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Death by Petticoat: American History Myths Debunked
Every day stories from American history that are not true are repeated in museums and classrooms across the country. Some are outright fabrications; others contain a kernel of truth that has been embellished over the years. Collaborating with The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Mary Miley Theobald has uncovered the truth behind many widely repeated myth-understandings in our history in Death by Petticoat including:
* Hat makers really were driven mad. They were poisoned by the mercury used in making hats from furs. Their symptoms included hallucinations, tremors, and twitching, which looked like insanity to people of the 17th and 18th centuries--and the phrase "mad as a hatter" came about.
* The idea that portrait painters gave discounts if their subjects posed with one hand inside the vest (so they didn't have to paint fingers and leading to the saying that something "costs an arm and a leg") is strictly myth. It isn't likely that Napoleon, King George III, or George Washington were concerned about getting a discount from their portrait painters.
- - Pregnant women secluded themselves indoors, uneven stairs were made to trip up burglars, people bathed once a year, women had tiny waists, apprenticeships lasted seven years--Death by Petticoat reveals the truth about these hysterical historical myth-understandings.
* Hat makers really were driven mad. They were poisoned by the mercury used in making hats from furs. Their symptoms included hallucinations, tremors, and twitching, which looked like insanity to people of the 17th and 18th centuries--and the phrase "mad as a hatter" came about.
* The idea that portrait painters gave discounts if their subjects posed with one hand inside the vest (so they didn't have to paint fingers and leading to the saying that something "costs an arm and a leg") is strictly myth. It isn't likely that Napoleon, King George III, or George Washington were concerned about getting a discount from their portrait painters.
- - Pregnant women secluded themselves indoors, uneven stairs were made to trip up burglars, people bathed once a year, women had tiny waists, apprenticeships lasted seven years--Death by Petticoat reveals the truth about these hysterical historical myth-understandings.
185 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 5, 2012
72 people are currently reading
706 people want to read
About the author
Mary Miley Theobald
18 books19 followersMary Miley Theobald is a historian and free-lance writer specializing in history, travel, and business topics. She received her B.A. and M.A. from the College of William and Mary, worked for Colonial Williamsburg and taught American history and museum studies at Virginia Commonwealth University for many years. Writing as Mary Miley Theobald, she has written a dozen nonfiction books and 200 articles for a variety of magazines and newspapers. Writing as Mary Miley, she has published 5 historical mysteries. In 2012, Mary won the national competition for Best First Crime Novel with her Roaring Twenties murder mystery, THE IMPERSONATOR; its sequel, SILENT MURDERS, came out in 2014; the third in the series, RENTING SILENCE, came out in 2016. The fourth, MURDER IN DISGUISE debuted in August 2017. Her stand-alone mystery, STOLEN MEMORIES, placed second for a Daphne Award in the Historical category.
Currently chained to her computer, Mary is working on a corporate history and a historical novel. When she's not writing, she's probably in jail, where she teaches writing to inmates. An Army brat, she and her husband have made their home in Richmond since 1977.
Currently chained to her computer, Mary is working on a corporate history and a historical novel. When she's not writing, she's probably in jail, where she teaches writing to inmates. An Army brat, she and her husband have made their home in Richmond since 1977.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
March 26, 2019
My review, or debunking some of the debunking, because I need an outlet for this rather than just getting cranky as I read it. As I'll list below, there were quite a few of these where the author either was straight up wrong, or did not sufficiently support the argument to convince me, which makes me dubious about others in which I don't have as much knowledge. Here they are:
Myth #10: Beds were shorter back then because people slept sitting up. I wish I could find the legit sources where I have read or heard this but as they're not easily re-findable, I'll just note that what's missing from the author's argument is Georgian ladies' hairstyles. Because every time I've come across it, women slept sitting up because it took hours upon hours to have their hair done and they would leave it (sometimes for weeks!). Therefore they had to sleep sitting up. So I'm not saying everybody had to sleep sitting up back then, but let's apply our logic here: how did upper-class ladies keep their hair from getting messed up if they DIDN'T sleep sitting up?
Myth #25: Early Americans used the blue paper that wrapped their sugarloves to dye fabric. The argument here is that only the wealthy could afford sugar in that time and they were not exactly recycling packaging. This ignores the extensive recycling done at the time - pretty much nothing went to waste. I'm not saying the lady of the house was making paper dye, but it's possible her servants (or, sadly, slaves, since we are talking Colonial America) were reusing it or passing it on to someone who could. They didn't throw stuff in landfills...anything with any potential for reuse found its way into the hands of someone interested in reusing it. They would not just toss paper, in particular. If it didn't go for dye it's entirely possible it found its way into the privy.
Myth #29: Women ate arsenic to lighten their complexions. More omissions here than inaccuracies: 1. Arsenic was used in medicines at the time, so people did consume it. 2. Face paint was used to hide smallpox scars (the most famous smallpox survivor to do this being Queen Elizabeth I), so you see its use fall off after the smallpox vaccine gained widespread use.
