The colonial times were very
different from modern times today. They did not have access to electricity or
plumbing. They had to make everything by hand. And there weren’t as many types
of houses as there are now. But parts of the lifestyle that they had back then
I wish we had now.
The streets in all of the colonies
were mostly made in a grid like pattern. Some of the locations today still have
the same streets. Inside the colony the first building to be created was most likely
the church. After that, the government buildings and houses for the colonists
started being created. For the government it was divided into two different
sections. One, The Government’s Council, and two, The House of Burgesses.
Another name that they had for the House of Burgesses was The Assembly. Both
sections had certain jobs to do. The Government’s Council helped the governor
run the colony. The House of Burgesses (or The Assembly) were a group of people
who were representatives that got voted in by the people to serve. So being a
democracy began right away for the colonies. Because of these two different
branches of government they created the building they were in specifically for
the two groups. It was made like an H shape. One side of the “H” building the
Government’s Council would work and the other side the House of Burgesses would
work. But, the little bridge to the building that connected both sides was for
both parts of the government to come together because both of course also had
to work as a team.
Similar to today there were a lot
of jobs in the colonial times. But some of the jobs weren’t exactly the same as
the jobs we have in our life today. One of the first occupations was a Barber.
They had the tasks of taking care of Men’s hair and keeping them looking well
presented. Although there was one part of their responsibility that barbers
today don’t take care of anymore. That job was bloodletting. People back then
thought that bloodletting was a very healthy thing to do.
Another occupation was a
Cabinetmaker. They were responsible for making fine furniture like chairs and
tables. One thing that they made that wasn’t furniture was a clock case. A
clock case was what held the clocks that they had in a little display case. So
part of their job actually helped out with the Clockmakers, who of course made
clocks.
The Blacksmith handled with all
things metal. He helped the people by creating pots and pans and even more.
Back then they even sometimes served as a dentist. But not a dentist you would
want to go to because if there was a problem with a tooth the way they handled
it was to knock it out.
Another job that they had in the
colonies was a Cobbler. A Cobbler’s job was to create shoes. Although the shoes
that they made back then were slightly different from the shoes that we have
now. The difference was that there was no specific left or right to the pairs
of shoes.
The Coopers helped to create the
barrels that held lots of different items that had to be preserved. They had to
make sure the barrels were air tight because if they weren’t they would not act
as a very good preservation item. People in the colonial times usually
preserved in the barrels cider, fish, rum meat, etc.
Some of the jobs that they had back
then we still have today like a Doctor and Farmer. They also had the same
tasks. So, the Doctor took care of all the colonists and also managed a
pharmacy so people were able to get medicine if they needed it. A Farmer took
care of the crops and was a necessity to the colonies so they were able to receive
food. Most of the common items they would crop is tobacco, wheat, corn, etc.
They also had livestock for work and also for food.
A Grocer is a job that we somewhat
still have today. But instead of the chain food supply stores they had a local
grocery store that supplied most of the food. Another name for a Grocer is
Victualler.
The Hatter (like the name) made
hats. The hats were mostly made out of beaver skin. Another job was the Miller,
who in fact also helped with the Farmers to grind their corn and wheat into
flour and cornmeal.
Sailors worked mostly out at sea
and were merchants who traded with the Indians and Europe. Then a Silversmith and a
Goldsmith did similar things, they created nice jewelry for the people. The Silversmiths
created Silverware as well. Lots of people used silver because it was much cheaper
than gold. The very famous historical figure Paul Revere was actually a
Silversmith.
The Tailor had a very important job
in the colonies as well. They had the task of creating clothing for the
colonists or help to repair old ones. Many people in the colonies actually
could not afford new clothes and even had to make their own. Another similar job
was a Tanner. The Tanner worked with leather and also helped to create new
clothes plus they made saddles for horses and much more.
