The Urban Game – Background Material · The Urban Game – Background Material The year is 1700...
Transcript of The Urban Game – Background Material · The Urban Game – Background Material The year is 1700...
The Urban Game – Background Material Theyearis1700andthenationisEngland.Thesceneisaruralvillage.Overthenext100years,arevolutionassignificantastheNeolithicRevolutionwillcompletelychangelifeinyourvillage.LifehereinvillageEnglandissimilartoothervillagesacrossEuropeinthe18thcentury.Changetraditionallycomesveryslowly.Peoplegenerallymovedatamuchslowerpaceandhadaccesstoverylittleinformationabouttheworldoutsideoftheirvillage.London,England’slargestcityandoneofthetworealcitiesEurope,hadapopulationofabout750,000in1750.ThreeoutofeveryfourEnglishmenwereruralandlivedinsmallvillages.Villageswereinhabitedbyabout200to400people.Thetalleststructureinthevillagewasthechurch.ThereligionofEnglandwasAnglican(ChurchofEngland).Homelifeandworklifewereintegratedasmostworkwasdoneinnearbyfields,inthehome,orperhapsinanadjoiningworkshop.Thefamilywasaneconomicunitaswellasasocialunit.Everymemberofthefamilyworkedveryhardfromsunuptosundown.Evensmallchildrenhadchores.Thehomesofvillagersweresmallwithearthenfloorsandinadequatelightandventilation.Allmembersofthefamilysleptinthesameroomand
sometimessharedlivingquarterswithlivestock.Sonsworkedwiththefatherfarmingandtendinglivestock.Daughtersworkedwiththemothercooking,cleaning,sewing,anddoingotherdomesticchores.Lifeexpectancywasslightlyover40yearsofage.Mostpeoplemarriedintheirteensandhadbabiesbeforetheywere20.Itwascommonforwomentodieinchildbirthsotheaveragemarriagelastedabout15years.Stepfathersandstepmotherswerecommon.Oneoutofthreechildrendiedbeforetheirfirstbirthday;onlyoneoutoftwochildrensawtheir21stbirthday.
UnlikeFrance,theEnglishwerenotrigidlydividedintosocialorlegalEstates.However,therewasadistinctsocialclasssystem.MostEnglishwerepoorfarmers.AfewweremiddleclasslikethebourgeoisieofFrance.Forthemostpart,themiddleclasslivedinLondon.AsmallnumberofindividualswerearistocratsandusuallyownedlargetractsoflandintheEnglishcountryside.Forbothpeasantandaristocrat,thesoilwasthekeytotheeconomy.Landwasthesourceoflivelihoodandwell-being.Havingenoughlandtoproduceadequatefood,ortoproduceenoughtosell,oreventorent,wasthekeytoeconomicsurvival.Thesetraditionsconcerninglandguideddailyliving.Thesetraditionsweredesignedtoensurethestabilityandwelfareofthegreatercommunity.Hencemarriagesandinheritanceweregearedtomaintainingfamilypropertyintact.Marriageswerearrangedbyparentstomaintainorbettertheeconomicstatusoftheirsonsordaughters.However,notallcouldgetmarried.Amanusuallyhadtoownlandonwhichtosupportafamilybeforehedaredmarry.Itwasnotuncommonformentowaituntiltheir30’swhentheyinheritedlandfromtheirparentswhichenabledthemtomarry.Ifawomandidnotbringlandintoamarriage,shehadtohavesomekindofdowry.Daughterswhoinheritedpropertyfromtheirparentshadtopassitontotheirhusbands.Alllandwas
giventotheeldestson(primogeniture)whileyoungersonsmightreceivecashpaymentorwaitfortheirolderbrothertodie.
ThemainoccupationofEnglandwasfarming.Unliketoday,fencesdidnotseparateprivateandpubliclands.Everyvillagehadapublicareacalledthecommons.Thislandwasavailabletoanyoneforpasturing,hunting,gatheringoffirewood,andgrowingofcrops.Sopoorfarmerswhodidnotowntheirlandcouldekeoutamarginallivingbydependingonthecommons.UnlikeFrance,mostEnglishpeasantsorfarmersdidowntheirownland,howeversmall.
Villageswereconnectedbyasystemofdirtroadsthatbecameimpassableduringthewetseason.Asaresult,transportationwasoftenslowandtradebeyondthevillagewasnoteasy.MostEnglishfarmersnevervisitedanyplacefurtherthan25milesfromtheirbirthplace,ever!Peoplemadetheirownfood,clothes,furniture,tools,andhomes.Afewitemsthatcouldnotbeproducedcouldbeobtainedfromwanderingpeddlers.Finally,forfuel,thereweretwosources:firewoodandcoal.NearlyeveryEnglishvillagehadacoalminingoperation.Theseminesemployedasmallnumberofvillagedwellers,especiallyinthewinter.Coalwasextractedfrompitsthatwereprivatelyowned.