I try my best to keep track of all of my CC -of which there is much- via pinterest here: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/faepowell/sims-history-challenge/
Gameplay
I'm basing this somewhat off the decades challenge but will largely be playing according to my own whims. I play multiple households.
General warnings
I grew up on horrible histories and Blackadder and I'll be the first to admit that I'm drawn to the macabre. Expect lots of death including frequent deaths of children miscarriages and death in childbirth. I'm using Zero's Dickensian Sickness Mod among others for this. Also expect other unpleasant period appropriate things, like bad working conditions, poverty, executions and violence.
I find the way that different groups of people have survived, connected and thrived despite prejudice to be a really interesting aspect of history. As a result my game will include some elements of institutionalised sexism, classism, homophobia, and mild structural racism but I'm steering well clear of abuse, hate crimes, massacres and slavery - I don't think my Sims game is the right place to explore these topics, and I am doing this for fun. Mention of these issues may appear in my notes. If I get things wrong feel free to drop me a line. I don't bite.
If this doesn't sound like your cup of tea no worries. Have a look through my Pinterest. maybe you'll want to start your own game instead!
I'll give a content warnings at the top of posts that contain any upsetting material.
The commencement of the 1700s saw women's hair styles stay fairly demure, but it wouldn't take long for them to become much more elaborate. The popularity for wigs in men's styles crossed over to women, and as such hair styling opened up to wider experimentation. The development of heated curling tongs - paired with wool pads and wire supports - helped achieve the voluminous dos synonymous with the era. CC links and reference images under the cut.
You can find more of my historical content here: 1300s ✺ 1400s ✺ 1500s ✺ 1600s
1 - Hedgehog Hair by Acanthus Sims
2 - Late Victorian Hair by Melancholy Maiden
3 - Rococo Hair by Kiara Zurk
4 - Simple 18th Century Updo by Historical Simslife
5 - Le Pouf by Historical Simslife
6 - Small Louis XV Hair (C) by Acanthus Sims
7 - 1770s Queen Hairstyle by Acanthus Sims
8 - Tête de Mouton by Javi Trulove Sims
9 - Baroque Hair 3 by In Love with the Regency Era
10 - Lilac Hair by Jelly Paws | Wavy Extensions by Casss Goths
11 - Small Louis XV Hair (A) by Acanthus Sims
12 - Princess Hair by Historical Simslife
13 - Rococo Hair by ZouYou
14 - Duchess of Devonshire by Historical Simslife
15 - Rococo Hair by the Regal Sim (Curseforge)
16 - Georgina Rococo Updo by Historical Simslife
17 - 1770s Hairstyle Tall Straight by Acanthus Sims
18 - Elizabeth by Melancholy Maiden
19 - 1770s Small Hairstyle by Acanthus Sims
20 - Marie Hair by Elfdor
21 - Josephine Updo by Historical Simslife
22 - Constance by Aniraklova
23 - Like A Virgin by Javi Trulove Sims
24 - 1770s Hairstyle Curls by Acanthus Sims
25 - Georgina Rococo Updo by Historical Simslife
26 - Small Louis XV Hair (B) by Acanthus Sims
27 - Catherine by Melancholy Maiden
28 - Tall Louis XVI Hair by Acanthus Sims
29 - Libby by Nightingale Songx
30 - 1770s Hairstyle No Curls by Acanthus Sims
With thanks to some amazing creators: @acanthus-sims @elfdor @javitrulovesims @zouyousims @historicalsimslife @aniraklova @nightingalesongx @the-melancholy-maiden @inlovewithregencyera
From the diary of Ruth Lahib – Evening of Wednesday, April 10th 1748
Young Angelica and John stayed the night in our room after their sister's death to allow the whole family to rest. When we went to see Mrs Grier that morning we found the room empty and her few items gone. As the day wore on it became increasingly clear that Mrs Grier had fled in the night, leaving her two children behind.