Myth #36: Chairs without arms were designed to accommodate women wearing wide hoop skirts. AAARGH. Portraits of Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Mary I are used as evidence that 1800s armless chairs were not because of woman wearing hoop skirts. Okay, so Tudor undergarments did not involve "hoops" (panniers) because they weren't invented yet. They had what was called a roll at the time and what we would call a bumroll today. Panniers, the big wide Georgian hoops, originated in the 17th century. Anyone who has ever seen what they look like should be able to understand why it would be difficult to sit in a narrow armchair with them. If we're going to use portraits as evidence, do a search for images of Queen Charlotte (George III's consort) - in all the ones I can find, she is either painted standing or in a chair without arms.
Myth #42: Itinerant portrait painters would paint incomplete pictures of headless bodies so they could save time when they found clients, adding only the heads. I'm not saying this specifically (the itinerant part) is not a myth, but I attended a very good Royal Oak lecture on English Civil War portraits, and one artist pretty clearly put a whole lot of Parliamentarian heads on pretty much the exact same body.
Myth #43: Women secluded themselves indoors during pregnancy. This one is correct and a good inclusion...what's omitted is that they had to undergo a church ceremony (separate from their child's christening) in order to go out in public again after childbirth.
Myth #44: Before the days of hospitals, houses had designated birthing rooms. This goes on to say that women usually gave birth in their own beds in their own bedrooms. It's the own beds part that's way off here. Women did NOT commonly give birth in the ancestral bed (except for the lower classes who could afford no more), they used either a birthing chair or the accoucheur's (man midwife) preference of a lightweight folding bed. Which also means they were not limited to their own bedroom if another room was more convenient for any reason. I must here once again recommend Judith S. Lewis's In the Family Way for anyone interested in seeing the myths of childbirth in this era TRULY debunked.
Myth #49: Early American guns were very heavy and awkward to fire. Okay, so matchlock muskets early in the English Civil War (1642 - 1651) were so large and heavy that they actually had to use a sort of monopod stand (a musket rest) for the barrel in order to fire them. Plymouth Colony was established in 1620, so if you're defining early Americans as early American settlers, you are absolutely in crutch musket territory.
Myth #53: The round knob or finial at the top of a staircase newel post is called the mortgage button and signifies that the mortgage has been paid off. I have no idea if this specifically is for real or not, but the argument for this one indicates that mortgages and banks didn't exist in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. HUH? The Bank of England was founded in 1694 and there were scores of banks across England by 1800. Before the revolution people would have used these English banks, and after is when you start to see banking develop in the United States (by the end of the 18th century). As for mortgages, there might not have been the traditional 30 year fixed to buy a house the way we think of it today, but people certainly did mortgage property to make improvements, pay their gambling debts, etc.
Myth #62: The "fainting couch" was invented during Victorian times for tightly corseted women to use when they felt faint. I generally agree with this one but a huge omission is the introduction of gas lighting in that era, which had as much to do with women feeling faint as tight corseting. They literally had "the vapors". I haven't been able to verify this, but again applying logic, if you were feeling faint and went to retire on a fainting couch in a cool, dark room (a "fainting room") that had the gas turned off to the fixture, you'd start to feel better.
Myth #10: Beds were shorter back then because people slept sitting up. I wish I could find the legit sources where I have read or heard this but as they're not easily re-findable, I'll just note that what's missing from the author's argument is Georgian ladies' hairstyles. Because every time I've come across it, women slept sitting up because it took hours upon hours to have their hair done and they would leave it (sometimes for weeks!). Therefore they had to sleep sitting up. So I'm not saying everybody had to sleep sitting up back then, but let's apply our logic here: how did upper-class ladies keep their hair from getting messed up if they DIDN'T sleep sitting up?
Myth #25: Early Americans used the blue paper that wrapped their sugarloves to dye fabric. The argument here is that only the wealthy could afford sugar in that time and they were not exactly recycling packaging. This ignores the extensive recycling done at the time - pretty much nothing went to waste. I'm not saying the lady of the house was making paper dye, but it's possible her servants (or, sadly, slaves, since we are talking Colonial America) were reusing it or passing it on to someone who could. They didn't throw stuff in landfills...anything with any potential for reuse found its way into the hands of someone interested in reusing it. They would not just toss paper, in particular. If it didn't go for dye it's entirely possible it found its way into the privy.
Myth #29: Women ate arsenic to lighten their complexions. More omissions here than inaccuracies: 1. Arsenic was used in medicines at the time, so people did consume it. 2. Face paint was used to hide smallpox scars (the most famous smallpox survivor to do this being Queen Elizabeth I), so you see its use fall off after the smallpox vaccine gained widespread use.
Myth #36: Chairs without arms were designed to accommodate women wearing wide hoop skirts. AAARGH. Portraits of Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Mary I are used as evidence that 1800s armless chairs were not because of woman wearing hoop skirts. Okay, so Tudor undergarments did not involve "hoops" (panniers) because they weren't invented yet. They had what was called a roll at the time and what we would call a bumroll today. Panniers, the big wide Georgian hoops, originated in the 17th century. Anyone who has ever seen what they look like should be able to understand why it would be difficult to sit in a narrow armchair with them. If we're going to use portraits as evidence, do a search for images of Queen Charlotte (George III's consort) - in all the ones I can find, she is either painted standing or in a chair without arms.
