People over the age of 60 comprise less than 2% of the population of the U.S.
Date: 1650-1850
Survival to old age is rare amongst white settlers in the colonies and early United States. It is even rarer amongst enslaved Black people and poor white communities. Reverence for old age is reflected in cultural habits such as wearing white wigs and reserving front-row seats in meeting halls for the elderly. During this era, people frequently pretend to be older than they are.