Water fountains. Water fountains were very different in the 1800s and early 1900s than they are now, but they still provided an easy way to cool off in the summer. Some fountains in big cities were built as large troughs so people could do more than just take a drink of water.
Architecture played a big role in keeping homes cool. By creating archways, large windows, and high ceilings, builders could funnel in outdoor breezes and create cross-ventilation. Porches built in the shade also gave people an area to cool off during the evening.
8 Things People Did To Stay Cool Before Air Conditioning
Kept windows and doors shut at midday to keep hot air out. Delayed cooking, baking, and kitchen chores until the cooler evening hours. Opened windows at bedtime to let in the cool nighttime air. Blew fans across blocks of ice.
As you might imagine when thinking of simpler times, a world without air conditioning did encourage people to spend time together doing their favorite cooling-off activity, drinking tea on the front porch. This was a common social activity not only in the US but also in India.
Heavy Curtains and High Ceilings
Heavy curtains would be drawn during the day in rooms facing the sun. Since hot air rises and cooler air sinks, high ceilings allowed the hottest air to rise into the uppermost space in a room so that people were essentially living in the coolest air.
Keeping warm in the 18th century was not an easy task. Most homes, including Mount Vernon, had wood-burning fireplaces. This meant that even with a fire burning, parts of a room might not get above freezing on the coldest days. An enslaved attendant would be tasked with the continuous work of maintaining the fire.
Many homes in the South had sleeping porches for cooler summer sleeping. These porches were screened in to avoid bugs but make use of the cooler summer nights.
Sleep experts believe the best temperature for great sleep is between 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit. But in addition to making you uncomfortable and interfering with healthy sleep patterns, being too hot at any time of day or night can cause health risks like dehydration and heat stroke.
They may have not had air conditioning but early Americans could call upon a variety of intuitive methods – keeping hydrated, wearing light clothing, and making lifestyle changes – to keep cool during the hot summer months.
Take heat seriously, it can kill
The elderly and people who don't have access to air conditioning are especially vulnerable, but everyone is at risk, experts warn. "The stresses on your organs to keep you alive when it's really hot are intense.
The History of Staying Cool
During this period, many Texans built homes under the shade of trees and the windows were positioned to face the breeze to improve ventilation and make the home more comfortable. Modern air conditioning had its true beginnings in the mid-19th century.
It All Started with Cavemen
These ancient ancestors not only understood that being underground was cooler; they took full advantage of it by living in caves and digging tunnels and burrows to beat the heat.
In 1932, the first room air conditioners cost about $50,000 — $860,000 in today's dollars. Prices dropped quickly; by 1938, the average cost of a window unit was only $416 — $7,250 in today's dollars. In 2019, the average window unit cost $200.
Prepare ahead of time for hot days this summer, especially if air conditioning is not available in your home. Seek medical care immediately if you or someone else has symptoms of heat-related illness like muscle cramps, headaches, nausea or vomiting.
See cpr.heart.org/en/course-catalog-search for classes near you. Time is very important when an unconscious person is not breathing. Permanent brain damage begins after only 4 minutes without oxygen, and death can occur as soon as 4 to 6 minutes later.
Architectural adaptations played a crucial role in providing relief from the heat. Structures such as the Chickasaw “summer houses” and the elevated Tunica-Biloxi canopies were designed to maximize airflow, ensuring cooler environments and protection from the sun's rays.
Home owners kept all the windows and doors in the house open to keep the air moving. Carpets were pulled up during the summer and put in storage.
Keeping Cool Indoors
Many Amish homes are built with plenty of windows to help circulate the air and bring in the cooler overnight temperatures. They open the windows on the top floors to help the heat escape while the family retreats to the lower grounds within their homes for comfort.
The Egyptian Sleep Method is pretty simple: sleepers wrap themselves in a wet towel when it's too hot to slumber comfortably. This trick supposedly dates back to ancient Egypt when they didn't have the modern conveniences to help them with the high temperatures.
Lay the cloth over the fan. As it blows the air out, it'll circulate through the cloth and the air will feel cooler. Make sure that the cloth cannot get caught on the fan in any way at all––if this is a possibility, don't use this method. Replace the cloth frequently, as they dry out.
Sleeping too hot
“Heat is a huge disruptor for REM sleep,” Dr. Drerup says. With the heat of the room, your body temperature will also rise, thus undoing the sleep initiation process entirely. If your bedroom temperature is above 70° F, it's too hot.
It's a fact of nature: warm air rises above cool air. So at any given time in your home, your upper levels likely contain more warm air than the lower levels because warm air tends to gravitate up toward them. The best way to solve this problem is by installing a zoning system, which we'll explain below.
Summary. Keep cool: use air conditioning or a fan, wear light and loose-fitting clothing, and keep skin wet, using a spray bottle or damp sponge and by taking cool showers. Stay hydrated: during days of extreme heat, keep drinking water before you feel thirsty, especially if outdoors or performing physical activity.
The American South, the fifteen states that permitted slavery in the decades before the Civil War, was a predominantly rural region. Life revolved around agriculture, much of it conducted on large farms or plantations where enslaved African Americans provided the majority of the labor.