In fact, the young soldiers’ sneering attitude toward the workers in the Holy Ground hides a deeper tragedy. Most of the women are poor, desperate, and vulnerable. The economic depression of the early 1770s has left many people destitute, and the city provides almost nothing in the way of social services. Women of all ages are forced to survive any way they can. Some of the workers in the Holy Ground are single mothers, trying desperately to provide for their children. Every night they contend with intoxicated sailors, soldiers, and criminals. It’s a brutal existence, and the risk of violence
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