I still stand behind my research on this idea for my former site, an 1830s community. Various sources I looked at mentioned that the average height for American males in the mid-19th century was about 3/4" shorter than today. I believe the numbers were about 5'7" -5'8" compared with about 5'9" today.
 
Scott D. Peters
Research Director/Archivist
Ocean County Historical Society
26 Hadley Ave., P.O. Box 2191
Toms River, NJ 08754-2191
(732) 341-1880
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"Telling the Stories of Ocean County"
 
Historically Speaking
ALHFAM -FPIPN vice-chair for trivia, errata and miscellany
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"The ordinary distinctions in society are often vague, and imply no just pre-eminence: rank and titles are
adventitious things and instead of designating merit or virtue, are frequently the baubles of imbecility, or
the sparkling decorations of meretricious pageantry"
 
William Griffith, on behalf, and by order of the New-Jersey Society for promoting the gradual Abolition
of Slavery, Twelfth Month (December) 20th, 1803
----- Original Message -----
From: [log in to unmask]>Merri Pemberton
To: [log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]
Sent: Tuesday, May 07, 2002 11:32 PM
Subject: Re: Bed length

I also find some belief in the shorter people theory about the bed lengths. I visited a historical house called Reynolda House, now a museum, and the curator told my museum studies class that the people during that time were shorter. In fact, the clothing of the people who owned the house were very small, looked almost miniature compared to the sizes that we wear today, so the owners were little.

Sincerely,

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