Myth #42: Itinerant portrait painters would paint incomplete pictures of headless bodies so they could save time when they found clients, adding only the heads. I'm not saying this specifically (the itinerant part) is not a myth, but I attended a very good Royal Oak lecture on English Civil War portraits, and one artist pretty clearly put a whole lot of Parliamentarian heads on pretty much the exact same body.
Myth #43: Women secluded themselves indoors during pregnancy. This one is correct and a good inclusion...what's omitted is that they had to undergo a church ceremony (separate from their child's christening) in order to go out in public again after childbirth.
Myth #44: Before the days of hospitals, houses had designated birthing rooms. This goes on to say that women usually gave birth in their own beds in their own bedrooms. It's the own beds part that's way off here. Women did NOT commonly give birth in the ancestral bed (except for the lower classes who could afford no more), they used either a birthing chair or the accoucheur's (man midwife) preference of a lightweight folding bed. Which also means they were not limited to their own bedroom if another room was more convenient for any reason. I must here once again recommend Judith S. Lewis's In the Family Way for anyone interested in seeing the myths of childbirth in this era TRULY debunked.
Myth #49: Early American guns were very heavy and awkward to fire. Okay, so matchlock muskets early in the English Civil War (1642 - 1651) were so large and heavy that they actually had to use a sort of monopod stand (a musket rest) for the barrel in order to fire them. Plymouth Colony was established in 1620, so if you're defining early Americans as early American settlers, you are absolutely in crutch musket territory.
Myth #53: The round knob or finial at the top of a staircase newel post is called the mortgage button and signifies that the mortgage has been paid off. I have no idea if this specifically is for real or not, but the argument for this one indicates that mortgages and banks didn't exist in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. HUH? The Bank of England was founded in 1694 and there were scores of banks across England by 1800. Before the revolution people would have used these English banks, and after is when you start to see banking develop in the United States (by the end of the 18th century). As for mortgages, there might not have been the traditional 30 year fixed to buy a house the way we think of it today, but people certainly did mortgage property to make improvements, pay their gambling debts, etc.
Myth #62: The "fainting couch" was invented during Victorian times for tightly corseted women to use when they felt faint. I generally agree with this one but a huge omission is the introduction of gas lighting in that era, which had as much to do with women feeling faint as tight corseting. They literally had "the vapors". I haven't been able to verify this, but again applying logic, if you were feeling faint and went to retire on a fainting couch in a cool, dark room (a "fainting room") that had the gas turned off to the fixture, you'd start to feel better.
March 7, 2017
Interesting information, though I'm not sure where some of it came from. I hadn't heard most of the myths before, so it was interesting to see the myths that are believed as well as the true information.
January 15, 2012
This little book covers a collection of popular, oft-repeated myths of American history, both the completely fabricated and those with a grain of truth vastly over-inflated to make a better story.
The title refers to the claim that long skirts and petticoats were so likely to catch fire that "death by petticoat fire" was the second leading cause of death for colonial American women, with only childbirth beating it out. In fact the leading cause of death for colonial American women was disease--and the cottons, wools, and linens that made up colonial era clothing were a lot less flammable than the polyesters, rayons, and nylons commonly found in modern clothing.
Overall, this is a brisk and sensible book with a sense of humor and an understanding of how and why "myths" catch on and are hard to dislodge. This includes the discussion of the myth of houses being burned down to collect the "valuable" nails used to build them. In fact, nails weren't all that valuable, and no one burned down substantial houses just to get the nails. The first settlers at Jamestown, though, were mostly unattached young men who came to make a quick fortune and go home. They didn't build substantial homes; they built shacks. When they realized they'd be staying, these shacks were easier to burn down than tear down--and once burned down, why not collect the nails? They weren't especially valuable, but they weren't worthless, and why waste them?
In some cases, though, there seems to be a failure to think things through. In the discussion of ice cream, Theobald concludes, for reasons she doesn't really explain, that the Chinese "probably" invented ice cream. The problem with this is that the Chinese don't consume dairy products. Most Chinese, like most adults in areas that have been civilized for a long time, don't produce the enzyme necessary to digest dairy products. It's not likely they invented ice cream. Europeans and their descendants in the Americas are not the only possible candidates, but would have to be serious contenders. It's a small point, but it does cause me to wonder a bit about some of her myth explanations that I don't know enough about to make my own judgment.
Still, it's an interesting and entertaining read, as well as a quick one. This could be a fun title to bring along when taking the children to visit historical American sites.
I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
The title refers to the claim that long skirts and petticoats were so likely to catch fire that "death by petticoat fire" was the second leading cause of death for colonial American women, with only childbirth beating it out. In fact the leading cause of death for colonial American women was disease--and the cottons, wools, and linens that made up colonial era clothing were a lot less flammable than the polyesters, rayons, and nylons commonly found in modern clothing.
Overall, this is a brisk and sensible book with a sense of humor and an understanding of how and why "myths" catch on and are hard to dislodge. This includes the discussion of the myth of houses being burned down to collect the "valuable" nails used to build them. In fact, nails weren't all that valuable, and no one burned down substantial houses just to get the nails. The first settlers at Jamestown, though, were mostly unattached young men who came to make a quick fortune and go home. They didn't build substantial homes; they built shacks. When they realized they'd be staying, these shacks were easier to burn down than tear down--and once burned down, why not collect the nails? They weren't especially valuable, but they weren't worthless, and why waste them?