Apparently she was in terrible debt. Mrs Topasna said later that she had left much of her tick* at the shop unpaid, and that the Topasna's had begun to suspect months ago that it would likely not be ever paid. They are a kind family. They had kept Mr's Grier and her children fed despite the growing debt and had made no mention of it to us or anyone else until now.
Word travels fast here. That very evening we were visited by the Christian priest, Mr Holiday, who said that Ella Grier must be buried and her two siblings rehoused not one day hence. I understand the need for it. The burial of course cannot wait and g-d knows we haven't the space for two more in our little room, but their lives have changed so much in such short a period it seems unfair that they should be uprooted so quickly.
Mother says we ought to think kindly of those who have been dealt a worse hand than ourselves, but I still think it was a wicked thing for Mrs Grier to have abandoned her children thus.
Little John has been in tears since this whole thing began but Angelical has barely cried at all. She looks distant and deeply saddened like her grief is a river deep below the ground. I suppose she feels that she must take a responsibility in her brother’s care now. What great burdens we women carry!
The Topasne's have a small fire and a tub and we heated water to bathe the the poor little creatures, grubby as they were. At least we can send them on their way clean and free of flees and knits. Their clothes have been burnt. There was no salvaging them even for scrap.
We sat Angelica and John by the fire wrapped in a blanket while young Kawayan and Mrs Topasne searched for something that they might wear.
In the end they looked quite smart for their sister's funeral. Kawayan even gave John his own hat to take, which was very kind as I do not think he has another.
The church is a white wooden structure quite unlike any Church I've seen before**
We gathered flowers along the way to adorn the little grave with.
She was buried in an overgrown corner of the graveyard, with father and Mr Topasne digging the grave themselves. It is pretty at least, in it's way, and I suppose her siblings can visit her there and feel some small measure of comfort. The funeral was brief and solemn with only the priest and the Topasnas in attendance besides ourselves.
After, there was a meeting in the church to decide where the two Grier children ought to be housed. Us women and the two children themselves were not allowed to attend, instead waiting in the school room while the men decided their fate.
Father attended, along with Mr Treves, Mr Greco, and Mr Topasna. Father said that it was almost like an auction, various people in the town offering to house the children in return for a stipend from the council.*** The children are supposed to go to the houses of those who agree to be paid the least - with almost no thought given to their wellbeing. Mr Greco and another one of father's farm employers, Mr Miller, both offered to take the two children together but their bids were dismissed. They are to be housed separately.
Mr. Holiday took Angelica to live with him and his family. He was very self righteous about this, acting as though he had done something ever so charitable, but as we walked home Mr Topasna told us that he suspected the true reason was that Mr Holiday and his wife had been wanting for a new maid for some time. This way they get one for free.
As for young John, he was sent off with a huge Brute of a man named Mr. Best - apparently a friend of the priest. He is fearsome, with scars all across his face, but his wife was the healer that came for Mrs. Grier on Monday and seemed a kindly woman, so perhaps he will be alright.
I know it is not possible but I wish that we could do more. There is little kindness for children like Ella, John and Angelica Grier here any more than there would have been back home and i fear what will become of them.
Notes:
* Tick is where we get out word 'ticket' from. It is an old word for credit. It would have been common for families at this time, who were living very hand to mouth, to get essential like food 'on tick' and pay at a later point when they had the money.
** I tried to make the church reasonably accurate to Colonial churches at the time, though being from England I have to fight the urge to base church structures on the 11th century building's I grew up with. Maryland, where I've decided to set my story, was created as an area of religious freedom specifically for Catholics and so the Christians in this town are largely catholic rather than Protestant or puritan.
*** Part of why I wanted to do this story was to highlight the unpleasant phenomenon of 'pauper auctions'. This was a form of poor relief of this time that is exactly as it sounds. Those unable to care for themselves were often placed with other families in what essentially amounted to a form of indentured servitude. The families in return would receive a stipend that would be bid upon, the winner being those who agreed to pay the least. This was especially common in rural areas, where more centralised systems of care for vulnerable people were unavailable. The vulnerabilities of a system like this are obvious and were criticised at the time.
