Motherhood in Colonial Times

         

by Kiersti Giron

Today we continue our series on motherhood throughout the ages (last month we read about medieval motherhood), focusing this month on being a mother in the 18th century, particularly Colonial America. I hope you enjoy learning about mothering in this period as much as I did; as always, I am moved to see yet again that however much times have changed, the heart of being a mother and raising children really does remain the same across the years.

Mother and child, American 18th Century. File donated to Wikimedia Commons
 by the National Gallery of Art. See Gallery's Open Access Policy.,
CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81303921

A Full-Time Job

Even today, mothering can easily be a full-time job—or more!—but in colonial America, motherhood typically was truly a woman’s life-work. With families of ten or more children not only common but the norm (though several children often would not survive till adulthood), a woman likely would spend most of her life between the ages of twenty and forty-five either pregnant or nursing. Thanks to breastfeeding’s natural contraceptive quality, children were usually spaced a couple of years apart, but large families were both expected and desired. After all, many hands were needed for building the new immigrant society.

Then as now, it was easy for new mothers to feel overwhelmed by the intense and sometimes all-consuming needs of their little ones. As a new mommy myself, I sympathized with the words of Esther Edwards Burr, mother of Aaron Burr, who wrote after the birth of her second child in 1756:

“When I had but one Child my hands were tied, but now I am tied hand and foot. (How I shall get along when I have got ½ dzn. or 10 children I cant devise.)”

Bless her heart.

By Thomas Quine - 18th century gown, CC BY 2.0
Wikimedia Commons. 18th century styles
were easily adaptable for motherhood.

Motherhood Fashions

Since motherhood was such an integral part of most women’s lives, clothing fashions of the 18^th century were actually fairly adaptable to pregnant and nursing mothers. While the stays that squeezed women into fashionable narrow waists might seem—and were—quite unhealthy in pregnancy, they were in fact designed with lacings to be let out at the sides as an expectant mother’s waistline grew. Other women ditched the stays entirely in late pregnancy, like the Duchess of Marlborough, who wrote in 1735 that during the last three months of her pregnancy, she merely “wore a warm waistcoat wrapped about me like a man’s and tied my petticoats on top of it.” Women’s dresses also were made to be easily let out or adapted with different inserts or aprons to transform them into maternity wear.

For breastfeeding mothers, the era’s low necklines, often filled in with a light scarf or fichu, were already quite practical. At least one set of stays from this period also survives with special flaps inserted, doubtless to make nursing even easier.

Coral Teethers and Pudding Caps

Silver and Coral teether made by Paul Revere, late 18th century.
By Daderot - Own work, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

Many ups and downs of the baby and toddler years haven’t changed much over the centuries, from teething to toddler tumbles. For teething babies, colonial mothers who could afford them might offer an elaborate teether made of silver, complete with bells to jingle when the baby shook the toy, a rattle, and a piece of polished coral for little gums to gnaw on. Coral was actually thought to be protective for teething children at the time, as 18th century parents actually considered teething quite dangerous! Once babies learned to walk, mothers often tried to protect their heads from tumbles with a padded cap, called a “pudding cap.” If you’ve ever heard someone affectionately refer to a little person as a “puddin’ head,” the term comes from those caps!

"Pudding Cap" child's head protector, Swiss, 18th century.
This file donated to Wikimedia Commons by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
See Image and Data Resources Open Access Policy, CC0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59659879

Boys and girls were dressed much alike for their early years, in cloth diapers or “clouts” and layers of petticoats and gowns—and even miniature stays/corsets—as infants, then graduating to dresses for both sexes as they grew older. Boys were “breeched,” or transitioned from gowns to breeches, somewhere between the ages of four and seven.

Though times of boys in dresses, pregnant mothers in stays, and infants teething on coral may seem far from us, mothers’ love and concern and care for their children has not. What stands out most to you about these mothers of colonial times? What surprises you, or seems familiar? Please comment and share!

