The presence of a striking object at the Gallagher Homestead sparks the possibility of a discussion concerning the depth of Victorian influence in homesteads on Beaver Island.\u00a0 In Unit 11, a sherd of a white gothic style ceramic teapot was uncovered, which is an iconographic representation of the Victorian values treasured by the 19th century middle class. Gothic ceramic patterns feature a paneled look that is ecclesiastically inspired and most often constructed out of white granite. The rise in popularity of the Gothic pattern amongst middle class families was not a random consumer trend but deeply embedded and entrenched within the social history and development of American society, remnants of which are intrinsically tied to modern American culture.<\/p>\n
Fitts (1999) notes that the establishment of an American social hierarchy and defined class system was a product of this time, starting with the creation of the middle class. The middle class soon became a unique and distinct entity unto itself, complete with corresponding etiquette and decorum. With a growing negative social stigma attached to proletarians, the separation between the professional and working class grew exponentially.<\/p>\n
The middle class was seeking to distance themselves from those of blue-collar status, and \u201cby the 1850s the middle class had developed a distinctive style of living and their own world view\u201d (Fitts\u00a01999:46).\u00a0 This worldview took shape in a number of outlets but none more recognizable than the \u2018cult of domesticity\u2019 which was \u201cthe ideology surrounding the instruction of children in middle class values\u201d (Fitts 1999:46). During this cultural movement, the home was viewed as a safe haven or a protective shell, which stood in stark contrast to the capitalistic world outside the front door.\u00a0 The function of the home was to shelter and protect the family, most importantly the children, from the brute outside forces.<\/p>\n
Fitts (1999) mentions that a rebuttal of the 17th and 18th century Calvinistic beliefs led American Protestants to view the human race and especially children with a softer and more positive lens.\u00a0 With the concept of salvation and a gentle loving God in mind, children were now considered born without sin. This vulnerable and innocent nature of children required that the home be filled with strong familial ties and steadfast values in order to educate children under the sphere of Christian influence. The responsibility to create this antithesis to capitalism fell to the woman or the mother of the house.\u00a0 Women now had \u201ccomplete control of child rearing and domestic duties\u201d which was certainly aided by the fact that middle class families frequently lived outside cities in more suburban areas, giving them more control over the family.\u00a0 Women set out to \u201ctransform their homes into sanctuaries designed to instill their children with Christian values and provide their husbands with refuge from the outside world\u201d (Fitts 1999:47).\u00a0 This is where the incorporation of Gothic styles enters the domestic space.<\/p>\n
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