In 1851 social reformer Thomas R. Hazard wrote:
“When stripped of all disguises, selling the poor to the lowest bidder is simply offering a reward for the most cruel and avaricious man that can be found to abuse them,”
‘Outdoor relief’ was the social-welfare net of the time
Billy G. Smith, Poverty and Economic Marginality in Eighteenth-Century America, Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 132,
From the diary of Ruth Lahib – Monday, April 8th 1748
First Previous
CONTENT WARNING: Death of a young child.
I did say I'd be killing off some children.
Translated from Yiddish
Woken up very early this morning by the most awful commotion coming from the room next door.
Myself and mother went across and found the Grier woman clutching her baby distraught. The poor thing had taken a fever during the night and was pale and still as the grave.
Mother went to help the mother and baby, while I tried to comfort the two older Grier children. The poor things. You have never seen two children so grubby and thin. Nor have you ever seen a room so filthy as the one in which the family lived.
It was decided that I would take the children back to our room and father would wake Mr and Mrs Topasna so that food might be cooked for the children and a doctor called for the baby.
Mrs Topasna sent for the healer woman, Mrs Best. Alas, I am told that the babe had already been dead for some time and there was nothing Mrs Best could do but take the little body to be cleaned and wrapped. Poor child. She was not yet two.
There have been people coming through the courtyard all day. Mrs. Best sent for the apothecary, who gave poor Mrs Grier laudanum for her nerves.
Mother went to get Mrs Treves who sent Semira for Mrs Greco and between five of us we cleaned the room as best we could with disturbing Mrs Grier.
Later, the constable arrived with the Christian priest to record the death and make arrangements for the burial.
They say it will have to be a pauper's grave. The family have not a penny to their name. I overheard Mrs Treves say to mother that such filth and so little food may well been responsible for the child's death.
I cannot help but feel our responsibility in this too, that there should be a family living in such desperate need right besides us, while we, their neighbours ate well and slept in relative comfort.
The boy and the girl, who's names are John and Angelica, are now asleep on mother and father's bed. I have a mind to borrow a tub and heat some water for a bath. You can barely see their skin for all the dirt and they are crawling with nits and lice.
That poor poor little baby. May her memory be a blessing.
Notes:
Phew that was a lot right?
Unfortunately, infant mortality in the 18th century was very high with around 12% of children dying within their first year of life and a further 30% dying before the age of 6. Overall almost half of children failed to reach adulthood - a number that didn't decline much until the 19th century, when a greater understanding of hygiene and the invention of vaccines improved mortality rates considerably.
It was surprisingly hard to find good information on this as most sources where under a paywall. The records I used recorded the mortality rates of white people only. There is no record of deaths of ethnic minorities that I could find, but we can assume that infant mortality amongst children born or trafficked into slavery must have been catastrophically high.
If you have a good source on this please send it to me. I'd love to read it.
Below are articles I made a note of:
Daniel Blake Smith, Mortality and Family in the Colonial Chesapeake, The Journal of Interdisciplinary History, Vol. 8, No. 3 (Winter, 1978),
Stephan J. Kunitz, Mortality Change in America, 1620-1920, Human Biology, Vol. 56, No. 3 (September 1984), pp. 559-582
The child mortality rate in the United States, for children under the age of five, was 462.9 deaths per thousand births in 1800.
Anecdotal evidence indicates that high-status women in England generally did not breastfeed their children in the seventeenth and early eigh
In 1999, children aged 0 to 19 accounted for 29 percent, or 77.8 million, of the U.S. population of 272.7 million (U.S. Census, 2001). Refle
Addendum to letter addressed to Mrs. Talia Faldon - Nicaea, April 4th 1757
(Translated from Yiddish)
Dear Aunt,
I have not yet managed to get this to a postal rider [1] so I am adding a quick update. Today is the first day of Passover, so ourselves and the Treves' went at the Greco house for Seder. I am quite envious of their kitchen. It is very spacious and airy with a good sized stove.
