Bathing has been a part of religious ceremonies for thousands of years. However, bathing has not always been a common practice in the United States. Some early-19th century Americans believed that taking a bath was bad for their health. At the same time, other people were beginning to learn about the benefits of bathing. As they learned that bathing could help prevent the spread of disease, they demanded more clean water. Cities across the country heard this demand and began building water and sewer systems. Cities made water and sewer services available to the people who could pay for them. Because of this, most water and sewer lines were located in wealthy neighborhoods. By the middle of the century, many wealthy people had indoor plumbing. It would be many years before indoor plumbing was made available to people in poorer neighborhoods.

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