Final answer:
Cottagers in historical contexts dealt with economic changes and environmental challenges, leading to varying living situations, from engaging in cottage labor to adapting housing due to resource scarcity, and Loyalists facing tough conditions but valuing their security in Canada.
Step-by-step explanation:
The cottagers' background and their current living situation are deeply rooted in the historical context of economic and societal shifts they encountered. In the 1700s, the Industrial Revolution in England led to a system known as cottage labor, wherein farm families would produce goods at home for entrepreneurs, often for meager earnings. Similarly, European immigrants in the western frontier of the United States had to adapt to their environment by constructing turf homes on the vast plains due to a lack of wood, a sharp contrast to their previous lives. Over time, some of these settlers made enough profit from farming to afford building houses that reflected their cultural preferences. Additionally, the Loyalists' accounts of leaving New York for Canada during the American Revolution reveal the harsh conditions they endured, such as living in temporary shelters without basic amenities but finding solace in their newfound safety.