The last commonly known job (there
are much more) is the Wigmaker. Just like the name, they created wigs. In our
life today nobody really wears wigs anymore but back then it was a very
popular, and normal thing to wear. Lots of men wore them and many famous
leaders like George Washington wore them as well.
All of these jobs played a big part
in the colonies. Without them the colonies would be lost. Each occupation was
very important and each of them helped each other out.
Depending on where you lived there
were different living conditions. If you lived down south it would be very
warm, and more up north would be very cold. Of course it is still the same
today but back then they had to create everything themselves so that would
include their own houses. The houses that they had in the colonies were much smaller
than the ones you see today. Each house had one main room which was called the
Keeping Room. There they would eat, sleep, etc. all in that one room. Then,
there was sometimes an upper level which was the attic. They used that area for
storage or if you had a large family they would put another bed up there.
But, sometimes the smaller houses
didn’t work for some large families and they had to expand. So some people created
houses that were called “Saltbox Houses”. They were called this because the way
the house was built it looked similar to the salt cellars they used. For the
people on the more wealthy side they built their houses mostly out of stone or
brick.
For the inside of some of these
houses in the “Keeping Room” they would most likely have a dining room table
near the fireplace so they could eat together and still keep warm. If it got
darker outside they would not have a flip of a switch to turn a light on like
we do today. People back then would have to light candles to be able to see at
night. A family would carry a rifle in their house for protection as well. The
beds were also not as extravagant as the beds that are sold now. It was a cot
that had a wood frame and for the mattress, it was most likely stuffed with
straw. The more wealthy ones might have use feathers instead.
For the diets the people had, they
were rather healthy. They didn’t have unhealthy fast food chains like we do
today. The people in the colonies ate whatever the farmers grew. They ate yummy
fruits and vegetables, and also fish or meat which was a very common food. The
colonists also drank beer, milk, cider, or water.
The people during that time had to
work extremely hard to survive since they had to make everything themselves. That’s
why many people should be thankful for the things that are easily given and accessible
to them.
For the children during this time
they grew up very differently than kids who grow up today. They had more
responsibilities that were given to them. When they start growing up they were
considered babies, but that changed very quickly once they turned six years
old. After that age, they were given a lot to do around the house to help out
with their family.
The first school they go to is the
Dame School. The Dame School mostly taught them how to read, and once they
could read they graduated from that school and went to a more structured school
where they learned much more. During this time when they were going to school
they helped a lot with the housework that had to be done.
Unlike the great selections of
clothing we have they had a very simple attire. For the girls they wore aprons
and dresses, and for the boys they wore pants and a shirt.
Some of the children’s responsibilities
are a little similar to the responsibilities you might have like doing the
dishes, taking care of pets, and cleaning the house in general. But there were
some jobs that had to be done back then that don’t really need to be done now. Some
of those chores were, doing the laundry by hand, shaking out the mattresses,
and also helping their father with whatever work that had to be done.
Of course the children were still,
children so they also had time to play. They had some time where they could
play whatever they wanted at their leisure. Some games that they played back
then we also still play today. They played checkers, nine pins (this game had
the same concept as bowling), jacks and ball, baseball (but didn’t have as much
rules as the game today), and many more that occupied them and made them have a
good time.
For growing up it meant different
events to women and men. For a women, she would move out of the house and get
married. Marriage sometimes happened very early in their life unlike today. For
men, they would grow up when they would find a career and were ready to upkeep
themselves. Again, this sometimes would happen much earlier in their lifetime
then compared to today.
When people would go to college it
would be an easy access for the men but not so much for the women. But there
were a few colleges that accepted women. Some of the generally known colleges
like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc. are still here today. Many people would
graduate in their teen years.
Overall, I think I would like to
see the children’s aspect of the colonial times brought back to this time today
because I think with all their responsibilities brought them up with having
great respect and I think that is a great quality. I am thankful that we have
things like electricity and plumbing unlike what they did not have back then.
