The tendency to romanticize the idea of family has included ideas about children and childhood. What would historical research lead us to predict about the lives of children in premodern United States or Europe?
A) They worked at an early age or left the family at an early age to do domestic work for others.
B) They were treasured and treated as angels or cherubs.
C) The vast majority of them experienced a great deal of permanence and stability.
D) Most of them lived in fairly large households with extended family.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Historical research suggests that children in premodern United States or Europe often had to work at an early age, either in the family's household or in fields or factories. Children were also sometimes sent away from their families to do domestic work for others. Childhood was not seen as a period of leisure or innocence, but rather as a time to learn adult responsibilities.

The Tendency to Romanticize the Idea of Family Has Included