-these houses were a measure of social standing
Plush furniture, drapes, antiques, curios signaled status and refinement of their owners
Loaf of bread required 24 hours
25% urban households had live-in servants to help work
On call 100 hours a week, off one evening and part of Sunday averaged $2 to $5 a week
Middleclass life reflected a rigid social code called Victorianism named for Britain Queen Victoria
-to tame the turbulent urban industrial society developing in Europe
Victorianism dictated personal conduct be based on orderly behavior and disciplined moralism
-sobriety, industriousness, self-control, sexual modesty, proper manners was backbone of society
Women were “pure vessels”
They were to control the lower natures of their husbands by withholding sex except for procreation
Laced corsets were in fashion. “instrument of torture”
Frances Willard became second president of WTCU Women Chrisitan Temperance Union
-500,000 members
-promoting woman suffrage, suffrage, prison reform, better working conditions, and an end to prostitution
-offered talented and commited woman to a move in public arena of lobbying and politics
Anthony Comstock crusaded with equal vigor against what he saw as moral pollution from porn to gambling
President Grant signed the Comstock law banning from the mails of materials.
1880 abortion made illegal. Antiabortion statue in England in 1803
Victoria Woodhull published of Woodhull and Claflin’s Weekly
-divorced her husband
-ran for president in 1873 on the equal rights party ticket
-pressed the case for sexual freedom
Central park opened in 1858
-served as a pastoral retreat from the turbulent industrial city
Length of the school term rose from 132 days to 144 days
Learned by memorization
Manual training, science, and physical education were added
Opened first in st. Louis in 1873 american versions of innovative german kindergarten put four to six year old in orderly classrooms while parents went to work
Preferred universities of Europe to those in US
The morill act of 1862 generated a dozen new state colleges and universiites, eight mechanical and agricultural colleges and six black colleges
Church groups and private foundations such as Peabody and slater funds underwrote black colleges after reconstruction.
American universities adopted the german model
-requiring young scholars to perform research as part of their education
Before the civil war women could attend only 3 private colleges
After the war they had
-Smith 1871
-Wellesley 1875
-Bryn Mawr 1885
Universities offered physical activity to keep students healthy
African Americans cast their ballots for republicans when they were able to vote freely
In the south racism was enlisted in a political purpose
-preventing an alliance of poor