In some cases, though, there seems to be a failure to think things through. In the discussion of ice cream, Theobald concludes, for reasons she doesn't really explain, that the Chinese "probably" invented ice cream. The problem with this is that the Chinese don't consume dairy products. Most Chinese, like most adults in areas that have been civilized for a long time, don't produce the enzyme necessary to digest dairy products. It's not likely they invented ice cream. Europeans and their descendants in the Americas are not the only possible candidates, but would have to be serious contenders. It's a small point, but it does cause me to wonder a bit about some of her myth explanations that I don't know enough about to make my own judgment.
Still, it's an interesting and entertaining read, as well as a quick one. This could be a fun title to bring along when taking the children to visit historical American sites.
I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
March 16, 2012
Were long skirts and petticoats likely to catch fire thus being a leading cause of death in woman of Colonial America? In Death By Petticoat Mary Riley Theobald sets out to expose historical myths which are apparently still widely believed in today.
Presenting a wild collection of myths - all set in Colonial up to Victorian times on the North American continent - it was interesting to see how some of them are also familiar in European context while others have been completely new to me. While a quick and light read can be like a sweet treat every now and then, unfortunately this compilation lacks when it comes to really explaining where certain myths originate. Each of the myths is presented in a very brief format, often no more than a paragraph - often accompanied by a photo or illustration - consequently lacking details that would have been of interest, and even more so, neglecting thorough explanations in many cases. Even though the content of this book can be seen as history fun facts I would have expected a bit more substance.
I'd also like to add that as fascinating as some of the myths here are, quite a number made me wonder where on Earth the author dug them out as they are utterly ridiculous (on second thought, maybe I'm just too well educated). History buffs beware - this isn't the book for you!
In short: Nice little book for museum shops!
Presenting a wild collection of myths - all set in Colonial up to Victorian times on the North American continent - it was interesting to see how some of them are also familiar in European context while others have been completely new to me. While a quick and light read can be like a sweet treat every now and then, unfortunately this compilation lacks when it comes to really explaining where certain myths originate. Each of the myths is presented in a very brief format, often no more than a paragraph - often accompanied by a photo or illustration - consequently lacking details that would have been of interest, and even more so, neglecting thorough explanations in many cases. Even though the content of this book can be seen as history fun facts I would have expected a bit more substance.
I'd also like to add that as fascinating as some of the myths here are, quite a number made me wonder where on Earth the author dug them out as they are utterly ridiculous (on second thought, maybe I'm just too well educated). History buffs beware - this isn't the book for you!
In short: Nice little book for museum shops!
May 24, 2023
I can’t believe that The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation agreed to put their name on something that wasn’t properly sourced. And that an editor approved of this book is a travesty. Where are the sources? Pictures of reenactments do not count as sources.
Myth #53: The round knob or finial at the top of a staircase newel post is called the mortgage button and signifies that the mortgage has been paid off. “Trouble is, homeowner mortgages didn’t exist in the seventeenth century. Or the eighteenth. Heck, banks didn’t exist in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.”
Excuse me while I die of laughter. Obviously Theobald is not a Hamilton fan or she would know that Alexander Hamilton founded America’s first bank in 1791 (18th century) in the US, and they existed long before that in Europe. She also obviously has not ever visited a deed room because I can tell you from where I work that we have mortgages dating back to 1799, my county was formed in 1798.
Myth #53: The round knob or finial at the top of a staircase newel post is called the mortgage button and signifies that the mortgage has been paid off. “Trouble is, homeowner mortgages didn’t exist in the seventeenth century. Or the eighteenth. Heck, banks didn’t exist in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.”
Excuse me while I die of laughter. Obviously Theobald is not a Hamilton fan or she would know that Alexander Hamilton founded America’s first bank in 1791 (18th century) in the US, and they existed long before that in Europe. She also obviously has not ever visited a deed room because I can tell you from where I work that we have mortgages dating back to 1799, my county was formed in 1798.
June 8, 2012
I greatly enjoy American history so I was excited to read Mary Theobald’s Death By Petticoat: American History Myths Debunked (Andrews McNeel Publishing, June 2012). I ended up leaving it a bit disappointed because of the lack of depth behind the book. It was an amusing and quick read, and I did learn some trivial facts from American history, but because I had expected a more detailed examination of myths and reality, I was disappointed in the superficiality of Ms Theobald’s offering.
Note: I read a digital review copy from the publisher for review consideration.
More on my blog
Note: I read a digital review copy from the publisher for review consideration.
More on my blog
April 27, 2017
Death by Petticoat is a collection of myths that people have been led to believe over the years about our colonial ancestors. These myths, though one time thought true, have since been proven wrong. This book was put together with the help of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
Its not categorized in subject matter or chapter, but rather, numbered by myth. There are 62 different ones. Some of them I remember learning, while some I thought were fairly obscure and may have only been known by history buffs. This book even goes so far as to explain where these myths may have originated.