Kiersti Giron holds a life-long passion for history and historical fiction. She loves to write stories that show the intersection of past and present, explore relationships that bridge cultural divides, and probe the healing Jesus can bring out of brokenness. Kiersti has been published in several magazine and won the 2013 and 2018 Genesis Awards – Historical for her novels Beneath a Turquoise Sky and Fire in My Heart. An English teacher and member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Kiersti loves learning and growing with other writers penning God's story into theirs, as well as blogging at www.kierstigiron.com. She lives in California with her husband, Anthony, their two kitties, and their new baby boy.

References:

https://www.history.org/history/clothing/women/motherhood.cfm

https://colonialquills.blogspot.com/2017/05/motherhood-in-colonial-times.html

https://www.history.org/history/clothing/children/cglossary.cfm

Teething Babies and Age-Old Remedies

By Tiffany Amber Stockton

Great news to report! I finished my recent book by the deadline and got it submitted to my editor on time. I also decided the weekend of the deadline would be a good weekend to install new floors in the upper level of our home. Well, God must have been working overtime for us, as we accomplished both. Of course, the children were at their grandparents for the weekend, so that helped considerably. :)

And speaking of children, it's no secret that I am a mother of young ones. They are now 4 and 2, and it wasn't too long ago that I dealt with the teething phase. In fact, my youngest recently got in his 2nd set of molars. And since I'm a historical author, each time new experiences happen with my children, I think about what those living in the 1800's would have done. We all know the issues that plague us today aren't new to those who have gone before us.

Even some of the remedies have remained the same.

Teething is one part of an infant's life that all parents and babies must endure. Take a look at some of these tried and true solutions and see if they might sound a little familiar:

# Rub your baby's gums. Use a clean finger, moistened gauze pad or damp washcloth to massage your baby's gums. The pressure can ease your baby's discomfort.

# Offer a teething toy made of firm rubber. If a bottle seems to do the trick, fill it with water. Prolonged contact with sugar from formula, milk or juice may cause tooth decay.

# A drop or two of whiskey or brandy. Alcohol is an anesthetic. Putting it on gums makes the gums feel numb, but the duration isn't long. It is a temporary relief and not recommended repeatedly for a long duration of time due to the baby's delicate constitution.

# Keep it cool. A cold washcloth can be soothing. Don't give your baby anything that's frozen, however. Contact with extreme cold may hurt, doing your baby more harm than good. If your baby's eating solid foods, offer cold items such as applesauce or oatmeal mixed with cold water.

# Dry the drool. Excessive drooling is part of the teething process. To prevent skin irritation, keep a clean cloth handy to dry your baby's chin. You may want to lay a clean cloth under your baby's head while he or she sleeps to keep the sheet dry.

# Try herbs. A mixture of ginger, fennel and chamomile helps settle an upset stomach, but it also provides relief to swollen and sore gums.

Seems like some remedies have passed the test of time and are still in use today. Like the old adage says, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Except for perhaps the whiskey, though some might still try that today. :)

Oh, and as for the doctor...if one is near enough to come calling or to visit, teething can usually be handled at home. Call the doctor only if your baby develops a fever, seems particularly uncomfortable, or has other signs or symptoms of illness. Remember, teething doesn't cause fever, colds or diarrhea.

So, there you have it. Advice from our great-great-grandparents that's still full of wisdom even today.

Here's another one for babies:

Once a baby's teeth come in and they begin to bite while nursing, pinch their nose lightly when they bite. As they are still primarily nose-breathers, if you cut off their air flow, they break contact to catch their breath. A few times of this and they'll realize that biting isn't the way to go.

Ok, your turn...

What "age-old" remedies have YOU used that might have been passed down from generation to generation through your family or friends you've known? It can be related to anything, not just babies. You never know, what you share just might help someone reading this post and looking for solutions. So, start the chatter!

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BIO
Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood. Today, she is an award-winning author, speaker, and virtual assistant, who lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, in Colorado. They have one girl and one boy, and an Aussie/retriever mix named Roxie. She has sold fourteen books so far and is represented by Sandra Bishop of MacGregor Literary Agency. Read more about her at her web site: http://www.amberstockton.com.

