[Cecily]

A lot of the roads were probably not too great either, which would make for a bumpy, unpleasant ride.

The Victorian age started in 1837, so if she was a young woman living in the American South and had no avenue to move away, she would have had to live through the Civil War and/or its aftermath. Not too pleasant for anybody.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Good points. Paved roads were rare until the Model T started selling in big numbers.

This is what a Wisconsin carriage ride was like in 1898 after a rainstorm.