TIL that tipping proliferated in the United States after the Civil War, when the restaurant and hospitality industries hired newly emancipated Black women and men but offered them no wage–leaving them to rely on patrons’ gratuities for their pay instead.

One Comment

1. Slightly incorrect

   Tipping began to become commonplace in the US around 1850. Tipping was a common practice in Europe for the last 100 years or so, and was how the aristocracy “rewarded” their workers.

   The US wealthy, who often visited Europe, brought tipping back with them, as a way to appear more “cultured” and “European” in front of their American Friends.

   We also see things like cotillion etiquette appear in the south around this time, another European export, where young men and woman would attend etiquette lessons to appear more European.

   Cotillion is still big in wealthy social groups in the south

   Log in to Reply