Mrs. Greco is a sweet tempered, generous lady and a talented cook...though myself and Johanna of course helped with the meal preparation.
Ruth and young Miss Semira Treves are becoming fast friends. I am glad. I had worried about taking her away from her companions back home, but the young are quick to adapt.
Ruth has been terribly sweet with Little Greco boy, Micah, who is not yet three. She will make a good mother someday.
Mr Greco seems a rather stern man, but Elazar thinks well of him and so I cannot fault him. It is good to know we have found ourselves among such a kind and welcoming community.
Peace be upon you
Rebekah
Notes:
[1] "Because there was no official post office, the early postal riders would deposit mail at taverns in the community instead of delivering directly to a person's address.
Richard Fairbank's Tavern, in what is now Boston, Massachusetts, was the official repository for mail received from overseas at the time, and is thus the first American post office."
[2] While researching this I found these great antique Passover plates . The first was made in Germany in the 1700s and then brought to America in 1851. The second is from 1614 Italy.
Again I am not Jewish myself so if I've got anything wrong in this feel free to drop me a line.
The second Jewish family in Willow Creek are the Grecos, owners of Willow Creek's largest vegetable farm. The family consists of Carmel, her husband Tomor and their young son Micah.
The farm was inherited through Carmel's side of the family, while Tomor is the son of a sailor and grew up working on ships before he settled in Willow Creek. They live a cosy life and, though running a farm is hard work, they are able to afford extra help when they need it. Theirs is the farm Elazar was pictured working on in the last update.
Tomor is a quiet, self contained man. This can sometimes make others see him as stern and judgmental, though his demeanour is far more the result of social awkwardness than any malice.
His wife Carmel is far more outgoing. Sweet and cheerful, she takes great pride in her flower garden, where she spends as much time as she is able to spare.
Their son Micah seems be taking more after Carmel. At two years old he is a curious and energetic child. He currently spends most of his time trailing his mother around the farm as she takes care of her daily chores.
Please appreciate this excerpt from an actual letter from the time in which the writer calls a man an "ignoramus".
"This very minute, at the stroke of three in the afternoon I received your letter - just at the right time. Reb Mordecai had wanted to leave for Philadelphia, and Biddle, the lawyer, told me that I might let him go. I therefore permitted him to leave. He was about to put his belongings into the wagon, when the letter came and I told him he would have to remain till the May court. I do hope he will be set free and not have to stay in jail here. Thus far, as long as Jews live here, not a single Jew has ever been in jail. I intend to keep him out until about the time the court opens and then to have him imprisoned. If he had met any other man but me, he would not have stayed out of jail for one minute. However, I ought to judge him " according to the scale of merit." He is not very intelligent, and he is a big ignoramus, besides. I want to treat him well be- cause he is honest. But he is certainly a queer fellow. I ask you to get the original from New York. The lawyer thinks he will be able to clear him. If he could only get it, he would write once again, if it is not in your possession. "An act of kindness is greater than mere charity." I really pity the poor fellow, and I have offered to let him remain here with me in my house. I would give him food and lodging free. But he doesn't want it. Instead, he uses up the money he earned while he was in my employ"
MEYER JOSEPHSON, READING, TO BARNARD AND MICHAEL GRATZ, PHILADELPHIA. MONDAY, SHUSHAN PURIM, 5524. [FEBRUARY 18, 1764.]
SOME EIGHTEENTH CENTURY AMERICAN JEWISH LETTERS by Joshua N. Neumann
A letter addressed to Mrs. Talia Faldon - Nicaea, April 1757
First Previous
(Translated from Yiddish)
Dear Aunt
I don't know when, or if, this letter will reach you but if you are reading this you can be assured that we have arrived safely and none of my sister's portents of doom for our journey came to pass. I am sure she we be simultaneously relieved and disappointed not to have been proven right.
