The people of the 20th century didn’t have the same conveniences we enjoy today. If we need our car repaired, we simply call the mechanic. If our shower stops working, the plumber shows up the same day to fix it. For us, help is often just a phone call away. People in the 1900s had to be more resourceful and resilient. They learned the skills necessary to tackle everyday challenges on their own. There was no calling an Uber when you needed to get somewhere, and in the early decades, grabbing some cheap fast food wasn’t an option. Instead, they had to make do with what they had and often found creative solutions. There’s no question we have become dependent on society, and our ancestors are sheer proof of that. Here are 20 reasons why people were more self-sufficient in the 20th century.
1. Gardening was important.
Have you heard of someone having a green thumb? Well in lots of points in the 20th century if you didn’t have a green thumb you would be hungry for that year. Home gardens are dying, and it’s extremely important for people to learn how to garden.
2. People in the 20th century knew how to preserve food.
It’s safe to assume that a very small percentage of people born after 2000 know how to can and keep their own foods. Now we can just go to the store and buy beans that are good for years. But what if the stores close?
3. Manual labor in daily tasks like farming, construction and chores.
Chores in the 20th century involved tossing hay, fixing the fence, and tuning up the truck for your dad. Today, chores include putting dishes away, and cleaning your room. It’s safe to say you learned more as a kid in the 20th century.
4. In the 20th century people made their own goods like soap, clothes and furniture.
People still do this today, but it’s only a tiny percentage of the population. In the early 1900s if you wanted to stay clean and warm, you needed to learn how to make your own soap and clothes.
5. People in the 1900s knew how to complete home repairs.
In the early 20th century there was limited access to repair services, so people fixed things themselves. There should be a show where they ask people born after 2000 to replace a window.
6. There was less outsourcing of work.
In the earlier decades, people had to do tasks that are often outsourced now like childcare and healthcare. Parents were forced to do simple first aid, something which loads of teens have no idea how to do.
7. In the 20th century, you didn’t buy new clothes, you sewed your raggedy ones.
Nowadays you can go to a thrift store or discount store and buy new clothes for cheap, but in the early 1900s people needed to learn tasks like sewing and patching in order to keep themselves warm.
8. Self education.
Without the internet answering their every question, people used to go to the library and self educate in order to complete tasks. Now we just watch a YouTube video, follow its directions step by step, and then forget everything we did.
9. Bartering for goods and services with neighbors.
People in the 20th century often engaged in bartering, which is the swapping of goods and services. So, rather than relying on money and businesses, you only had to rely on the kindness of your neighbors.
10. Self-employed work.
People used to work for themselves. Doing things like farming and craftsmanship could provide an honest living. Now it is extremely common for people to rely on corporate jobs. Even lots of farms are run with corporate greed.
11. Energy independence.
Rural homes used to rely on wood stoves for heat, and oil lamps and candles for light. This created a sense of self-sufficiency in energy use. Now if the power goes down people will be in the dark and the cold.
12. Knowledge of nature.
People in the 1900s had solid knowledge of natural resources and ecosystems. This allowed people to easily find plants for medicinal purposes and food.
13. Non-urbanized living.
Many people in the 20th century lived in rural areas where they were less reliant on city infrastructure and transportation. This encouraged self-sufficiency in everyday life.
14. Manual Education.
Schools and parents focused on practical knowledge way more in the 1900s. Kids aren’t learning about gardening, and first aid as much anymore.
15. Simple transportation.
With cars being so expensive in the early 20th century, people used bikes, public transportation and walked almost everywhere. This obviously made people more independent in terms of mobility.
16. Less reliance on digital communication.
With no social media and smartphones, people wrote letters or had to communicate face to face, this fostered a more personal and self-reliant connection.
17. Little reliance on people cooking for you.
With fast food being so new, people often cooked their own meals at home, using basic ingredients and traditional recipes passed down in the family. Now if a Mcdonalds is closed, people will go hungry for the day.
18. Less disposable culture.
In the 1900s there was definitely a greater emphasis on repairing items rather than just tossing them and buying a new one. Disposable consumer culture has grown massively in the 2000s.
19. Family centered living.
Living with your family is a past time that needs to be reinstated in our society. It’s so important for young people to understand the importance of family, while gaining perspective for senior citizens. Having extended family close by also means that people can rely on family for childcare, and household tasks.
20. Recycling was prominent.
Instead of throwing away glass jars and packaging, people knew the importance of reusing these things. It was so important to people to have a clean town, and a clean earth. Now we toss virtually everything we buy, from the jars our pickles come in, to the plastic bottles that take hundreds of years to decompose.
