What was life like in the 1790s?

Life was meek and disease and malnutrition were common. There was a great contrast between rich and poor. Most people were struggling to feed their families. Streets were dirty because all the sewage and rubbish had just been dumped there. The streets where very narrow and the houses close together.

The murder rate was high. About twice what it is now in New York City and five time the US national average.