Colonial Culture

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.