Stephanie Delich’s Reviews > An Introduction to Civil War Civilians > Status Update

"Men of the mid-nineteenth century admired an ideal beauty who had a round, moon face with pale ivory complexion. Her plump hands belied small wrists, and her wide hips emphasized her small waist. It was not an ideal that would be achieved through exercise. As in many eras, fashion dictated the ideal, mortals simply did the best they could.

"The agricultural economy dictated school schedules, and children were excused from school during the months when they were needed in the fields. The modern practice of closing schools for long summer breaks is an archaic holdover of this practice."

"Indeed, a ped dog or cat in a modern American household frequently has more manufactured toys than children of the mid-nineteenth century"

"In all but the wealthiest households, babies were generally kept in the kitchen during the day"

Favorite quote so far "In these production households, women were equal partners, and in this early period (1750-1815), women shared economic equality and political activism with men. Their value in the production household was obvious and unquestioned.