About Candles in Colonial Times
During colonial times in America, many families lived in rural areas and were self- sufficient, meaning they produced their own food, clothing and other items, such as candles. During the colonial era, people burned candles to light their homes, especially during the winter and fall.
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Colonial Influences
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Candle-making in colonial America was influenced by methods used in Europe, especially in England and France. In Europe, people made candles out of tallow, animal fat and beeswax, according to the National Candle Association.
Colonial Women
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In many middle-class colonial families, men performed most outdoor work, such as planting crops, and women were responsible for indoor tasks, including making candles.
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Early Methods
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Colonial women often used a "tallow dip" method, where they dipped candle wicks made of cotton, hemp or flax in a pot containing melted tallow, according to the Argonne National Laboratory. Candle-making could be an all-day task, but some women used pewter molds, which allowed them to dip between six and 24 candles in wax at a time.
Later Methods
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During the colonial era, women also made candles by dipping wicks in melted berries from bayberry plants, according to Candlecomfort.com. During the 18th century, colonial women began to use spermaceti wax derived from whale blubber to make candles. In the 19th century, petroleum-based paraffin wax was used to make candles, according to the National Candle Association.
Decline
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People made candles throughout the colonial period, but candle-making began to decline shortly after Thomas Edison invented the light bulb in 1879, according to Candlecomfort.com.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Brenda Clarke
