Elysian

Why do I romanticize 18th-century chores?

Was churning butter a beautiful way to spend the day or a chore to be automated away?

· 18 August 2026 · 12 min

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Sometimes I watch Outlander and wish I lived in the 1700s. The book and series follow a time-traveling woman from the 20th century into the 18th, where she finds a rich life beekeeping and homesteading. When the sheep have been shorn, she gathers with friends to dye the yarn and knit it into blankets and clothing. Washing clothes is an afternoon spent by the river, raking cloth over washboards with friends.

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