How did it feel to be an American colonist in 1776? Probably itchy, achy and slightly nauseated
- The American colonists of 1776 experienced health differently from people in 2026, enduring constant discomforts like itchiness, aches, and nausea.
- Colonists commonly shared their experiences of illness openly through social interactions and writing, reflecting a communal view of suffering.
- Benjamin Franklin stated that pain motivates all human actions as people seek to be freed from it.
- Common diseases during that time included smallpox, yellow fever, typhoid, dysentery, and diphtheria, along with chronic ailments such as itchy skin and indigestion.
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How did it feel to be an American colonist in 1776? Probably itchy, achy and slightly nauseated
Life went on in the late 18th century, regardless of your everyday ailments. Archive Photos/Getty ImagesTrade the tricorn hats, bonnets and homespun shirts for flip flops, sneakers and soccer jerseys, and the intrepid revolutionaries of 1776 would have looked a lot like the people of 2026. But their sense of embodiment and experience of health was markedly different from Americans today. It goes deeper than not having aspirin, toothpaste or air …
How did it feel to be an American colonist in 1776? Probably itchy, achy, and slightly nauseated
Katherine Ott, Smithsonian Institution Trade the tricorn hats, bonnets and homespun shirts for flip flops, sneakers and soccer jerseys, and the intrepid revolutionaries of 1776 would have looked a lot like the people of 2026. But their sense of embodiment and experience of health was markedly different from Americans today. Life went on in the late 18th century, regardless of your everyday ailments. Archive Photos/Getty Images It goes deeper tha…
What It Felt Like to Be an American Colonist in 1776
Embed from Getty ImagesWe learn about the American Revolution from the accounts of those who lived through it, but they only wrote about the most important events. What their everyday lives were like got short shrift because it was normal to them. Everyone had aches and pains, itchy skin, and deteriorating food, so there was no use in making a big deal about it.With few doctors and no germ theory, about a third of colonial children died before t…
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