The journey over was actually very dull. By the end I almost craved a good storm for a little excitement. Ruth took a liking to one of the young shipmen, which forced me into constantly chaperoning her to keep her out of trouble - that girl will drive me to an early grave! Poor Elazar was unable to help as he spent most of the journey vomiting into a bucket. I however, found my sea legs quite well. If settling in America doesn't work out, perhaps I can take up work as a sailor.
For the time being we have taken a room at the local lodging house. The place is filthy. The first thing I did upon arrival was wash the whole room from floor to ceiling with water and vinegar. Passover is just around the corner [1] so at least this puts me ahead on my cleaning.
I fear Ruth has been too used to her own space. She has complained loudly of Elazar's snoring every morning since we set sail. She has at least been diligent in her chores. We can none of us afford to be idle. Last week a sickly old man and his wife came into town. They were barely here two days before the constable came to 'warn them out'. [2] Apparently this is not uncommon. Our landlord emphasized the town's right to refuse support to those who might "burden it with their needs". You can guess what I think of that, but we are not settled enough to debate town politics, and it's clear we cannot afford to be anything less than self sufficient.
Elazar goes out every morning to find work and comes back late each evening sore and exhausted. There is plenty of work to be had, especially given the season, but I do worry for his health.
As for Ruth and I, we are earning money doing other people's washing. Me, a washer woman! I sure you are laughing at the thought. It's hard work and my back aches terribly, but we have more than enough demand and it means we have enough money to put some aside.
We have no fire to cook on in our room so all food has to be bought from the lodging house shop. They do meals of pottage for a shilling each [3], which does add a fair amount to our costs up on top of the rent. The shop is run by a Gentile, Mrs. Maiana Topasna [4] and her husband Alejandro. The two children that I had assumed were their son and daughter are actually their niece and nephew on Mrs Topasne's side and have a different surname, 'de Luna'.
The boy, Kawayan, works at a local mill while the little girls, Rita helps Mrs Topasna run the shop. Mrs Topasne says that Rita is to work as a scullery maid at the big manor house on the other side of town, but they must wait until she turns 12.
Mostly our other neighbours keep to themselves. There are a lot of scruffy little children staying here, with mostly single mothers who look worn and half starved.
The landlord is a loathsome man. Rude and self important. He clearly thinks of himself as king of his little world, and us as his unworthy subjects. I try to stay out of his way as much as I can but I fear one of these days I will lose my temper with him. This is certainly not a place I want to stay long term.
This is making the situation sound very bleak but really I think we are finding out feet well enough. Johanna and her family have been more than welcoming. It's so good to see her again after such a long time. I have yet to meet the Greco family, but they have sent Elazar home with quite the selection of vegetables whenever he has done a day's labor at their farm.
I hope yourself and my uncle and cousinsare well. I also hope you are taking good care of my cat and that he is keeping your feet nice and warm. I miss that lazy, fat old thing. Remember me to my sister. Tell her not to fret, we are all in good health and good spirits.
Please do write back when you can. I am eager to hear news from home.
Your Niece, Rebekah
Next
Notes
[1] Passover -when it is traditional to clean your house- in 1757 would have been from April 4th-12th according to this calculator.
[2] Warning out of town wherein "outsiders" were pressured or coerce by established communities to settle elsewhere was a common practice in colonial America.
[3] £5.12 in modern money. This was a little cheaper than standard for a basic meal at the time.
[4] Topasna is a common name in Guam, which was at this time under Spanish rule. Mr. and Mrs. Topasna plus their two kids are a combined Chamorro, Spanish and Filipino family.
[5] I used the book SOME EIGHTEENTH CENTURY AMERICAN JEWISH LETTERS by Joshua N. Neumann to give me some inspiration for this. I enjoyed writing in an epistolical style. I may do this more in the future. What do you think? Do you prefer this or the more factual style of my previous posts?
A key reason for the Lahib's move to Willow Creek was that there are already two well established Shepardi Jewish families living in the area.
