What are some positive things that you admire about the 18th century?

[Buzz Rules]

 

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I don't know if it was that great. Powdered wigs, wooden teeth, poor bathing habits. And of course in the Americas, slavery.

But if anything, it was the renaissance style of thinking. People like Ben Franklin or Thomas Jefferson who believed in science as well as diplomacy. These days there are those who don't truly believe in science and that's kind of sad.

One thing I also admire about both Franklin and Jefferson is that they respected those who believed in a higher power and science. There was mutual respect for those who thought and believed both could go together.

 

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How armies dressed in the 18th century:

 

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Some activities that commonly happened in the 18th century that may surprise you are ice skating, horse racing, cricket, lacrosse, rowing, early version of soccer, boxing, chess, checkers, curling, golf, early version of baseball.

 

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How beer was made in 18th century America/Canada:

 

[bcla]

One thing I also admire about both Franklin and Jefferson is that they respected those who believed in a higher power and science. There was mutual respect for those who thought and believed both could go together.

Jefferson was kind of odd. I heard that he was more of a deist who was skeptical of the existence of a higher power, or at least if there were a creator, whether that creator would ever choose to intervene in human events. There was a story that he had a copy of the Bible where he cut out any parts that referred to any supernatural events.

 

[Buzz Rules]

Jefferson was kind of odd. I heard that he was more of a deist who was skeptical of the existence of a higher power, or at least if there were a creator, whether that creator would ever choose to intervene in human events. There was a story that he had a copy of the Bible where he cut out any parts that referred to any supernatural events.

True. I just meant people didn’t criticize belief to a point back then.

 

[Caseheidi]

There were some great writers back then. Jane Austen and Charles Dickens come to mind.

 

[bcla]

There were some great writers back then. Jane Austen and Charles Dickens come to mind.

That would have been the 19th Century.

 

[Buzz Rules]

That would have been the 19th Century.

A lot of fairytales were written in the 18th century.

 

[Mysterian]

Lost me when she put on the Crocs.

 

[RUDisney]

I admire the tenacity of the people. So many lived in difficult situations. They had to be hard working in order to survive.

I admire that they stood up to, and won against severe taxation that benefited only the king and those who were high up in his service.

Ben Franklin was a little odd. Sure, he was a speculative genius who invented and started so many things... Pennsylvania Hospital, University of Pennsylvania, the library system, fire departments, etc., however, he had 12-13 treatises upon which he lived and would focus on a specific and different one each week. He was a vegetarian when it was far more difficult to practice in the Pennsylvania winters. However, of all his treatises to keep him a good and upstanding man, he didn't have one that told him not to cheat on his wife. I guess that wasn't a priority for him.

 

[mrodgers]

That’s a positive?

Depends on if it's me or the people around me that I have to deal with

 

[Buzz Rules]

Lost me when she put on the Crocs.

Shoes were actually interesting at the time. Most shoes could work for both left and right feet. The shoes molded to each individual foot which I find cool.

 

[Buzz Rules]

I admire the tenacity of the people. So many lived in difficult situations. They had to be hard working in order to survive.

I admire that they stood up to, and won against severe taxation that benefited only the king and those who were high up in his service.

Ben Franklin was a little odd. Sure, he was a speculative genius who invented and started so many things... Pennsylvania Hospital, University of Pennsylvania, the library system, fire departments, etc., however, he had 12-13 treatises upon which he lived and would focus on a specific and different one each week. He was a vegetarian when it was far more difficult to practice in the Pennsylvania winters. However, of all his treatises to keep him a good and upstanding man, he didn't have one that told him not to cheat on his wife. I guess that wasn't a priority for him.

Franklin loved his wife according to his writings. But he also had some issues with some of his children during the Revolution when there was political divisions in his family (as was common among colonial families) and he was abused by his older brother at his print shop as a kid/young man. Not saying that justifies his immoral actions, just that for all his achievements, he was a human dealing with a lot. Most men/women took their marriages seriously but others couldn’t really care. There is documentation that proves both were true at the time and in some ways that is really no different than today. You could be a good person and still make stupid mistakes. I don’t judge him to harshly because he is only human (my view has nothing to do with the fact that he was a man with power).

 

[RUDisney]

Franklin loved his wife according to his writings. But he also had some issues with some of his children during the Revolution when there was political divisions in his family (as was common among colonial families) and he was abused by his older brother at his print shop as a kid/young man. Not saying that justifies his immoral actions, just that for all his achievements, he was a human dealing with a lot. Most men/women took their marriages seriously but others couldn’t really care. There is documentation that proves both were true at the time and in some ways that is really no different than today. You could be a good person and still make stupid mistakes. I don’t judge him to harshly because he is only human (my view has nothing to do with the fact that he was a man with power).

I agree with you, but for a man who wrote so much in his diary (it ends before the Revolutionary War and that was disappointing to me) about being of high moral character, he was a philanderer.

I read this from a person in this time, from my perspective. That is a deal breaker for me. Others can get through it, but that is a morality issue for me that lessens one's character, but not in his view... or many others in both time periods.

 

[Buzz Rules]

I agree with you, but for a man who wrote so much in his diary (it ends before the Revolutionary War and that was disappointing to me) about being of high moral character, he was a philanderer.

I read this from a person in this time, from my perspective. That is a deal breaker for me. Others can get through it, but that is a morality issue for me that lessens one's character, but not in his view... or many others in both time periods.

He was also away from his wife for many years on various occasions. Not making excuses but that does way on a person. How someone deals with that separation is entirely on them. Adams and Franklin viewed each others actions in France during the Revolution differently but they always remained friends: