of first children conceived before

marriagemarriage Betrothed or going steady- Pregnancy set Betrothed or going steady- Pregnancy set

the marriage datethe marriage date

Community ControlsCommunity Controls

Spirit of common actionSpirit of common action Police behavior and maintain standardsPolice behavior and maintain standards Irate parents and anxious villagersIrate parents and anxious villagers People involved in others livesPeople involved in others lives Beaters were publicly humiliatedBeaters were publicly humiliated

Birth ControlBirth Control

Unknown within marriageUnknown within marriage Coitus interruptous- Withdrawal by maleCoitus interruptous- Withdrawal by male ““Sheath”- Used against VDSheath”- Used against VD

It has also been suggested that Condom was a doctor in the time of Charles II. It is believed that he invented the device to help the king to prevent the birth of more illegitimate children.

New Patterns EmergeNew Patterns Emerge

1750- 1850- Illegitimacy explosion1750- 1850- Illegitimacy explosion Fewer women abstainFewer women abstain Fewer men marrying women they got Fewer men marrying women they got

pregnantpregnant

Cottage WorkersCottage Workers

Producers who work from homeProducers who work from home Marry for loveMarry for love Courtship more extensive and freer as Courtship more extensive and freer as

industry grewindustry grew

18th century cottage in Brittany

Urban AreasUrban Areas

Needs of growing pop. Sent villagers to Needs of growing pop. Sent villagers to towns and citiestowns and cities

Mobility= new sexual and marital Mobility= new sexual and marital relationshipsrelationships

No village tradition= more illegament No village tradition= more illegament birthsbirths

Marriage and family escape from hard lifeMarriage and family escape from hard life Promises of marriage lead to births- But Promises of marriage lead to births- But

usually no marriageusually no marriage

ChildrenChildren

Families 6-8 childrenFamilies 6-8 children High infant mortalityHigh infant mortality 1 in 5 die1 in 5 die Dehydration by Dehydration by

diarrheadiarrhea Dangerous childhood- Dangerous childhood-

neglect and abuseneglect and abuse

EducationEducation

Many never learn to readMany never learn to read Basic literacy growingBasic literacy growing

Breast FeedingBreast Feeding

Low class Low class Delay ovulation/ limit Delay ovulation/ limit

fertilityfertility Saves livesSaves lives Spaces births out by Spaces births out by

2-3 years2-3 years

A fashionable mother breastfeeding her baby, Coloured etching by James Gillray, English, 1796

Wet NurseWet Nurse

Hired to suckle children of aristocracy and Hired to suckle children of aristocracy and upper middle classupper middle class

2-3 years pass before job finished2-3 years pass before job finished Send own children awaySend own children away Bad traits to baby- nurse changed itBad traits to baby- nurse changed it Killing nurses- No child ever survivedKilling nurses- No child ever survived

Jean-Baptiste Greuze, Departure for the Wet Nurse, ca. 1760.

InfanticideInfanticide

Intentionally killing an infantIntentionally killing an infant Crime punishable by deathCrime punishable by death Drunk parents roll over and suffocate Drunk parents roll over and suffocate

childrenchildren Austria 1784Austria 1784

AbortionsAbortions

IllegalIllegal DangerousDangerous RareRare

Foundling Homes/ HospitalsFoundling Homes/ Hospitals

Type of OrphanageType of Orphanage Founded by Saint Vincent de PaulFounded by Saint Vincent de Paul Women leave babies on church door stepsWomen leave babies on church door steps 1770 1/3 of all babies born in Paris were 1770 1/3 of all babies born in Paris were

abandonedabandoned 1/3 of those were of married couples1/3 of those were of married couples Many enter few leaveMany enter few leave 50% die50% die

Attitudes Towards ChildrenAttitudes Towards Children

Class does not matterClass does not matter Another mouth is tragedyAnother mouth is tragedy Doctors and Clergy urge parents to not get Doctors and Clergy urge parents to not get

attachedattached Name all of your children after yourself in Name all of your children after yourself in

hopes that one will survivehopes that one will survive Neglected b/c they will dieNeglected b/c they will die Die b/c they are neglectedDie b/c they are neglected

Many call for better attitudesMany call for better attitudes Daniel Defoe- “Spare the rod and spoil the Daniel Defoe- “Spare the rod and spoil the

child”child” Urging healthy women to nurse their own Urging healthy women to nurse their own

childrenchildren Wrap babies in lose comfortable clothingWrap babies in lose comfortable clothing

SchoolsSchools

Boys and girls 7-12Boys and girls 7-12 Literacy/ religionLiteracy/ religion Reading to instill Reading to instill

catholic and catholic and protestant teachingsprotestant teachings

Prussia makes Prussia makes attendance attendance mandatorymandatory

ReadingReading

Bible most popularBible most popular Pamphlets or chapbooksPamphlets or chapbooks

Diet and NutritionDiet and Nutrition

Bread staff of lifeBread staff of life ““Just Price”- Price should be fairJust Price”- Price should be fair Food riotsFood riots Vegetables- Poor people foodVegetables- Poor people food Meat and eggs- love itMeat and eggs- love it Milk- Rarely drunkMilk- Rarely drunk

