A Day in the Life of a Victorian Woman

The final presentation in the "Exploring the Victorian Era" fall digital lecture series, presented by Kate J. Armstrong, producer of the Exploress Podcast.
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For further reading:
- America’s Women: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines by Gail Collins, HarperCollins 2003.
- They Fought Like Demons: Women Soldiers in the Civil War by DeAnne Blanton and Lauren M. Cook. Vintage Civil War Library, Random House, 2002.
- Behind the Scenes: 30 Years a Slave & 4 Years in the White House: True Story of a Black Woman Who Worked for Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Davis. Elizabeth Keckley, 1868. Freely available on Archive.org.
- Southern Lady, Yankee Spy: The True Story of Elizabeth Van Lew, a Union Agent in the Heart of the Confederacy. Elizabeth R. Varon, Oxford University Press, 2005.

[@nancycurtis488]

Totally fascinating. My mom was born in 1925 and told me about she and her older sister used folded up cotton cloth hand folded into pads that they slipped into their “granny” panties during her period...no running, no sports, of course. Then as little movement as possible because the “pad” could slip out of place. Then all of these cotton pads were first soaked in cold water, then scrubbed with Fells-Naptha soap on a hand held scrubbing board, rinsed thoroughly in more clean water, usually from the cistern or water from the rain barrel, which even my Illinois grandparents had when I was a little girl in the 50’s. They were married in 1897 and had 6 children including my daddy on June 30th, 1918 twenty-one years into their marriage. All of my Grandma Davis’ babies were born at home, the last baby ( my daddy) being born when she was 40 and all were perfectly normal and healthy...3 daughters and 3 sons. I had 7 babies, all C-sections, between 1965 and 1990...I was between 18 and 42 and all of my babies, 2 sons then 5 daughters, were all very healthy and normal. I used cloth diapers and “plastic” pants and used lots of wash cloths to wash their bottoms for diaper changes, then put the diapers and wash cloths into a diaper pail filled with soapy water after washing or dumping the poo into the toilet before putting into the diaper pail. Babies who are breast fed usually have poo that is easier to wash out, at least until they start on solid food. Ever few days you had to lug that heavy diaper pail to the bathroom, dump the water into the toilet, wringing the diapers out by hand then lug the diaper pail and still heavy diapers, to the washer...first put them through a pre-wash rinse, then wash in hot water with mild soap like Ivory and bleach, then at least two clean water rinses, the last rinse you put softener in to make the diapers softer. The best way to dry the diapers was to hang them in full sun to help make sure they were as stain- free as possible, make them smell clean and the bright sun drying was supposed to help kill any bacteria that might possibly have escaped the washing process. I used to love folding the diapers and by using cloth diapers and frequent changes meant no diaper rashes for your baby...and this was a very good thing for your babies but definitely harder to keep outer clothing dry especially for little boys and the main reason baby boys wore dresses until they were about 2 1/2 yrs. or until they were potty trained. I was especially happy about the invention of Baby Wipes!! I am also happy that pads and tampons had been around for a long time by the time I was born in July 1947. It is definitely easier to be a woman today. Great history lesson...thank you!

[@abarn9541]

Memories! All my kids were cloth-diapered as well, the youngest turns 21 this year.

[@lavenderflowersfall280]

Ugh.

[@mikicrespo4812]

7 kids by C section! I wouldn’t have assumed that was possible, our bodies are extraordinary

[@jennifergreydanus8660]

This was truly amazing and informative! I look forward to exploring more of your work

[@thesutliffmuseum1396]

Thank you so much!

[@sarahhall738]

My great grandmother was as a child when her parents emigrated to Canada Winnipeg but the crops failed so they moved to New York Flushing meadows, but her father died after a shooting accident so they moved back to England. As an adult she married a merchant seaman. He died young so she ended up as a stewardess on big ships. Her children went to Bearwood seaman's orphanage.

[@OrchestraOfDead]

Gosh, how can this channel be so underrated? History is easy to tell in a very textbook style, boring way, but this is so engaging!

[@thesutliffmuseum1396]

Thank you for visiting! Spread the word! :)

[@blossom6621]

It was amazing! Thank you for your great work. I am looking forward to new day's as a woman in another era!

[@doeeyes2]

This was really well done, interesting and informative! Bravo!

[@novellanurney1294]

Delightful nod to "The Road To Wellsville " The Kellogg debacle, just streamed that movie a few weeks ago.

[@WeRNthisToGetHer]

I love the narration and the wit you throw into an informative video on history

[@aprilharvest71]

So interesting, amazing work, really enjoyed listening to this.

[@breccamerie1]

What is wrong with KZbin!!! It is amazing how few subscribers you have! I am a big fan of The Great Courses and you easily rival my favorite courses through them. Bookmarked and subscribed! Thanks for what you do!

[@karlachilders1145]

This was absolutely delightful!! I’ve always been interested in history and more so in the every day life of ordinary men, women and children. Whenever I tour a historic home, the areas I’m most interested in are the kitchens and bathrooms. Typically the parts of the house that the family doesn’t want the public to really know about.

[@janetmckenney8376]

Well done! Very informative - Great presentation of facts with a touch of humor.

[@reenougle]

Loved this!

[@thesutliffmuseum1396]

Thank you!

[@jenniferrossie2028]

Really really enjoyed your talk. Thankyou

[@dynahmaranatha2954]

I love this..thank you!

[@sharanindirveerkaur5350]

Delightful video...thanx so much

[@thesutliffmuseum1396]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@GrouchyOldBear7]

Thanks for the video. I enjoyed it.

