Children and Education By Luke, Maddie, Matt, and Tom
Focus Question How did the treatment of children and the importance of education change in the 1800s?
Infanticide Killing babies o Women couldn't afford them o Abortion was illegal and dangerous This and sickness led to: o High child morality rate o Disregard for children
Families (Handling Children) Parents chose names younger - not relatives' names Guilt-stimulated consciences Artists began to paint children more Abuse - Disciplined harshly Rural wet nurses
Attitudes towards Children Less physical discipline for children Decline in swaddling - wrapping children Educational toys and books Children viewed with more importance Parents didn't care before, because of mortality rates
Foundling Hospitals Children's Homes 1770 Paris - 1/3 of all babies Couldn't support the chilren Many children died - 50%-90% "Legalized infanticide"
Schooling Formal education is stressed Catholics and Protestants both endorsed formal education Between 18th and 19th centuries, literacy increased o Especially in Scotland and France Chapbooks became popular (inexpensive textbooks)
Literature Bible still the most popular book Fairy tales, romances, and fictionalized history became popular literature Most popular literature didn't challenge political and social systems Dealt with practical arts
Women and Girls in Education Tax-supported schooling for girls began as early as 1767 in New England Some places (usually specific towns) did not support the education of women Enlightenment thinkers like Rousseau saw women as inferior and not deserving of education Declaration of the Rights of Women and the Female Citizen established in 1791
Enlightenment Philosophes were advocates of natural motherhood Jean Jacques Rousseau: o "Emile, or on education" Humanism - Kids' importance grew Individualism - Viewed more as people
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