We Are Ready to Celebrate America's 250th Birthday!

Happy New Year! This year marks the start of the second quarter of the 21st century, and it also begins the celebration of America’s 250th birthday! Along with many other history and genealogy societies, StLGS is planning special events throughout the year as well as taking part in other groups' events in the St. Louis area. We thought we’d start this special year off with a glimpse of what life was like for some of our ancestors as the United States began its journey to independence from England. Join us for a trip back to 1776 . . .

If your ancestors were already on this continent, their lives were likely centered around their family, religion, and farming. Life was difficult for most, especially for those who were indigenous, enslaved, or indentured, and for women, who suffered the hardships of childbirth at a time when little was known about health. Most of the colonists lived in rural areas. They cleared land, raised livestock, grew their own food, and relied on everyone in the family to work. Fewer than ten percent of the colonists lived in cities, and those who did were primarily merchants or skilled tradesmen. 

Life centered around local communities; churches and taverns became places for social gatherings. Families were large, and the mortality rate was very high. Politics, then as now, split the colonists into groups. Many remained loyal to King George, but an increasing number were excited about splitting from England and gaining independence.

Some things to consider:

1. The population of the American colonies in 1776 was about 2.5 million people, roughly one percent of what it is today. Of that number, about one quarter were enslaved.
2. The average life expectancy of a white male was about half of what it is today, thirty-eight compared to seventy-eight. The infant mortality rate was extremely high. 
3. Homes were dark and chilly. Candles were made of tallow (animal fat), which produces smoke and smells of raw meat. Once the sun went down, there was no light except what could be gained from a smoky fireplace and those pungent candles. One historian wrote that Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello, “was so frigid in winter that Jefferson’s ink froze in his inkwell.” (Charles C. Mann, The Wizard and the Prophet, as quoted in Derek Thompson’s blog post, “What Was It Like to Live in 1776?” published on 6 July 2025, https://www.derekthompson.org/p/the-sunday-morning-post-what-was)
4. One of the largest industries in the colonies was harvesting wood for fires and construction. Trees were abundant, and most farms had woodlots where the family could easily cut what they needed and sell or trade whatever was excess. Some estimates are that the cutting and selling of firewood at this time represented about a third of the GDP (gross domestic product). 
1. Fun fact: The phrase, "Your neck of the woods," was popularized at this time.
2. It simply meant your home. Almost everyone's land was wooded. Originally a neck was a narrow strip of land, but the meaning morphed into the homestead or settlement.
5. Sanitation was primitive. Cholera, dysentery, and other diseases were common because water and food were often filled with bacteria. In the summer, there was no refrigeration; in winter, keeping food sufficiently warm was a problem. Diseases spread easily with little knowledge of why or how; this was especially true in cities, where crowded conditions were the norm.
6. Communication was limited. There were newspapers, broadsides (one-page flyers), and pamphlets but their distribution was inconsistent. Mail delivery existed, but the service was fraught with delays and thwarted by political feuding. There was no way to learn about events in other colonies, let alone around the world, other than messages carried by foot, horse, or ship. 
7. With British products being boycotted, life in the colonies shifted to the simple and practical, especially in clothing. Linen, homespun wool, and flax were used to make clothes. (Cotton was still being imported, although it was grown in the South.) Staying cool in the summer and warm in the winter were priorities. Women’s gowns were fitted above the waist, although still using many yards of material, and women wore stays (corsets) to make their waists appear slim and their posture erect. Under their long skirts were layers of petticoats and a chemise, which often doubled as a nightdress in warm weather. Men wore tailored coats, waistcoats (elongated vests), and breeches. Clothes were often made over by hand sewing to update them, especially as more desirable fabrics became scarce.
8. Workingmen’s shirts were extra-long and were slept in as well as worn in the daytime. Hats for men and bonnets or small caps for women were part of everyone’s costumes. No one wore what we would consider underwear!

(Formal attire in 1776: woman in brocade, man in velvet with a tricorne hat; image in the public domain)

The colonists began to live through the seven years of the American Revolution in 1776, and just staying alive and safe is what people most valued. The success of the colonists would light revolutionary fires across the Atlantic, and in time, vast areas of Europe fought similar battles, so even if your people weren’t here yet, they may have felt the first rumbles of revolution in their homelands 250 years ago. Wherever our ancestors were in 1776, whatever they were engaged in, they made it possible for all of us to be here today. So, let the celebrations begin!

Learn more . . .

“America at 250: Exploring the Past. Charting the Future,” written by the National Council for History Education, Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, https://www.thepresidency.org/life-in-1776.

“American Colonial Clothing, 1775–1800,” by Edward St. Germain, American Revolution.org, https://www.americanrevolution.org/american-colonial-clothing/.