The fear of being buried alive was common before the advent of modern medicine. In 1817, it was estimated one out of every 1,000 people was buried alive. So common was the fear that horror writers found it a favorite topic. William Tebb, founder of the London Association for the Prevention of Premature Burial, published…
The Panic of 1873 was the worst economic depression of the 19th century. It lasted from September 1873 until late 1878 or early 1879. Because the effects could be felt more strongly in Europe, historians place the end as late as 1897. It was referred to as the Great Depression until the 1929 depression when…
The 1880s marks the Second Bustle Era. A bustle is a cage or padding worn over the buttocks to make the rear of a dress project outward. They were designed to help skirts maintain their shape throughout the day and help carry bulky fabric gathered at the back of a dress. Bustles reached their largest…
Life for Lucretia in The Unmarriable Kind is modern beyond her mother and grandmother’s imaginations in their youth. Railways connect many of Canada’s major cities as well as connecting Ontario to the United States. What’s more, Canada is now a nation with a population of 4.3 million. Let’s examine what life was like in the…