Personal Experience of Living in the Colonial Period

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Table of Contents

Introduction
The colonial period
Working period
School period
References

Introduction

I am an American middle-aged man, aged 25 years, and not yet married. I live in New York with the rest of my family members and I am a Christian and still studying at the university. I am very much optimistic about my future and I do believe that there so much waiting for me because I am ready to face all the challenges of life when I finish my education. In the time of colonial period, we use to live in Connecticut. This was the land made up of farms. The settlers used to live harmoniously and their behavior was almost similar. This colony strongly believed in church and therefore most of them were Christians. Here is where our family was also converted to Christianity.

The colonial period

My experience of living in the colonial period started when I was still very young. I remember we use not to put on any clothing till the age of six. The clothing in the Connecticut colony was not anyway colorful. There was no decoration put on it and did not come in various designs. It took very long to make a cloth. Many of the clothes were therefore patched to save the raw materials used and also to save time. When we reached the age of six we were no longer taken as babies and we use to wear the same clothing like those of my sisters. We use to wear clothes which were made in a manner that looked like hanging sleeves. This was a material that was worn into the shoulders and then it hangs over the body covering from the shoulders to the feet. We use to wear this type of clothing mostly when we were learning how to walk. The raw materials which were used to make these clothes mainly came from animals and plants. The flux plants provided a superb raw material that was used to make materials for sheets, curtains, and napkins. On the other hand, sheep provided wool which was mainly used to make blankets and pullovers. (Andrews, 1931).

Our home was made of logs. Though frames were available by then, only the rich ones could afford them. Most of the houses which were made of frames were therefore owned by the wealthy ones. The rich families mainly constructed their homes near the churches because churches brought them together. Other residents who lived in this area constructed their homes using stones and mud. Mud was used then because there was nobody who knew about cement. Most houses contained cellars which were not only used as a storage place but also used to keep the house warm mainly during winter periods. Our home had only one room. This room contained a chimney in one corner where the cooking fire was lit. The windows to our home were very small so that they could conserve heat. The windows were also made from oiled paper. The oiled paper provided the house with light since glasses were rarely available then. The doors to our home were made from very thick planks which were fastened well so that they would resist pressure from wild animals. The ceiling of the house was laid down low to conserve heat in times of cold. Our family usually warmed themselves in the fireplace which was also used for cooking. A connection shed was constructed towards the barn. This shed enabled us to provide enough care to our domestic animals mostly in winter when the snowstorms were heavy. (Hooker, 1936).

As our family grew, my father extended our house to a doubled room. One room was used for cooking, eating, and warming while the other one was used for sleeping. We used to take our baths in the springs and also water which was used for drinking, cleaning, and cooking was transported from the springs to our home. In our home, furniture was not very comfortable and only my father was supposed to sit on the chair. The rest of the family including myself used to sit on the benches and stools. Sometimes we could sit at the table because the table was very long and narrow. The benches were also too narrow and very uncomfortable to sit on. We could at times take our meals while standing and at times take them directly from the pot using our hands. My father mainly obtains food from the field where he grew cones and sometimes, he could go hunting whenever he wanted meat. Breakfast mainly consisted of a soup of salt meat, herbs, and beans. Tea and coffee were not available then. We use to take our dinner at noon which consisted mostly of Indian pudding plus a dish of beef. Many dishes were mainly made of pumpkin which was either cooked, dried, fried, or souped.

The winter period was the most starving because less food was available. Wild animals which were hunted for meat were also so difficult to come by. Therefore, my father had invented various ways of keeping food till growing time. Since there were no refrigerators, my father had built a smokehouse where meat could be stored. Also, a pot that contained stew could be kept boiling on fire all day and all night. The stew could never spoil so long as it remained hot throughout. We could therefore eat it for almost a week. My father also used to construct a trough in the spring. This trough was used to store milk, vegetables, and also the leftovers. My father used to make fire using flint and steel. The fire was not allowed to go off because making fire using flint and steel was a very difficult task. Our pots and kettles used to be very heavy and some even weighed 40 pounds. (Axelrod, 1985).

Working period

When we were past ten years, we usually worked hard with my brothers and sisters in helping our parents with many home chores. This did not prevent us from playing. We had all kinds of games e.g. skating, hopping, skipping, Kite flying, jumping, swimming, and dancing. My sisters used to play with dolls that were mainly made from cornhusks, rugs, and apples. Other times we used to play singing games e.g. Ring around the rosy and London Bridge is falling.

I remember when my sister was 12 years old, my mother taught her how to use spinning wheels. Girls of this age were required to learn the skills of spinning wheel. The spinning wheel was mainly used to turn flax or wool into thread. A loom was then used in weaving large pieces of clothes. Looming was mainly done by my father because it involved the use of strength. Weaving usually took almost a year to complete the whole process. Dyes were mainly obtained from barks, roots, and plants. These were then boiled and the sap was extracted.

School period

At the age of 12, I was required to enroll in school. Connecticut colony used to strictly emphasize educating all children. Many private schools including Hopkins and Taft had been set out. We were required to be taught how to read we were also trained in honest calling. This was to help us in contributing to the colony and also it was to give us knowledge on the ways of taking care of ourselves. We were taught the kind of work one wishes to specialize in. Once trained on it, we were required to remain in the profession for the rest of our life. We mostly took our educated at home where we learned on religion, obedience, and the skills for handling any issues in our day-to-day life. Schools were established in towns by many widows in their own homes. These widows only provided education on the basic skills, alphabet, writing, arithmetic, and also spelling. We were required to pay a penny a day to attend these schools. (Higgibotham Jr, 1980).

Later, laws were established and two schools were specifically mentioned. Those that would provide education of grammar i.e., reading and writing, and those that will prepare boys to enter into the University. Our parents were required to buy pens, papers, books, and also firewood for their children. Firewood was mostly required during winter for warmth, children who performed a task successfully would be allowed to sit close to the fire. Discipline and strict obedience were expected from us and our schoolmasters used to whip us and at times tap us on the head. We also used to go to school all year round and the same books were being used to educate us.

References

Andrews, C (1931). The Colonial Background of the American Revolution. New Have, C.T. Yale University Press.

Axelrod, A. (1985) The colonial Revival in America. New York W.W. Norton.

Higgibotham Jr, L. (1980). In the mater of color: The colonial period. Oxford. Oxford University press.

Hooker, R. (1936). The colonial Trade of Connecticut. New Haven, CT.

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Personal Experience of Living in the Colonial Period

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