The Treves Family
The Treves family orchard has been a constant in Willow Creek since patriarch Aaron Treves' great-grandfather established himself there in 1663.
Aaron's wife, Johanna is a first generation immigrant, having moved to Simerica with her family as a child. She is a distant cousin of Rebekah Lahib.
Like the Lahibs they have one teenage daughter; clever, precocious Semira, aged 15.
The Lahibs visit the Treves house as soon as they're settled and receive a warm welcome.
The Treves' believe in taking the time to relax and enjoy life. Their cottage may be small but it's warm and welcoming. They love music, good food and spending time with friends and family.
All this is is to say they throw a great welcome party.
Here's Rebekah giving a very dramatic account of the journey over to finish the evening off -she's added in some piracy for effect.
Next
Notes: Apples were a key crop in early America and were eaten in any number of ways. As well as farming apples the Treves family also grow pears and make, jams, chutneys and cider from their crop.
The Lahibs don't have enough money to buy land or property so they rent a medium sized room in a local boarding house. It's chilly, sparsely furnished and dingy but it provides a good enough start for the time being.
Ruth has picked some flowers to brighten up the place, and the lace tablecloth Rebekah's mother made years ago, along with their lovely patterned bed quilt, makes it feel a bit more like home. The room lacks a fireplace but at least the weather is warming up as summer plus and Rebekah's started knitting thick socks for everyone.
They furnish the room the small number of items they've brought with them. A menorah, a sugar bowl and Rebakah's favourite plate adorn the windowsill. while the shelves have more practical items, including two books -which would have been expensive at this time.
Willow creek is a farming town and the season means that there is plenty of work to be found. Elazar takes odd jobs and farm work around the town, while Ruth and Rebekah start a small business washing their neighbour's laundry. Having three able bodied -near enough- adults in the household gives them an advantage where it comes to earning a living. There are other renters who struggle far more because of their circumstances. Even so it
Having three able bodied -near enough- adults in the household gives them an advantage where it comes to earning a living. There are other boarders who struggle far more because of their circumstances. Even so it's hard work and most of their pay goes on rent and food with few savings left aside.
There's not much time to relax, but they sometimes find time for a game of cards in the courtyard, and as the weather starts to heat up it's nice to ger some sun, though it's pretty smelly down there.
Next
Notes:
*This plate is anachronistic as the famous willow pattern wasn't commonly seen until the 1780s but we'll pretend it's an earlier version from China, which inspired the original.
Meet the Lahib family, a Shepardi Jewish family newly arrived in Simerica and hoping to settle in Willow Creek. Here they are coming into port.
The family consists of three members...
Determined, hardworking matriarch Rebekah, who's hoping to make a better life for herself and her family,
Her husband, Elazar. A practical man who cares deeply for his family,
And their only living child, 17 year old Ruth. Ruth is a romantic and a dreamer. She has high hopes for her new life in Simerica.
Next
Notes:
I'm going to try for a fair level of historical accuracy here. I'll add in any research I do as I go along.
Shepardi Jews (that's Jewish people whose ancestors came from from the area that is now Spain and Portugal) made up the majority of early Jewish settlers in America.
I imagine the Lahib's coming from the Ottoman Empire (now Turkey). I used this very useful website to help me choose their surname.
I took inspiration for the male costume from the images below, though I couldn't find a good match for the Kavese (hat) they're wearing.
1. Painting of a Jewish man from the Ottoman Empire, 1779
2. Jewish Turkish Merchant, 1821
The women's dress was a lot harder to work out. I used images like the ones below of women from turkey to give me a sense of what women from that area of the world were wearing and tried for getting a similar vibe if not a completely accurate look.
1. Portrait of a Lady of the Court Playing the Tambourine, Second Half of the 19th cen.
Jean-Étienne Liotard - A Woman in Turkish Dress - Mid-18th Century
I myself am neither Jewish nor American so if I've got anything wrong please feel free to message me. Likewise any questions or comments my ask box is always open.
Tune in tomorrow for adventures in 18th Century accommodation!
