My Perspective - A few things have changed since 1776

By Jim Palmer

On July 4, our country will celebrate its 250th anniversary. And what a 250 years it has been!

If you took a time machine back 250 years to 1776 and spend a few weeks living in just about any community in the new United States, your impression might be, “It’s an interesting place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.”

1776 - Life in 1776 was slower, harder, and centered mainly on survival. A typical day for nearly all of the population was to rise with the sun and do farmwork using basic hand tools and draft animals until the sun went down. Work was manual, constant, and physically punishing. Nearly all of the food raised was used by the family to feed themselves. Life expectancy was between 35 and 40 years old. Many children died at birth due to complications or before age five due to disease. There was no retirement; people just worked as long as they physically could. Food availability was limited and seasonal. Some food was salted, dried, or smoked to preserve it. There was no electricity or plumbing. Heating came from fireplaces and water was carried in to the home manually. All travel was by foot, horse, or carriage rides. As a result, most people stayed close to home. The only long-distance communication was letters and they took days or weeks to arrive. There was very limited access to schooling and books were scarce. Education was focused on basic reading and religion. Social gatherings involved storytelling, music, simple games, and outdoor activities.

So how did we get from that lifestyle to the one today? I thought it might be interesting to take a look at how things progressed over the years. So I jumped on the internet (new invention in the last 50 years) and researched the years leading up to today, taking a snapshot picture every 50 years. Here is what I found...

1826 - Life remained unchanged in many aspects from 1776 to 1826. It was still hard living, hard to travel, and communication was slow and challenging (telegraph wasn’t around yet). People stayed close to home because of transportation limitations. Families made much of what they used – clothing, candles, and soap. Some small factories were starting to pop up in bigger cities, but not many. Slavery was still part of everyday life in the South (Civil War started in 1861). The country was young and still developing an identity – positioned between the post-Revolution era and the upcoming Industrial boom.

1876 - A transition period was happening between a rural, horse-powered world and an industrial, machine-driven one. The Civil War had just ended and there was a rapid expansion westward (Gold Rush started in 1848). It was during this time (1872-1894) that Author Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote her semi-autobiographical novels, so daily life probably looked similar to episodes of Little House on the Prairie. It was a mix of frontier life and early industry. Still very physical and labor-intensive, but starting to modernize in small ways (still far from comfortable). Railroads were connecting the country and employing more and more. The railroad also created new towns and places like general stores were staples in the new communities. Cities started to grow, but most people lived in rural areas. Horses and wagons were still the main local transportation, with steamboats common on rivers. Travel was much faster than it had been, but still slow compared to today’s world. Physical labor dominated most jobs, working sunup to sundown. Farming was still the largest occupation. No electricity in most homes. Water was now coming from wells. Outhouses were common. Heating and cooking done with wood or coal stoves. Food was all grown, hunted, or locally purchased. Coffee, bread, potatoes, and meat were staples in most households. Letters were still the main form of communication, but telegraphs allowed for faster long-distance messaging. For fun, people would attend social gatherings, dances, and fairs. There were traveling shows, circuses, and theater. People enjoyed reading books or newspapers. One-room schoolhouses were common, and education was improving, but not universal. Medicine was improving, but still primitive. Life expectancy inched up to 40-45 years, mostly credited to a better understanding of how germs work and diseases spread.

1926 - It was a mix of old ways and new ways of life. Things were becoming more convenient, but still quite labor-intensive. Cities were booming, but most people still lived in rural areas. Electricity was becoming more common, but not everywhere yet. Jazz music was becoming popular and new social freedoms (like shorter skirts, smoking, drinking in public) were reshaping the culture. Radio was a major source of entertainment, especially in the home. Social visits from the neighbors, reading, or going to local events were all gaining popularity. More and more people were working 8-10 hour days for a wage in factories, offices, or farms. Cars became mainstream and were used for short-distance travel. Trains were still important for long-distance travel. New appliances like iceboxes, washing machines, and radios were popular upgrades in the homes. Silent films were huge, and “talkies” were just starting to emerge. Sports heroes like Babe Ruth became national icons as news became more widespread (newspapers were popular). High school attendance and literacy rates grew. One-room school houses were common. Life expectancy was increasing (55-60), but infectious diseases were still a major problem (no penicillin yet). World War I had concluded eight years ago, so life was getting back to normal for many... but America was on the edge of some major shifts (Great Depression just a few years away and WWII would come right after that).