[@faytsampouri1466]

Great info..important, thorough details without being tiresome. As a Melburnian living in Greece I salute you

[@thesutliffmuseum1396]

Thank you for watching. Kate, the presenter is in Melbourne. The Sutliff Museum is located in Warren, Ohio. You can check out more of her stuff at theexploresspodcast.com.

[@methodicalmysticbutterflyi2669]

Thank you for the video.

[@thesutliffmuseum1396]

Thanks for watching!

[@suzeauster2223]

Greetings from florida 🏄‍♀️ This was Fantastic!!! Thank You Very Much ❤️ I’m a new subscriber 🤙

[@ABeautfulMess]

I was born and raised in DC...Woman in history fascinate me. I attended the oldest boarding school in the US... Linden Hall School for Girls...it started there

[@mike89128]

Up until the late 19th century which saw many improvements, Washington D C was considered a 'hardship' post for foreign diplomats. Due to mud, unpaved streets, lack of sanitation facilities, heat, humidity and malarial swamps close by.

[@Rodmic-hd9pn]

Well done and infirornative

[@femalism1715]

Brilliant!

[@thesutliffmuseum1396]

Thank you!

[@janetcarbone4213]

Thanks! Very interesting 🤔

[@christinareynolds8179]

10:55 these corsets are really hard to tight lace. The corsets of the 1880s are easier to tight lace. I have worn both and can guarantee that they aren’t so bad so long as you don’t lace tightly. I used to have really bad lower back pain, and now that I wear a corset, it’s gone. Also, if you do wear a bunch of petticoats, a corset is a must.

[@novellanurney1294]

Well... to be fair the Victorian 's really seemed to love aspic and other gelatinous foods that really do jiggle quite a bit. Thank you, and I hope you are doing well in Australia. I'm just a couple hours from your birthplace Washington D.C., I'm near Norfolk Virginia . I'm waiting to hear if you have a chance to mention about the beetle body/wings , sequins ( coshonel, spelling?) They still use those....kinda creepy ...but soooooo iridescent, shiny, sparkly and GREEN.

[@saharkhalili5303]

Welcome to Australia!

[@Shineon83]

This was excellent. I would only suggest adding more illustrations ….❤

[@patricialong5767]

I am so glad I was born much later than this historical period! LOL

[@sundaydishman7769]

You left 'Rich' out of the title.

[@theasmrlibrarian6598]

I loved this! But I also think there’s nothing wrong with the traditional roles. No mental inequality. Physical strengths in different areas. We compliment each other. I’m not religious. I have a masters degree. But I also understand femininity and masculinity on a biological level.

[@christinareynolds8179]

I like traditional roles. I hate it when I have to load heavy boxes because men treat me equal to them.

[@aproverbshome173]

The life was a lot better then now. More broken homes then ever!

[@helenmallia9803]

Lady in waiting

[@patricialong5767]

A bath may cause insanity? LOL

[@grayb7420]

Easy for the Queen she had all the power. Talk about being out of touch!

[@novellanurney1294]

I'm availing myself of some good wine, then chamber pot, then...maybe another glass of wine, then bed. Ok, chamber pot again, then bed.

[@christinareynolds8179]

7:36 I have found washing my hair as little as possible has really helped it grow longer. Today’s hair care is full of plastic and alcohol which strips the hair of its natural oils and leads to more breakage. The Victorian women had such long hair and I do believe keeping it in protective hair styles and washing it little is what helped.

[@freddyfurrah3789]

YUCK

[@christinisbichonlife8878]

Xoxoxox 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@roxanneminer1798]

castor oil is a great conditioner some say today shampoo hmmmm something else

[@8698gil]

Weren't girls told anything about sex in marriage when they got their periods? And were girls told about their periods before they actually got them by their mothers? How were boys educated about sex? How did a young man, taking his bride on his wedding night, assuming he was also a virgin, know what to do? Did fathers instruct their sons? I'm thinking than probably men took their sons to brothels when they got into their teen years?

[@thesutliffmuseum1396]

Check out these videos for more information! Abby Cox "I Tried Using an 18th Century Menstruation 'Pad' How Did Women* Deal with Their Periods in History?": kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4eVhZqtn8-bhac Karolina Żebrowska "Common Women's History Myths We Need to Let Go": kzbin.info/www/bejne/jX6lXqqkeZ2UsMk

[@seraphilight]

Men were unlikely to be virgins, for one. It was quite common for noble men to "practice" before marriage with prostitutes and the like.

[@doeeyes2]

If a man had been raised on a farm then im sure he could figure it out. 🤣

[@carag2567]

Menstruating too much = hysteria Menstruating too little = hysteria Not menstruating at all = hysteria Just to review.

[@winniedhaouadi1973]

Americans all from europe In start

[@spiritguided655]

Not really American.

[@louisacapell]

This is idiotic. People bathed, they were clean, and you've presented things in a way that makes people of the past seem stupid stinking and bumbling.

[@lavenderflowersfall280]

You weren't even allowed to be human if you were female. 😢

[@cocochocs3126]

How did you have a Victorian era when America didn’t have a Queen Victoria ?🤔

[@michaelynedwards1043]

She’s right, Americans referred to this time as Victorian.

[@scruffy281]

?

[@michaelynedwards1043]

@@scruffy281, ok step by step: Victorian is a style, home design, furniture design, (think Scarlett O’Haras new house in Atlanta); as well as fashion. Got it now?

[@rhondacrosswhite8048]

@@michaelynedwards1043 So they just chose the term Elizabeth from a hat?

[@thesutliffmuseum1396]

Even though America did not have a queen, the period is still referred to as the "Victorian Era". A lot of fashion, interior design, and house styles were influenced by what was happening in England.

[@magnacary]

not to offend but I would have enjoyed this more without the constant sarcasm. That's just me tho.