Laws and Limitations
Until 1920 in the U.S., girls grew up without the right to do this as adults.
Vote
What percent of current (2019-2025) high school valedictorians are female?
70%
True or False: In 1890, women were only allowed to give gifts AFTER they had received a gift from their husband, and it must be handmade.
True: A woman could only give a man a gift if he gives her one first, and even then, women should only reciprocate with inexpensive or handmade gifts.
In the Victorian era, this item of clothing could weigh up to 15 pounds and cause injuries if worn too tightly.
A corset.
Girls in the 1900s had to wear these on their hands when going out in public.
Gloves
In the 1800s, once a woman married, all her property legally became this person’s.
Their husband's
In 1900, only about this percentage of American girls graduated from high school.
5%
True or False: It was proper for a lady to sit with her back to the horse in a carriage ride during the Victorian Era.
False, When embarking on a carriage ride, the gentleman always sits with his back to the horses, allowing the lady to take the seat opposite him. During the Victorian era, it was considered bad form for a gentleman to allow a horse to pass gas upon a lady's hair.
What skill were girls often taught during the Victorian Era to make them appear more marriageable?
Playing the piano
In the Victorian era, showing this part of the body was considered scandalous.
Ankles
Girls often weren’t allowed to inherit property unless this condition was true.
They had no brothers
In 1900, more than this percentage of working girls in U.S. factories were under the age of 16.
20%
How did women use fans as a secret language at dances? What did quick fanning mean compared to slow fanning?
Women used fans to flirt discreetly. Different gestures with a fan meant different things:
Fanning slowly = "I’m married."
Fanning quickly = "I’m engaged."
At what age would young girls in the Victorian Era often begin to wear training corsets?
Girls as young as 4 or 5 might start wearing "training corsets" to mold their posture and shape. These were often extremely restrictive by modern standards, and health issues like fainting spells or compressed organs were common.
Wealthy girls wore these decorative items (2) on their heads for formal occasions.
Hair combs and bonnets.
In many countries, girls were legally required to quit school once they did this.
Got married or had children.
How many hours per week did Victorian girls from working-class families typically spend on chores or labor?
About 40
True or False: In 1880, it was customary for women to have their hair worn up during the day and down from dinnertime on.
False: In 1880, it was customary for women ALWAYS to have their hair up. A woman was expected to look fresh, polished, and composed for her husband at all times. In Victorian terms, that meant her hair must be worn up, except when in the privacy of her bed chamber.
What animal was often gifted to young girls during the Victorian Era as a house pet?
A tiny turtle! They were considered very fashionable.
Young girls had to wear their hair this way until they were considered adults.
In the Victorian era and into the early 1900s, young girls typically wore their hair long, down their backs, or in simple braids.
Wearing the hair up (in buns, twists, or elaborate styles) was a marker of adulthood and maturity.
In early 1900s America, child labor laws changed because of campaigns by this woman reformer.
Florence Kelly
In 1900, it’s estimated that only about this percentage of adult women worldwide were literate.
28%
True or False: In 1880 it was expected of women to always carry their dress with two hands while crossing the street to avoid tripping.
False carrying their dress with two hands would expose too much ankle. When crossing the street, it was expected that a lady would carry her dress in her right hand, lifted outward to the right.
In the early 1900s, which activity became popular for young girls, despite being considered shocking at first?
Riding a bicycle
This heavy undergarment, worn under dresses, made skirts puff out dramatically.
A crinoline