Scotch-Irish Cultural History

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1. The Scotch-Irish were staunch libertarians, and acted upon their feelings. Sex ways and dress ways had close ties to each other in the backcountry. To talk about sex and sexual behavior was also acceptable in this culture. The dress women and men wore was meant to arouse the opposite sex. Anglican missionary Charles Woodmason wrote, “They draw their shift as tight as possible round their Breasts, and slender waists (for they are generally very finely shaped) and draw their Petticoat close t their Hips to show the fineness of their limbs– … –indeed nakedness is not censurable without ceremony.” Woodmason was appalled at how these women carried themselves, but to the women, they were sexy. Men even dressed in ways to show off their bodies. Men wore pants that showed their upper thighs and part of their hips. To be naked to the backsettlers was just as normal as being clothed. Families slept together and undressed in front of one another, and some children even ran around half naked according to Woodmason. The lack of clergy to perform marriages caused the backc...

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