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Nuclear Family
Throughout the 18th century and since the Middle Ages, the nuclear family was the norm for families. Instead of living with the extended family, married couples lived by themselves, with their children. This tradition forced couples to be financially able to support themselves before getting married. In turn, many couples did not get married until their late twenties which was about halfway through their life. -
Illegitimate Births
Throughout the 18th century, Europe saw a rise in illegitimate births or children born out of wedlock. This change was the result of fewer young people getting married yet still wanting to have children and from prostitution. Illegitimate children faced a great stigma in 18th century society as well as legal limitations. Additionally, the rise in the births of illegitimate children caused more children to be abandoned. -
Invention of the Seed Drill
In 1701, Jethro Tull invented the seed drill. The drill was able to dig holes and place a seed in the hole instead of this being done by hand. The invention helped to greatly improve the process of farming. As a result of this invention and others, the Agricultural Revolution took root where commercialized farming expanded since there were new technologies available to speed up the farming process. -
Fall of the Bubonic Plague
In 1720, the last outbreak of the bubonic plague occurred in France. As a result of the plague largely disappearing, Europe experienced an increase in life expectancy and thus population. Countries, especially cities became slightly cleaner, as fewer diseases were spreading around. Additionally, due to the increase in life expectancy, more children lived to adulthood, making understanding children more important. -
Foundling Hospital Created
Due to the rise in abandoned children, in 1739 Thomas Coram created the Foundling Hospital in London, England. The hospital took in many abandoned infants and attempted to raise them, but many ended up dying. Some believed the foundling hospital made the illegitimate births problem worse because it gave parents a place to abandon their children at. However, the hospital prevented many babies from ending up on the city streets or being subject to infanticide. -
Education of Children
In the late 18th century, society began to look at children differently, believing that they needed to be guided during their childhood instead of being considered mini-adults. Previously children were punished into obedience. However, with the influence of Rousseau people began to see childhood as an opportunity for learning. Therefore, many wealthy parents had their children educated in order to better prepare them for the future and adulthood. -
Contraception
During the late 18th century, new contraceptive methods were introduced that helped parents control their number of children. Previously, families had double digit children, many of whom failed to make it past infancy. However, with the introduction of contraception more emphasis was placed on each individual child, especially for wealthier families. Additionally, contraception helped to control the crisis of abandoned children by preventing the children from being born in the first place. -
Enclosure Acts
As a result of the commercialization of farming during the Industrial Revolution, the English Parliament began to force peasants to give up their lands to larger farms. Beginning in 1760, over 7 million acres of land were “enclosed” over the course of a century. The Enclosure of land meant that it was no longer communally owned and instead was sold to large landowners and farmers. The enclosure of land that belonged to smaller farmers forced them to move elsewhere. -
Industrious Revolution
The Industrious Revolution involved a mechanization of production of consumer goods. Instead of families producing goods for themselves by hand, they began to use machinery to produce goods for sale. These goods were often produced using the cottage industry in people’s homes but were sometimes produced in factories as well. The Industrious Revolution represented the shift towards Adam Smith’s ideas of free trade. -
Urbanization
As a result of Enclosure Acts peasants were stripped of the communal lands they had previously farmed on. They then had to move elsewhere, which ended up being to the city, known as urbanization. The urbanization that took place in the late 18th century greatly increased the population of the cities and intensified many of the problems there. Prostitution became an issue and the cities became even more unsanitary due to the masses of people migrating.