The writing prompts invite postcrossers to write about a different topic on their postcards’ messages every month. These are just suggestions though — if you already know what you want to write about, or the recipient gives you some pointers, that’s great too!
How much do you know about the history of your own country? There are things that every schoolchild seems to be taught, for every country: in the UK, I think everyone is taught that 1066 was the year of the Battle of Hastings, for instance. But we don’t always learn the little things, the quirky facts, the odd corners of a country’s history. So this month’s writing prompt is a chance to share what you know!
In Wales, between 1839 and 1843, there was a series of protests collectively referred to as the “Rebecca Riots”, which resonated throughout Britain (the illustration I found and included here is apparently from the Illustrated London News, as late as 1855!). The protests were directed at toll-gates, during a time of low prices for farming products coming right after a famine. To pass the toll-gates to take goods to market to sell, the farmers had to pay high fees, which weren’t adjusted according to the hardship people were experiencing.
In response, farmers dressed as women, calling themselves “Rebecca’s daughters”, and marched to the toll-gates. At the gate, one of the group would act as “Rebecca” and lead a sort of mini-play ending with the “daughters” forcing the gate open to let Rebecca pass (and usually trying to destroy it so it couldn’t be immediately closed again).
The Rebecca riots occurred in a really serious context, of course… but it’s still rather cool to picture these burly farmers dressing up in women’s clothing as a way to protest and destroy the toll-gates. In writing this post, I learned that it was likely linked to methods of community justice called Ceffyl Pren; apparently getting dressed up in women’s clothing in order to hide their identities was a key part of how communities regulated themselves and called out bad behaviour. I don’t know how much it would’ve really helped to hide people though. I feel like I’d still know my neighbour even if he wore a dress!
Is there anything quirky you know about your own history? Some little-known fact, or something everyone in your country learns about in school? Let us know! You can write about it in the comments here, as always, or use it as a prompt for something to write on your postcards this month!
2 comments so far
Where I grew up (Wisconsin, USA), yellow margarine was illegal until 1967. People, including my grandmother, would drive to neighboring states and smuggle back margarine.
My mother told me that one of her kitchen tasks, as a little girl (dob 1923) in Mass. was to mix a colorant tab into a pound of bright white oleomargerine; apparently the Dairy Lobby didn't have enough clout to prevent the sale of the stuff, but did have enough to keep oleo manufacture from looking like real butter./// to refine that into posthaste-card verbiage: Early margarine production was barred from looking like butter.