Impact on HealthImpact on Health

Basic bread and veggies adequate at Basic bread and veggies adequate at timestimes

Lack in Vitamins A and CLack in Vitamins A and C ScurvyScurvy GoutGout

PotatoesPotatoes

Important dietary supplementImportant dietary supplement 7 years war- not just famine food7 years war- not just famine food

Growing number of variety at marketsGrowing number of variety at markets Decline in price of sugarDecline in price of sugar

MedicalMedical

Dominated by malesDominated by males Did little to improve Did little to improve

peoples healthpeoples health Faith healers, Faith healers,

apothecaries, apothecaries, physicians, surgeons, physicians, surgeons, and midwivesand midwives

Faith HealerFaith Healer

Demons and evil spirits cause diseaseDemons and evil spirits cause disease Exorcise or drive out the demonExorcise or drive out the demon Treatment of mental health- depression Treatment of mental health- depression

and hysteriaand hysteria

ApothecaryApothecary

PharmacistPharmacist 100 or more drugs in one prescription100 or more drugs in one prescription Purging and bloodlettingPurging and bloodletting

SurgeonsSurgeons More successfulMore successful Serious study anatomySerious study anatomy Army surgeons lead the wayArmy surgeons lead the way Cauterize with fireCauterize with fire No painkillers or anesthesia'sNo painkillers or anesthesia's

18th century French Sketch: Trepanation

MidwivesMidwives Persecuted during 16Persecuted during 16thth and 17 and 17thth c witch c witch

hunt crazehunt craze Older/ widowed womanOlder/ widowed woman Trained by other womenTrained by other women Assist in labor and deliveryAssist in labor and delivery Treated female problems tooTreated female problems too

HospitalsHospitals

Horrible placesHorrible places No privacyNo privacy Operations performed in patients bedOperations performed in patients bed Fresh air considered harmfulFresh air considered harmful Nurses- drunk, greedy, and oldNurses- drunk, greedy, and old

St. Bartholomew’s Hospital 1720

ReformReform

Improve ventilationImprove ventilation Bad air causes diseaseBad air causes disease 1790- first humane sanitarium founded by 1790- first humane sanitarium founded by

William TukeWilliam Tuke

Mental DiseaseMental Disease

Moonlight caused madnessMoonlight caused madness LunaticLunatic Someone harmed by lunar lightSomeone harmed by lunar light

MasturbationMasturbation

Caused madnessCaused madness AcneAcne EpilepsyEpilepsy Premature ejaculationPremature ejaculation Parents, religious institutions, and schools Parents, religious institutions, and schools

wag war against itwag war against it

ExperimentationExperimentation

Expensive and worthless curesExpensive and worthless cures 1750- Small pox 1750- Small pox Inoculation in the Muslim lands Inoculation in the Muslim lands 1 in 50 died from inoculation1 in 50 died from inoculation Edward Jenner- country doctorEdward Jenner- country doctor

ParishParish

Local parish fulfills many needsLocal parish fulfills many needs Focal point of devotionFocal point of devotion Organized pilgrimages to local shrinesOrganized pilgrimages to local shrines Place of gossipPlace of gossip Woven in to community lifeWoven in to community life

Priests and ParsonsPriests and Parsons

BookkeepersBookkeepers Complete registers give historians much Complete registers give historians much

information on population and family lifeinformation on population and family life Distribute charityDistribute charity OrphansOrphans

JesuitsJesuits

Society of JesusSociety of Jesus Teachers, missionaries, and agents of the Teachers, missionaries, and agents of the

papacypapacy Ordered out of France in 1763Ordered out of France in 1763 France and Spain pressured Rome to France and Spain pressured Rome to

dissolve them completelydissolve them completely 1773 pope orders them dissolved1773 pope orders them dissolved Revived after the French RevolutionRevived after the French Revolution

PietismPietism

Protestant revivalProtestant revival Works for 3 reasonsWorks for 3 reasons

Calls for a warm, Calls for a warm, emotional religion fro emotional religion fro everyoneeveryone

Reasserted the earlier Reasserted the earlier radical stress on the radical stress on the priesthood of all priesthood of all believers- Bible believers- Bible reading extended to reading extended to all classesall classes

Practical power of Practical power of Christian rebirthChristian rebirth

John WesleyJohn Wesley

1703-911703-91 Impacted by pietismImpacted by pietism Preached to crowds in open fieldsPreached to crowds in open fields Oxford UniversityOxford University Holy Club Holy Club Become known as the Methodists bc they Become known as the Methodists bc they

were so methodical in their devotionwere so methodical in their devotion

CarnivalCarnival After lent- (40 days of fasting and After lent- (40 days of fasting and

penitence b4 Easter)penitence b4 Easter) Drinking, masquerading, and dancingDrinking, masquerading, and dancing Plays, processions, and rowdy spectaclesPlays, processions, and rowdy spectacles

Urban FairsUrban Fairs

Prepared food, Prepared food, acrobats, freak acrobats, freak shows, open air shows, open air performances, optical performances, optical illusionsillusions

EntertainmentEntertainment

BoxingBoxing CircusesCircuses Horse racesHorse races Bull fightsBull fights

Blood SportsBlood Sports

BullbaitingBullbaiting CockfightingCockfighting