I really enjoyed reading Death by Petticoat. It was a fairly quick read, only taking about an hour. It had some great photography to accompany each myth. I give this a 5 out of 5. Its a great little trivia book that you can use to impress your history loving friends. I definitely recommend it.
Its not categorized in subject matter or chapter, but rather, numbered by myth. There are 62 different ones. Some of them I remember learning, while some I thought were fairly obscure and may have only been known by history buffs. This book even goes so far as to explain where these myths may have originated.
I really enjoyed reading Death by Petticoat. It was a fairly quick read, only taking about an hour. It had some great photography to accompany each myth. I give this a 5 out of 5. Its a great little trivia book that you can use to impress your history loving friends. I definitely recommend it.
July 8, 2017
I had a conversation recently with a living history interpreter who insisted that childbirth and burns from cooking accidents were the leading causes of death for women in the American colonies. It brought me back to this book, which is a fun collection of such "docent lore". No, it is not an academic text or a peer reviewed article with meticulously cited sources. And I also wish it could have been longer. But it hits the spot for a fun compilation of the misinformation repeated by some tour guides and visitors to historic places. I can think of a few more pieces of such lore that could be addressed in a sequel!
May 7, 2025
I picked this up from the library, and my expectation for it was as if I'd found it at a Colonial Williamsburg souvenir shop. By that measure, this is wonderful. Interesting historical tidbits written in an engaging manner, and full of gorgeous, relevant pictures!
May 18, 2012
Death by Petticoat: American History Myths Debunked by Mary Miley Theobald, with the support of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, is schedule for release on June 5 2012. This book explores sixty-three myths about Colonial America that are often repeated in schools, trivia games, and even historical homes or museum. The truth of the myth, how it might have come about, and why it is still repeated is given for each. There are also full color photographs to illustrate some of the myths. Some of the myths mentioned include women dying because of petticoats catching on fire, taxes of closets and furniture dictating how people kept their clothes, and the worth of nails. This is a quick and fun look at the myths and truths about American life in the Colonial era.
Death by Petticoat is short and sweet. While each of the myths mentioned are well researched, there is not much depth to the discussion. Each myth description and debunking is an around a page long, some not even a full-page. Some of the myths mentioned are ones that I had never heard, much less believed, while others I already knew the story behind. I think some further dissection and information on the time would have made the concept much more interesting and informative.
Death by Petticoat is a fun book for trivia lovers or for using in a classroom prior to visiting a historic location. However, this is not for serious history buffs. It is a fun book, a quick and interesting read for all ages. I think it would be perfect for selling museum gift shops. It would be opportune for short reading intervals, for waiting in the car or bathroom reading.
Death by Petticoat is short and sweet. While each of the myths mentioned are well researched, there is not much depth to the discussion. Each myth description and debunking is an around a page long, some not even a full-page. Some of the myths mentioned are ones that I had never heard, much less believed, while others I already knew the story behind. I think some further dissection and information on the time would have made the concept much more interesting and informative.
Death by Petticoat is a fun book for trivia lovers or for using in a classroom prior to visiting a historic location. However, this is not for serious history buffs. It is a fun book, a quick and interesting read for all ages. I think it would be perfect for selling museum gift shops. It would be opportune for short reading intervals, for waiting in the car or bathroom reading.
March 3, 2012
"Death by Petticoat" is a cute, rather fluffy piece with all of the serious, scholarly weight of the Reader's Digest.
And that's why it works.
Theobald writes in the kind of voice you expect to hear over a kitchen table, amused with just a touch of sarcasm. Clearly enjoying her task of putting paid to some of the sillier legends that pepper American history, she goes after some of the things I'm sure tour guides and curators roll their eyes at on a regular basis. Closet taxes. Quilt codes. The jettisoning of excess rib bone. Some Ive never heard of too, which is fun. And at least once I had the smug enjoyment of thinking... Really? Someone though that? That's so SILLY!"
Having been completed with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Im left with the impression that this is mostly a little something they put together to put up in the gift shop. That doesn't devalue it, but it just screams tourist sales. Sill, it's a cut above most nonsense of the sort in that it's actually been researched (there's a bibliography) and isnt boring as wood lice.
My advice? If you see it, buy it to support the Foundation, and keep it as a bathroom reader.
And that's why it works.
Theobald writes in the kind of voice you expect to hear over a kitchen table, amused with just a touch of sarcasm. Clearly enjoying her task of putting paid to some of the sillier legends that pepper American history, she goes after some of the things I'm sure tour guides and curators roll their eyes at on a regular basis. Closet taxes. Quilt codes. The jettisoning of excess rib bone. Some Ive never heard of too, which is fun. And at least once I had the smug enjoyment of thinking... Really? Someone though that? That's so SILLY!"
Having been completed with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Im left with the impression that this is mostly a little something they put together to put up in the gift shop. That doesn't devalue it, but it just screams tourist sales. Sill, it's a cut above most nonsense of the sort in that it's actually been researched (there's a bibliography) and isnt boring as wood lice.
My advice? If you see it, buy it to support the Foundation, and keep it as a bathroom reader.
