Creating a home required hours of labor. Women cooked, sewed, cleaned, washed, and cared for children, the sick, and the elderly. Girls learned these skills from their mothers. Some attended schools to learn fancy sewing, drawing, and musical skills. Most women in Vermont were literate, so they read about fashion, childrearing, and new recipes from an ever-expanding choice of books, magazines, and newspapers. Their social lives revolved around family and friends within their rural communities.

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