What Is The History Of Work And Entertainment In The 1800's
Working people had very little leisure time. They spent a lot of time working and they were left with little time to enjoy themselves. For those who worked in factories, the line dividing work and leisure was becoming more and more rigid. What little opportunity there was for recreation was in the few hours spent away from work.
According to Charles Shaw (1903) autobiography, pugilism and dog-fighting were among the main choices of entertainment.
In every street where there was a beershop, there would probably be a couple of men stripped to the waist, pounding at each other in regular fisticuff order, till they battered each other black and red, or else a couple of bulldogs would be devouring each other amid a howling ring of brutal men. Sometimes …show more content…
Cruel sports like cock-fighting, bull baiting and bear baiting were common. In 1835, the cruelty to animals Act made baiting animals for sport illegal. This entertainment were mainly for men. Women had little free time. When they weren’t working outside the home, they were working in the home.
Both men and women did go to the fairs and festivals which were held at intervals throughout the year. A bank holiday fair was a big event. It featured everything from roundabouts to swings, to peepshows, animals, waxworks and plenty of …show more content…
In the 19th century, the pub played a very important part in working people’s lives. It was common practice for the employers to pay their workers in the local pub. The pub was also the only place people, particularly men, could go to get away from their cramped squalid homes. It was a haven of warmth, light and often entertainment.
Those who belonged to the upper classes had far more free time. They didn’t work as many hours as the working people and some of them didn’t work at all and lived off inheritances and allowances. They naturally had more time as well as the money to participate in a wider range of leisure activities. The wealthy privileged theatre performances, opera, traveling to the seaside and others.
For the upper classes, recreational activities were not only a way to enjoy themselves but it was also a ritual. Going to the theatre or to a music concert was a way to show off what they owned. Women would display their best dresses and wear their most expensive jewellery to these events. Going out was a social and political affair. Many business deals were made while attending a music concert or other similar
According to Charles Shaw (1903) autobiography, pugilism and dog-fighting were among the main choices of entertainment.
In every street where there was a beershop, there would probably be a couple of men stripped to the waist, pounding at each other in regular fisticuff order, till they battered each other black and red, or else a couple of bulldogs would be devouring each other amid a howling ring of brutal men. Sometimes …show more content…
Cruel sports like cock-fighting, bull baiting and bear baiting were common. In 1835, the cruelty to animals Act made baiting animals for sport illegal. This entertainment were mainly for men. Women had little free time. When they weren’t working outside the home, they were working in the home.
Both men and women did go to the fairs and festivals which were held at intervals throughout the year. A bank holiday fair was a big event. It featured everything from roundabouts to swings, to peepshows, animals, waxworks and plenty of …show more content…
In the 19th century, the pub played a very important part in working people’s lives. It was common practice for the employers to pay their workers in the local pub. The pub was also the only place people, particularly men, could go to get away from their cramped squalid homes. It was a haven of warmth, light and often entertainment.
Those who belonged to the upper classes had far more free time. They didn’t work as many hours as the working people and some of them didn’t work at all and lived off inheritances and allowances. They naturally had more time as well as the money to participate in a wider range of leisure activities. The wealthy privileged theatre performances, opera, traveling to the seaside and others.
For the upper classes, recreational activities were not only a way to enjoy themselves but it was also a ritual. Going to the theatre or to a music concert was a way to show off what they owned. Women would display their best dresses and wear their most expensive jewellery to these events. Going out was a social and political affair. Many business deals were made while attending a music concert or other similar