July 18, 2016
While this book includes a variety of myths anyone studying American History will have read or heard, I kept coming back to the question of "Where did this information come from?". There is no bibliography, just a list of people the author says helped her. Not knowing these people, I am left to wonder if the author's debunking of the myth is in fact just adding a layer to the myth. To me, if I had read this while researching for a scholarly paper or while gathering info for an article, I wouldn't even be able to cite it in my own work. Now, while saying that, I do believe some of what Mary Theobald has to say, and it must be incredibly frustrating as a docent when people ask the same questions that perpetuate the myth. I also read the entire thing in one sitting, which actually does not give me confidence in the included material.
August 22, 2021
Greatly enjoyed this. Many of these I knew the truth, some I'd never heard the myth, and a few...I may have accidentally passed while working at a history museum. I like the witty tone but I wish some of them went in more detail. Most entries only have 2 or 3 paragraphs and I wish it went into more nuance.
July 8, 2016
Stories from American History that are not true are repeated in museums and classrooms. This book debunks many myths and explains how they may have come about.
It was a quick 1 day read and very interesting.
It was a quick 1 day read and very interesting.
January 31, 2017
Death by Petticoat: American History Myths Debunked by Mary Miley Theobald is an American Historical book full of many historical myths told around the US in museums, historical books, and classrooms. This book, as the title states, debunks those myths, telling how they were or may have started, or even just stretched with a bit of truth, then giving the facts at the end of each myth.
Everybody has heard that the second most common reason for death for Colonial women, just under childbirth, was burning to death from a petticoat that caught fire, haven’t they (Myth #1)? Or that the reason so many Colonial women used fire screens was to protect their wax makeup from melting off (Myth #4)? Considering those are both incorrect, it is a shame that so many people seem to not only believe those myths, but that they continue to be told in history books, classrooms, and museums alike all around the country! The truth is that petticoats, being made of wool, cotton, and linen, burned very slowly, even if they did catch fire, allowing the women to stop the incident before it spread too far. The facts behind women’s makeup melting is that Colonial women, in reality, hardly wore any makeup at all. If they did decide to wear makeup, women had to make it themselves using various ingredients. Not one of those ingredients was wax. The actual purpose for the firescreen, which wasn’t even a common household item, was to shield one from direct heat. Now that makes perfect sense, wouldn’t you think?
Death by Petticoat: American History Myths Debunked by Mary Miley Theobald holds quite a few of these little myths, tall tales, and stretched truths in her little book. Sixty-three of them, to be exact. It is a short, easy read and is quite informative. I admire the work and research that Theobald has put in to debunking so many tidbits that happened to get twisted and made up throughout the years. It is astonishing to me how much is taught as our history that isn’t even true! One example in this book that really surprised me as being a fabrication of time is Myth #59: “Quilt designs were really secret codes meant to assist escaping slaves through the Underground Railroad”. According to Theobald, this myth began in the 1990’s and no one knows why. Since then, many have worked together to debunk it without much success, sadly, as it is still being taught. The book states that “there is no evidence or example of coded quilts” (117). I grew up with this story in elementary history classes and seeing it on TV shows quite often, so couldn’t believe when I saw it in this book. It is a nice story that made me feel good, which is one of the reasons it has stuck around. People like a good story that is either exciting or gives you warm fuzzies. But if it is false, no matter how it makes one feel, it should not be spread. That is how Theobald feels as well, and why she wrote this book and does the research that she does.
Death by Petticoat is an enjoyable book, for the most part. However, I am not a fan of Theobald’s writing style in this particular book. It seemed far too casual. She wrote it with her own sense of cheesy humor that I felt made her sound as if she was trying too hard to seem relatable. Many of these so-called myths within the book I have never even heard of myself. Reading through the stories, I found that I have actually been taught the truth or had common sense enough to realize the facts myself, as some of the myths seemed too farfetched for anyone to believe. That being said, there were a number of good things that I did learn, and it is an interesting book. It is worth checking out if you want something quick and interesting to read. The contents might even surprise you!
(Review written for the Frontier Homestead State Park blog for my internship https://homesteadtelegraph.wordpress....
Book Review will be posted in the blog May 25, 2017)
Everybody has heard that the second most common reason for death for Colonial women, just under childbirth, was burning to death from a petticoat that caught fire, haven’t they (Myth #1)? Or that the reason so many Colonial women used fire screens was to protect their wax makeup from melting off (Myth #4)? Considering those are both incorrect, it is a shame that so many people seem to not only believe those myths, but that they continue to be told in history books, classrooms, and museums alike all around the country! The truth is that petticoats, being made of wool, cotton, and linen, burned very slowly, even if they did catch fire, allowing the women to stop the incident before it spread too far. The facts behind women’s makeup melting is that Colonial women, in reality, hardly wore any makeup at all. If they did decide to wear makeup, women had to make it themselves using various ingredients. Not one of those ingredients was wax. The actual purpose for the firescreen, which wasn’t even a common household item, was to shield one from direct heat. Now that makes perfect sense, wouldn’t you think?
