[GrandJediMasterYoda]

I was looking at a bunch of old mugshots of criminals from the 1800s last night. It was amazing how much smaller people were back then, very rarely were any men over 5'7" and the women averaged around 5'3". I was thinking Abe Lincoln must have came across as a giant at 6'4".

[SpaceBar]

Juvenile nutrition greatly affects height.

[crusty old prospector]

Easier to sneak into a house when you are of a slight build.

[Buckeye McFrog]

When I was young I held a job for a time in a building that was constructed around 1870. I am 5’ 9” and I had to duck to get through most of the doorframes.

[Texas resident]

I went to Jamestown settlement in Virginia when I was about 12. We went on board the ships that the settlers rode on from England. I had to duck to get around below decks. The tour guide told us that most of the people back then were all about 5 foot tall.

[Reily]

On a whole I agree with you that people were shorter.
However this “data” probably is not representative.
I imagine these people grew up under very tough conditions, probably lacked nourishment during their growing years. So this group being “stunted” in large numbers is not surprising.

[jmacusa]

What a collection of louts. When I look at photos of men from the 19th. century , particularly generals and other officers both Union and Confederate I'm struck how some of them seem to look as if they were demented.

Especially Custer. He was a whack job.

[Levy78]

terrible nutrition.

[redshawk]

What I want to know is why folks in the Old Testament lived for hundreds and hundreds of years and today seems that eighty years is the norm.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Feckin’ Irish! ;)

[CommerceComet]

I was thinking Abe Lincoln must have came across as a giant at 6'4".

I saw a picture of Lincoln the other day with him standing in a crowd of a couple of dozen military officers. He was a head taller than anyone there. To make him even imposing, he was wearing a stovepipe hat.

[PJ-Comix]

I was looking at a bunch of old mugshots of criminals from the 1800s last night. It was amazing how much smaller people were back then, very rarely were any men over 5'7" and the women averaged around 5'3".

That was mostly due to poor nutrition. After WWII, Japanese kids grew much taller than their parents due to a changed diet.