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History of Our National Library--and a Surprise Giveaway

If you’re like me, you have fond memories of going to the library. As a child, my mother took me and my older brothers to our local branch a few times a month, and I recall racing my siblings to the shelf that contained our favorite Berenstain Bears books. Another treat was the bookmobile. Oh, the fun times I had perusing library shelves right outside my own front door. As I grew, I was so excited to start school where I could go to the library daily and walk among the stacks with all those wonderful books, each one with a different story to tell.



© J. Uhlarik

Yes, libraries hold a special place in my heart. So when my hubby, son, and I took a trip to Washington, D.C., in 2008, I had to visit the Library of Congress. It wasn’t what I would have expected. I expected to be able to get into the actual library and see the books on the shelves, but without a Library of Congress card, you can’t go into the library proper. But there was a very nice visitor’s center with access to a sampling of Thomas Jefferson’s personal collection. I was surprised to learn that, even with a LOC Library card, patrons aren’t allowed to pull or shelve their own books. Should someone want to look at a book, they put in a request, and a LOC worker pulls the book for them. The book is then sent out on a conveyor belt where the patron can pick it up. The closest I came to seeing all those beloved books housed in our national library was to peer down on the shelves and conveyor belt system from a viewing room above. Oh, to have been able to go inside and experience it for myself…

Italian Renaissance style of architecture
© J. Uhlarik

I understand why they take such precautions. Many of the volumes housed in the Library of Congress are quite old, rare, and fragile. If they allow anyone to walk around and pick through the shelves, some of those books could be lost, stolen, or damaged. So they have put safeguards in place for this national resource.

Do you know the history of the Library of Congress? The library goes back to 1800 when President John Adams established a reference library that would be for Congress’s use only, including books thought to be useful to Congress. The library was housed in the Capitol until August 1814. At this time, the United States of America was in the thick of the War of 1812, and British forces invaded Washington, D.C., and burned the city. Unfortunately, the Library of Congress went up in flames.

Thomas Jefferson's books
© J. Uhlarik

While that was a great loss, the American people benefited from the fire the destroyed the Library of Congress. How can that be? Well, a month after the fire, former President Thomas Jefferson stepped in to resurrect the ruined library. You see, Jefferson had spent 50 years collecting books in all sorts of disciplines and topics. Many of the books were rare and valuable, and he offered the bulk of those volumes to the government to replenish the Library of Congress. It was agreed that the United States government would purchase 6,487 books for a sum of $23,950. Rather than books “useful to Congress,” the new collection included books on the arts, humanities, sciences, and all manner of other topics. So the collection was greatly expanded in both number and subject matter.

Ornate ceilings at the LOC
© J. Uhlarik

The man who served as Librarian from 1864-1897, Ainsworth Rand Spofford, subscribed to Jefferson’s philosophy on diversifying the subject matter and built the Library of Congress into a national institution. In 1870, Spofford even instituted the copyright law which requires authors to submit two copies of their work to the Library of Congress, which resulted in a flood of books, pamphlets, music, and other resources to be included in the collection. The library’s holdings grew so large that a new facility to house them was needed, so in 1873, Congress gave the okay to draw up plans for a new building. It took about 1886 for Congress to agree upon the design and begin building the new structure, which is an Italian Renaissance inspired building with grand sculptures, paintings and murals. It opened to the public in 1897 as the largest, costliest, and safest library building in the world.

It’s your turn. Have you ever visited the Library of Congress? If so, what was your experience like? If not, do you have fond memories of other libraries? Leave a comment including your contact information and you’ll be entered in my drawing for this surprise Brighton item.

As always, thank you for stopping by!

Jennifer Uhlarik discovered the western genre as a pre-teen, when she swiped the only “horse” book she found on her older brother’s bookshelf. A new love was born. Across the next ten years, she devoured Louis L’Amour westerns and fell in love with the genre. In college at the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. Armed with a B.A. in writing, she has won the 2012 CWOW Phoenix Rattler, 2012 ACFW First Impressions, and 2013 FCWC contests, all in the historical category. She is also the winner of the 2013 Central Florida ACFW chapter's "Prompt Response" contest. In addition to writing, she has been a schoolteacher of English, literature, and history, as well as a marketing director. Jennifer is active in American Christian Fiction Writers and lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband, teenaged son, and four fur children.

