What long-established system of labor began to die out by the early eighteenth century?
IntroductionIn the period 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. There were also 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 also led to a transformation in both entertainment and occupations available. Additionally, new fashion trends came onto the scene. This page explores the social structure of Britain, its impact on life, both private and public, as well as the new developments that changed the way the people spent their leisure time. There was a clear gap between the wealthy and the poor, which made itself visible in almost all aspects of life, but there were certain areas where class was unimportant. Show The family lives of people were separated by two distinctions: roles for men versus roles for women, and social class. In general, men were the breadwinners, providing income for the family, whereas the mothers were in charge of the household. This role grew more prominent with more wealth, as with that came more estate to manage. Marriage was also very closely tied to social class; women were seldom married into lower social rungs. It also came with heavy social implications for the family’s legacy and reputation among 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 affluent families, managing the servants. Women, or mothers, were also responsible for raising and educating their children. In addition, they were responsible for cooking and feeding the family. 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 hands of the patriarchy.SOURCE? Housework was particularly taxing due to the lack of modern cleaning methods. Women were expected to tend the garden, cook for the family, take care of the children, and see that their husbands’ needs were met. The mother of the household would often have many children because not many children were able to survive early childhood. Typically, most mothers had up to eight children, in hopes that some would survive and be able to work for the family. High infant mortality rates was a major issue during this time. The average life expectancy in England was about 39-40 years old. It was assumed that if a man or a woman reached the age of 30, they would probably only live for another 20 year. The infant and child mortality rates during the late 17th century and 18th century had a serious impact on the average life expectancy. A total of 12-13% of children would die during the first year of their lives, due complications such as diseases, physical accidents, and birth trauma. Men were usually in charge of all the finances involved in the household and did most of the work to financially support the family. It was common for a man to be well educated and have work outside of the household. The patriarch made decisions on behalf of the family, such as whether his wife could work outside the home 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 against or divorced their husband. Children were taught to obey the patriarch. The early half of the 18th century was a tumultuous time for women’s rights. Though women could work, they did not enjoy 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 cruel and humiliating public penalties.
Marriage Family Life After Marriage Divorce and Separation Lower/ Middle Class Upper
Class
Similarities Between Families in Both Classes
Labor Social LifeAs 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 afford to do at this time. This made the education gap significant during the period, and made it difficult for the poorer people of Britain to move up the social ladder. Some things permeated the entire society without regard to class, however; both the theater and, later, the increasing role of organized sports were both things that were available and enjoyed by everybody. Social Classes Social Class Structure Though this class structure was almost always set from birth and heavily protected by those were already inducted into high social standing, it was not impossible for those of lower status to break through. Everyone was mainly subject to the same body of law as 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 man 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 standing vanish. London and the Job Market
London was the biggest and most commercialized and industrialized city in England at the time. It was home to roughly half a million citizens at the beginning of the century and would only grow from there. One could come across any business 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 water that had been dumped from upper windows. Horse manure and human waste were also common to come across on the street. New foods were eaten like bananas, pineapples, and chocolate for the upper class. Tea and coffee were also introduced as exciting new drinks and coffee shops were up and coming, helping with the economy and job market. Education Clothing
pt men at a “chaste distance.” 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’s shoes and stockings remained rather traditional with white and black laced stockings along with high-heeled, pointed toe shoes. And not as uncommon as today, fashionable women were many accessories that interchanged between different gloves, watches, masks, and jewelry. Men’s Clothing
Dating and Social Interactions Entertainment
The English were an outdoors people when it came to sport. Sometimes, archery and pole vaulting intercepted its way into people’s routine activities. Ice skating in winter months was extremely common, and during the summer months, swimming and water sports reigned supreme. Boating for the purpose of fishing, picnicking, and watching regattas was all very popular. During fall months, hunting took a big role in many lives where the main game was dear and certain birds. Horse races have been documented since 1709 until the Jockey Club was officially founded in 1750. Many denounced the racing due to it being a distraction to labor that needed to be done, but 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 tennis, golf, and lawn bowling.
Plays Other Entertainment Literary References: No citations in body of page “18th-Century Theatre.” Victoria and Albert Museum, Digital Media . Victoria and Albert Museum, 2013. Web. 13 May 2013. Olsen, Kirstin. Daily Life in 18th-century England. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1999. Print. Lambert, Tim. “Life in the 17th Century”. Lehmberg, Stanford E., and Thomas William Heyck. The Peoples of the British Isles: A New History. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub., 1992. Print. “Life in 17th Century Europe.” Life in 17th Century Europe. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2016. “Life in the Living Room 1600-2000.” Page1-3- Geffrye UK. British Library Board, n.d. Web 02 Dec.2016. Web. “Make Your Way As A Woman In Eighteenth-Century England.” Make Your Way As A Woman In Eighteen-Century England. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2016. “Raising Children in the Early 17th Century: Demographics. “Plimouth Plantation. Plymouth Ancestors, n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2016. Web. Media References “Sex & Marriage in the 18th Century Western World.” So Faithful a Heart. N.p., 6 Apr. 2010. Web. 14 May 2013. “William
Dobson (1611 – 1646, English).” I AM A CHILD. N.p., 09 Nov. 2013. Web. 01 Dec. 2016. “Historical Timeline — 17th-18th Centuries.” Growing a Nation The Story of American Agriculture. N.p., 2014. Web. 01 Dec. 2016. Diniejko, Andrzej, and D. Litt. “Slums and Slumming in Late-Victorian London.” The Victorian Web. Ed. Poland. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016 “Women’s Clothing A
History of English Dress in the Late 17th to 18th Centuries.”University of Michigan. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2013. “18th Century Europe till the French Revolution – History of Fashion Design.” History of Fashion Design. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec.
2016. Sarudy, Barbara Wells. “The Bowling Green & the Machine in the Garden.” Early American Gardens. N.p., 07 Sept. 2013. Web. 01 Dec. 2016. “Burden Collection.” Burden Collection | Rare Books & Special Collections. N.p., 21 July 2015. Web. 01 Dec. 2016. Why did indentured servitude die out?Indentured servitude appeared in Virginia by 1620. Initially a device used to transport European workers to the New World, over time servitude dwindled as black slavery grew in importance in the British colonies.
How long did indentured servitude last?Each indentured servant would have their fare across the Atlantic paid in full by their master. A contract was written that stipulated the length of service — typically five years.
When did the indentured servitude start and end?It started from the end of slavery in 1833 and continued until 1920.
When did indentured servitude start?Indentured servitude was introduced by the Virginia Company in 1619 and appears to have arisen from a combination of the terms of two other types of labor contract widely used in England at the time: service in husbandry and apprenticeship (Galenson 1981).
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