Death by Petticoat: American History Myths Debunked by Mary Miley Theobald holds quite a few of these little myths, tall tales, and stretched truths in her little book. Sixty-three of them, to be exact. It is a short, easy read and is quite informative. I admire the work and research that Theobald has put in to debunking so many tidbits that happened to get twisted and made up throughout the years. It is astonishing to me how much is taught as our history that isn’t even true! One example in this book that really surprised me as being a fabrication of time is Myth #59: “Quilt designs were really secret codes meant to assist escaping slaves through the Underground Railroad”. According to Theobald, this myth began in the 1990’s and no one knows why. Since then, many have worked together to debunk it without much success, sadly, as it is still being taught. The book states that “there is no evidence or example of coded quilts” (117). I grew up with this story in elementary history classes and seeing it on TV shows quite often, so couldn’t believe when I saw it in this book. It is a nice story that made me feel good, which is one of the reasons it has stuck around. People like a good story that is either exciting or gives you warm fuzzies. But if it is false, no matter how it makes one feel, it should not be spread. That is how Theobald feels as well, and why she wrote this book and does the research that she does.
Death by Petticoat is an enjoyable book, for the most part. However, I am not a fan of Theobald’s writing style in this particular book. It seemed far too casual. She wrote it with her own sense of cheesy humor that I felt made her sound as if she was trying too hard to seem relatable. Many of these so-called myths within the book I have never even heard of myself. Reading through the stories, I found that I have actually been taught the truth or had common sense enough to realize the facts myself, as some of the myths seemed too farfetched for anyone to believe. That being said, there were a number of good things that I did learn, and it is an interesting book. It is worth checking out if you want something quick and interesting to read. The contents might even surprise you!
(Review written for the Frontier Homestead State Park blog for my internship https://homesteadtelegraph.wordpress....
Book Review will be posted in the blog May 25, 2017)
May 7, 2020
I’m always interested in historical trivia, so this book seemed right up my alley. It was simple, quick to read, and more than striving to explain the truth behind some of the myths, it also opened my eyes to some of the more ridiculous things that people actually believe about not just Colonial America, but North American history in general.
This isn’t the sort of book that a hardcore historian might want on their shevles, though. It breezes through things, relying more on dispelling eneral myths in the manner of a trivia book than really seeking to go into depth about where most of the myths came from and what life was really like at the time. It tells the facts briefly and with a sense of sarcastic humour, but leaves further research to the reader’s discretion.
The downside to this approach is that most people who are interested in history will already know the truth behind most of the myths mentioned, and those who aren’t interested in history probably won’t pick up the book to begin with. Which is a shame, really, since books like this are actually decent ways to learn a little without getting truly invested in the material. You read, you learn, you move on. But getting this book into the hands of the people who need it the most is usually a difficult task. Not impossible, but difficult.
Nevertheless, in reading death by Petticoat I did learn a thing or two, so I can’t and won’t consider it an evening wasted. This is the kind of book you can get through in an evening, after all. It was worth reading even just for the discussion it generated between my roommate and I. But mostly, I would recommend it to history enthusiasts who want to have a good chuckle at some of the more silly things that people believe about their history.
(Book received in exchange for an honest review.)
This isn’t the sort of book that a hardcore historian might want on their shevles, though. It breezes through things, relying more on dispelling eneral myths in the manner of a trivia book than really seeking to go into depth about where most of the myths came from and what life was really like at the time. It tells the facts briefly and with a sense of sarcastic humour, but leaves further research to the reader’s discretion.
The downside to this approach is that most people who are interested in history will already know the truth behind most of the myths mentioned, and those who aren’t interested in history probably won’t pick up the book to begin with. Which is a shame, really, since books like this are actually decent ways to learn a little without getting truly invested in the material. You read, you learn, you move on. But getting this book into the hands of the people who need it the most is usually a difficult task. Not impossible, but difficult.
Nevertheless, in reading death by Petticoat I did learn a thing or two, so I can’t and won’t consider it an evening wasted. This is the kind of book you can get through in an evening, after all. It was worth reading even just for the discussion it generated between my roommate and I. But mostly, I would recommend it to history enthusiasts who want to have a good chuckle at some of the more silly things that people believe about their history.
(Book received in exchange for an honest review.)
May 31, 2017
Fun and surprising. I had the chilling feeling of having heard many of these myths repeated as fact at various different house tours around Virginia, and some pretty recently. One of them I actually heard at Colonial Williamsburg (that shops used pictures on their signs because many people couldn't read), albeit a decade or so ago. Some I had to sheepishly admit I had assumed were true, they're so oft-repeated by tour guides (that fear of fire caused kitchens to be constructed separately from the main houses, and that fire screens were to prevent a woman's makeup from melting). So if you want to learn something and set a new (healthy!) question-everything mantra for when you go on future history tours, I'd recommend this book. Only thing lacking is, as others have noted, that no sources are cited (at least in this print version I've got).
July 31, 2018
I picked this book up while touring in Williamsburg. There are more than 60 myths presented and carefully reported on, after exhaustive research. Example myths are that since most early Americans were illiterate, shop signs used pictures; and some women had their lower ribs surgically removed so they could have the fashionably narrow waist. Each myth is accompanied by a relevant photograph, in color. This is a quick read. Each myth is either debunked or affirmed, or somewhere in between, in a page. It can be read in short chunks. It can give you the most accurate knowledge, to regale or annoy audiences who bring up these myths in conversation. Why not?!
