In the 1800s, courting or dating occurred, but not in public. People didnt go on dates but rather met. These dates occurred in the privacy of a family porch or parlor.

When was the term dating first used?

1896 The word date was allegedly coined in 1896, by a forlorn lover. According to Moira Weigels book, Labor of Love: The Invention of Dating, the word date first popped up in a newspaper column in which a heartbroken clerk named Artie wrote that the object of his affections was seeing other people.

What was courting in the 1800s?

Courting the Victorian Woman. Courtship was considered more a career move than a romantic interlude for young men, as all of a womans property reverted to him upon marriage. Therefore courting was taken very seriously--by both sides. Men and women were careful not to lead the other on unnecessarily.

When was courting a thing?

The concept of dating really began at the turn of the 20th century. Prior to the late early 1900s, courtship was a much more private, unemotional affair.