1976 - Life was becoming more modern but still very basic, local and slower-paced compared to today. Culture was changing rapidly – the Vietnam War had ended but the Cold War was still shaping global anxiety. Life was comfortable, but not digital. There was a strong sense of family and community, and there was a balance between modern conveniences and old-school simplicity. Families would often watch TV or visit neighbors in the evenings. Kids had more freedom than ever before, often playing outside until dark. Many were now working 8-5 jobs in a factory, office, or the trades. Offices relied on typewriters, paper files, and phones. Many households could still live comfortably on one income. Nearly every home had electricity, plumbing and major appliances, rotary phones, a console TV (3-5 channels), record players/8-track players, wood paneling, and shag carpets. Kids spent most of their time playing outdoors. Movies and drive-in theaters were big. Cars were essential for daily life. Big sedans and station wagons most popular. Road trips were a classic family experience. Writing letters was still common and phone calls were often shared on a household line. Public school was the norm, with chalkboards, paper, and textbooks in a bigger school built for hundreds instead of dozens.

2026 - For most Americans, work revolves around a 40-hour work week, along with family and activities like sports, school, and hobbies. Technology has reshaped society with smartphones, streaming services, and social media. Most eat a combination of home-cooked meals, take out, and fast food. Much of the shopping is done online and in big retail stores. Healthcare is high quality and continues to improve, which has resulted in life expectancy reaching 78-80 years old. There are many options for food, professions, transportation, and entertainment. Kids spend much more time inside with gaming and social media. The United States is fast-paced and productivity-focused, and its people are very independent.

If you even just skimmed through my summary of the last 250 years, you noticed some big changes, with dramatic changes happening in the last 50-100 years. Life has gotten much faster with many more options. It has also gotten more complicated. I have to wonder what the next 50 years will look like. Can it continue to change as fast as it has changed in the last 50? What is next?

Here are my (nonpolitical) predictions for 2076. If I’m still writing the column at age 102, I’ll bring this back to see how I did...

1) Everyone will have a personal AI (Artificial Intelligence) partner for home and at work who handles a majority of the routine things.

2) Technology will greatly accelerate medical research and testing, resulting in a cure for multiple diseases/afflictions including cancer and Alzheimer’s Disease.

3) Life expectancy (as a result of #2) will jump to about 100 years old.

4) Jetson-like vehicles using advanced drone technologies will change personal and commercial transportation.

5) Many more jobs will be completely automated, resulting in new industries, professions, and opportunities.

6) The US will have 54 states.

7) Daylight savings time will be eliminated.

8) Space stations from multiple countries will have presence on moon and/or Mars.

9) A 4-day or 32-hour work week will be the norm.

10) Population in the US will grow to 400 million (currently at 345 million).

Some of these may seem like dramatic changes/predictions... but look at how far things have come in just the last 50 years. And I can’t even fathom what it will look like 250 years from now, so I won’t include those predictions. We might all be living on a different planet by then.

Whatever happens in the next 250, I hope everyone takes a moment to reflect on the last 250 and think about all the things we should be thankful for. And since about 95 percent of our readers are over the age of 50, you and I can count our blessings that our country’s life expectancy isn’t still hanging around 35-40. Most of us would have been long gone by now. Happy 250th!

Photos/Recipes Wanted for Cookbook

We are preparing to publish our 24th edition of the Senior Perspective cookbook this fall. That means we’re looking to fill this cookbook up with the best stuff we can. Of course, the recipes are the stars of the show, so if you have great recipes, please send them to us now. If you would like the recipe to only run in the cookbook and not the regular paper, just make a note of that.

We are also looking for photos, which is something that really spices up our book. We are looking for food-related photos that include people in them – preparing food, serving food, eating food, etc. If we use your photo(s), we will send you a free cookbook and also put you in a drawing for a $25 prize (giving out 4 of them). 

Deadline for submissions is Sept. 8. See ad on page 10 for more details.