French Settlers - Family Life

• The low number of women in French Illinois led many women to marry in their late teens. When a census was taken, girls over age 12 were listed as marriageable. Wives handled family financial matters when husbands were absent. Women acquired significant wealth and authority as widows.

• Many Frenchmen wed Indian women. Their children became a large part of the French population.
• Many children were born in colonial Illinois. Only half lived to maturity. An average family had 3 children.
• Boys over age 12 were considered old enough to carry guns and defend the settlement. Males were legal minors until age 25, and females until age 18.

Image: Henry Howe, Historical Collections of the Great West, Cincinnati: H. Howe, 1851.

How do they compare? Native Americans | French Settlers | African Slaves

© Illinois State Museum 31-Dec-96