My great, great Aunt Allie in the early 1860’s at the age of 16 accepted a teaching position on the western frontier packed her bags and left providence R.I. on her own traveled West.
She taught half wild gun slinging cowboys some older than her
she later returned and became the Superintendent of Schools for Providence.
I am sure she faced all the dangers associated with the frontier but back then at 16 you were an adult and like the book/movie the True Grit girl/woman character was probably the norm of the times and most likely the norm until the baby boomer generation. It’s all in expectations, these days we just expect less of our children
Your great, great Aunt did something useful.
That’s the difference.