European 18 th Century Social Life

I. Beginnings of a Belief in Progress A. New wealth & new knowledge…. B. Challenged….& created… C. Belief in progress FUNDAMENTAL to modernity  D. Touched almost every aspect of life  politics, medicine, production, education... “[The 18 th century] saw a growing appetite, even from the slightly educated, for understanding and improvement.” Linda Kirk The Historical Journal, Dec. 2000

II. Family A. Usually nuclear, NOT 

B. Married older  1. Needed years of work to...  prudence, law, and custom postponed marriage 2. Creates/instills the idea…

C. Premarital sex 1. up to 1750’s a. Not unusual, BUT… b. Very few illegitimate kids  2. After 1750’s a. out of wedlock children... marriage... b. increased mobility….

D. Children 1.Married later, but had MANY kids rapidly  2.Infant mortality HIGH  3.Parent’s often emotionally detached from kids  4.Lower classes … while uppers… 5.Foundlings & infanticide 

III. The City A. More people moving to cities  18 th cen Paris

B. Conditions 1. Crowded   2. Dirty  a. animals  b. Human waste   18 th cen London

Population of Europe (Millions) Region1500's1700's British Isles59 Russia1018 France1619 Balkans78 Low Countries23 German States1315 Italia1113 Poland46 ScandinaviaNo data3 Spain & Portugal910

3. Noisy 

C. Employment  D. Then why go??? 

IV. The Law A. No central law enforcement  1. England  2 France  B. Military…. C. …or militia 

England’s Bloody Code Number of crimes carrying the death penalty Some of the crimes carrying the death penalty in the 1700s stealing horses or sheep destroying turnpike roads cutting down trees pickpocketing goods worth more than one shilling being out at night with a blackened face unmarried mother concealing a stillborn child arson forgery stealing from a rabbit warren murder

D. Courts  1. No rights for… 2. Torture & bribes frequently used… 3. Rulings a. Usually 1 of2 rulings from judge  b. torture also frequently used

E. Community Justice In absence of “official” justice, public rituals used to… offenses  Punishments  Charivari, ducking chair, stockades  Public humiliation

V. Schooling, Literacy, & Language A. By 1500’s, rich began… B. By 17 th century… 1. B & G, 7-12…  Grew in 18 th, but 2. Churches () often… C. Literacy undergoes… 

D. Oral & Print Cultures 1. Elite culture transmitted through…. 2. Pop culture largely….  Some print culture 

E. Language 1. Popular level  2. Elites   Transmitted through Created a divide 

VI. Living Standards A. Housing 1. Wealthy  2. Poor 

B. Employment 1. Most still involved….  2. Wealthy own land, proto-indus, commerce 3. Unpleasant jobs available...

C. Clothing  1. Wealthy  2. Poor  D. Personal Hygiene 1. Bathing  2. Bathrooms  This image contrasts 1778 and 1793 styles for both men and women, Nightsoil men 

E. Diet 1. Masses  2. Elites   3. Beer & wine... coffee & tea… 4. Neither class very healthy   potato 

VII. Health A. Disease Smallpox, typhus, bloody flux, gout, measles, rickets, scurvy… 1. Both classes effected  2. Some diseases… B. Tooth Decay 

Hogarth Barber-surgeons C. Medical Practitioners 1. faith healers & apothecaries…. 2. Physicians  3. Surgeons  4. Midwives  5. Hospitals  D. Medical Experiments  People beginning….

VIII. Religion A. Majority of people..  B. Protestant Revival  C. Catholic Piety 1. Eltes used to…. 2. Popular culture often….. 3. Showed/ made worse….

D. Declining belief in witchcraft & magic 

IX. Leisure & Recreation A. Fairs & carnivals  1. Shows  2. Buy exotic items  3. Rowdy spectacles 

om/watch?v=rvNMEu edsJk om/watch?v=rvNMEu edsJk om/watch?v=rvNMEu edsJk om/watch?v=rvNMEu edsJk C. Carnival 1. Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday  D. Elite increasingly…  Saw as….. B. Testing social boundaries with limited outbursts of deviance 1. Social order turned upside down  2. Promotes Release of...