Wilhelmine of Prussia, Queen of the Netherlands

Getting around

Dangers and Hardships of 18th-Century Travel

Travel was often physically demanding and dangerous, with carriages that were frequently uncomfortably sprung or unsprung, causing travelers to suffer from motion sickness or injury. Due to the poor state of roads and the threat of highwaymen, travelers often carried weapons or avoided unnecessary trips, with some prominent figures never leaving their home region.

Daily life

Seasonal Schooling Led by Untrained Teachers

Schooling was primarily limited to winter months, as children were needed for farm work and tending livestock during the rest of the year. Many village schoolmasters lacked formal training, often being retired soldiers, weavers, or tinkers.

What people wore

Practical Work Clothes for Women

Working women wore practical, loose-fitting clothing like an apron, headscarf, and cap, with shorter skirts and wide sleeves to allow free arm movement while handling water, fire, or animals.

Music

Everyday singing in homes and workrooms

Singing was a common activity in daily life, often performed without sheet music while working, such as during textile work in spinning rooms, or at church services and social gatherings.

At the table

Coffee and cheap surrogates were daily staples

By the late 18th century, coffee became a common daily necessity for ordinary people, often mixed with cheap surrogates like chicory or roasted rye and barley to stretch the expensive beans.