February 12, 2023
snippets
This is not detailed history and it is. Mostly relevant to Williamsburg. It is a very quick read, although I have to say i didnt learn anything new - these weren’t myths in my book. So perhaps this is for school children. My northern textbooks didn’t have many of these kernels/myths so weren’t repeated. But we probably have a lot of others! Many were true in Europe, so shouldn’t have been included here. Perhaps these were questions she was asked while giving tours.
Great photographs, written with a sense of humour.
This is not detailed history and it is. Mostly relevant to Williamsburg. It is a very quick read, although I have to say i didnt learn anything new - these weren’t myths in my book. So perhaps this is for school children. My northern textbooks didn’t have many of these kernels/myths so weren’t repeated. But we probably have a lot of others! Many were true in Europe, so shouldn’t have been included here. Perhaps these were questions she was asked while giving tours.
Great photographs, written with a sense of humour.
January 10, 2023
This was a quick fun read debunking myths from mostly colonial America. Some of the myths I’d never heard but still found interesting and others were extremely common beliefs that need to be destroyed. This reminded me of QI’s General Ignorance, which made me very happy. My only complaints were that it could have been longer, it needed citations, and I wish it had extended beyond colonial times more.
May 21, 2023
Interesting, But Not Surprising
Almost all of the myths I’ve never even heard of. Most seem very silly and I wonder how they even got started. The Colonial/Revolutionary period day to day living is well researched and written about by Diana Gabaldon, so maybe that’s why I had a “huh?” expression regarding the myths.
However, this book was a quick read and very informative. Good tidbits for sharing with others.
Almost all of the myths I’ve never even heard of. Most seem very silly and I wonder how they even got started. The Colonial/Revolutionary period day to day living is well researched and written about by Diana Gabaldon, so maybe that’s why I had a “huh?” expression regarding the myths.
However, this book was a quick read and very informative. Good tidbits for sharing with others.
March 16, 2024
Death By Petticoats is an entertaining book about facts that aren’t really facts at all. This book was informative and fun to read it is amazing all the things in history we take for granted that aren’t True whatsoever. This is a great book and one I definitely recommend for history fans and those who like to know pointless information and just all-around fun facts. Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
December 2, 2017
This was a fine book for an enjoyable hour of reading, but I wish there was more information and citation given. I certainly would not consider any of these myths debunked after reading this book alone. Great for a quick, shallow read that may lead to more research into some of these myths, but it certainly didn’t blow me away.
January 9, 2018
2013-08 - Death by Petticoat: American History Myths Debunked. Mary Theobald (Author). 2012. 144 Pages.
Amusing and informative. How myths and legends at historical sites start and carry on. Many of the myths we here and accept … yea … they are myths. As a tour guide at a historic site I found it fun.
Amusing and informative. How myths and legends at historical sites start and carry on. Many of the myths we here and accept … yea … they are myths. As a tour guide at a historic site I found it fun.
May 2, 2018
This was a fun, short book, the kind that I often get sucked into buying at museum gift shops! Put out by the Colonial Williamsburg foundation (I bought it at Londontown in Anne Arundel Co., MD), it lists 63 historical ‘myths’ many of which I had heard of. The biggest selling point of this book is probably the beautiful photographs which illustrate it.
July 12, 2018
Death by Petticoat is a collection of sixty-three fascinating American history myths that Theobald effectively dispelled in an entertaining way. The description sounds as if the book might be dull -- it's anything but that. For instance, was everyone killed the Alamo? Read and find out in this intriguing glimpse in our history.
January 2, 2023
Interesting details in easy to find short selections. Great photography. Handy vacation reference while visiting museums to reroute after common misconceptions that arise at many historical sites.
Great reference book for both tourist and tour guide.
I was delighted to see these compiled into a book, after having read these on the author's blog.
Great reference book for both tourist and tour guide.
I was delighted to see these compiled into a book, after having read these on the author's blog.
May 21, 2023
Like many other readers noted, this book is completely lacking in any references. I’m sure it’s hard to disprove the existence of these mythical historical events, but some outside references that agreed would have been great. As long as you are willing to take the author’s word for it, it’s a good book.
April 27, 2025
Myths make us
To call this book enjoyable doesn't do it justice. I have to say the myths exposed in this book were new ones for me and I thought I knew most of them. One thing that I liked is the illustration at the end of each myth that was debunked so you could see what was involved. If you like to read about how the past gets twisted up sometimes then check this one out.
To call this book enjoyable doesn't do it justice. I have to say the myths exposed in this book were new ones for me and I thought I knew most of them. One thing that I liked is the illustration at the end of each myth that was debunked so you could see what was involved. If you like to read about how the past gets twisted up sometimes then check this one out.
April 28, 2025
Excellent Book!
If you like historical facts or even just have a curiosity about history this is the book for you! Mary Miley Theobald takes common misconceptions of the past and tells you why that misconception has carried through generations in an interesting and sometimes humorous manner. It’s definitely worth reading!
If you like historical facts or even just have a curiosity about history this is the book for you! Mary Miley Theobald takes common misconceptions of the past and tells you why that misconception has carried through generations in an interesting and sometimes humorous manner. It’s definitely worth reading!
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