Chapter 18 T&Q's

Community Controls

In the early half of the 18th century, there were low rates of illegitimate births. This reflected on the Community controls of the village. The idea of an unwed mother with an illegitimate child was seen as a threat to economic, social, and moral stability of the community. Many Parents, anxious village elders, indignant priests, and landlords all pressured young people of the consiquinces of unexpected pregnancies. In the country side, many did not engage in pre-marital sex lightly, it was usually limited to those who were soon to be married. Back in those days the neighbors would never mind their own business, like we do now days. If something got out to the community, it would be loudly and unfavorably publicitiesed. The community usually relied on degrading public rituals. The young men of village with usually gang up on the person they wanted punished, and forced to sit on the donkey facing backwards and holding up the donkeys tail. They would then parade the spouse-besting husband or wife, the the couple whose adultery had been discovered. There were many other humiliations that were commonly used throughout Europe, such as rotten vegetables on the door stop and insulting midnight serenades. They epitomized the community's far-reaching effort to police personal behavior and maintain community standards. Community controls did not extend to family planning, however.

Illegitimacy explosion

In the later half of the 118th century, the pattern of late marriage and births out of wedlock began to decrease. While the number of illegitimate births began to explode. Fewer young people restrained from having premarital intercourse, and more importantly fewer men were marrying the women they got pregnant. Historians believe that there are two ideas that can explain this transformation. First was the big growth of the cottage industry. With young people being able to provide and support for themselves at an earlier age many were marrying at a younger age, because they had money. Since women were able to provide money they didn't have to marry for money and were able to marry for other reasons, like marrying just for love. The needs of a growing population sent many young villagers to towns and cities in search of employment. Most young women in urban areas only town work as servants or textile workers. Poorly paid, insecure, and with little possibility of truly independent lives, for the marriage and family life as an escape from the vulnerabilities of the single life. Promises of marriage from a man of working class often lead to sex, which was viewed as part of a serious courtship. Many unwed mothers that had sexual intimacy followed with the promise of marriage. Many soldiers, day laborers, and male servants were actually sincere in their proposals, but also having insecure lives, many were hesitant to take on a wife and child.

2. What was life like for children, and how did attitudes toward childhood evolve?

Life for children was very cruel.