Introducing Winnie Griggs

Hi!  I’m Winnie Griggs and I get to come out and play here on the 26^th of each month.  We’re supposed to introduce ourselves to you this month to give you a feel for the person behind the writer, so I thought I’d offer up a series of random facts about who I am and the life I lead.  These are arranged in semi-chronological order but other than that there is no real rhyme or reason to them :) 

.

·      I was born on a Friday the 13th and consider 13 to be my lucky number.

·      I’m the oldest of 5 siblings, and like most first borns, I'm just the tiniest bit bossy and competitive

·      Like just about everyone else here, I’ve been a voracious reader for as far back as I can remember.  My favorite books as a young reader were the Trixie Belden books.  I wanted to be just like Trixie when I grew up.  (Of course I never considered the fact that Trixie herself was not a grown-up)

·      I was born and raised in south Louisiana, just across the river from New Orleans.  Our family lived in a place my schoolmates considered the back of beyond and they felt like they were doing some serious traveling to come over for a visit.  I have memories of standing at the bus stop with my siblings on a couple of different occasions and having snakes slither up out of the nearby ditch to check us out.

·      We had a pet squirrell we kept in a cage indoors that we named Squeeky

·      Living in the sticks had its perks, however - my siblings and I had lots of great places to explore and spent many an hour roaming the overgrown land around our place - cutting jungle trails, going on archeological digs, building forts and frontier camps, and looking for pirate ships on the nearby bayou.

·      I was vice-president of the library club in High School and found the biggest perk of the role to be having first crack at the new books when they came in.

·      I love puzzles and word games.  My favorite subject in school was algebra because the assignments always felt like fun puzzles to solve.
 

·      I went to an all girls high school and was one of the wallflower-nerd types.  But the science teacher took a poll at the end of my junior year to find out who all wanted to take Physics in our senior year.  As it turned out only four of us expressed an interest. So rather than offering a class, they decided to ship the four of us to the all boys school down the road for one period a day.  For that one year, I became the envy of many of the ‘cool’ girls.

·      I majored in Math in college but had no idea what one did with a math degree.  I eventually discovered Computer Science in my Sophomore year and added that as a minor (there was no degree in computers at that school back in the dark ages of my university days) - I had found my calling!

·      Because I was so terrified of public speaking I actually took 15 hours of a foreign language (Spanish) to avoid taking 6 hours of Speech.   These days, though I don’t profess to be the most dynamic speaker, I happily present writing workshops 4-5 times a years at various writing conferences.

·      When I graduated from college I got a job as a computer programmer with an electric utility company.  And though I received a number of promotions and transferred to a number of other departments over time, I worked for that same company, on the same floor of their headquarters building for the next 35 years.

·      I married my college sweetheart and we’ve been living out our own happily ever after for over 35 years.  He raises cattle and dabbles in local politics from time to time.  Together we’ve raised four now grown children, including a set of twins.  All of them are happily living out their own dreams and adventures.

·      I was a fan of the TV show Firefly during its first run before it became a phenomenon.

·      I’m also a fan of NCIS, but unlike most who watch it for Gibbs or DiNozzo, my favorite character is Ducky.  During my teen years (this is really going to date me!) I was a star-struck fan of Illya Kuryakin, a character he played on The Man From U.N.C.L.E.  I still see a little bit of Illya whenever I see Ducky.

·      And on the writing front, I have 13 books in print and three more contracted for upcoming release.  The first five of those were written for a secular publisher and the remainder are with Harlequin’s Love Inspired and Love Inspired Historical lines.

 

So there’s a quick snapshot.  If you’d like to learn more about me or my books, drop on by my website (www.winniegriggs.com) or com back by here on the 26^th of each month.  I’m very excited about being a part of this group - lots of fabulous ladies and fabulous writers in the lineup and I’m just tickled pink they let me be part of it.

Oh, and for next month’s big open house giveaway, I’ll be giving away a copy of my RT Reviewer’s Choice nominated book, Handpicked Husband, along with a Booklover’s pin.  And if you already own a copy of Handpicked Husband, don’t worry, you can substitute a copy of any book in my backlist for that one.