Slavery

    Slavery in Colonial America was a very harsh life for a slave. Some slaves tried to run away or pretend to be blind, deaf, or dumb. This was called passive resistance and slaves used this to get out of working. Some slaves even tried to kill their master.

    The first slaves were brought to America as indentured servants, people who served 5-7 years in their master’s service. In return for their service, the indentured servants got food, shelter, and clothing. But then as tobacco, rice, and indigo got more and more popular, farmers realized that they could save a lot more money if they used blacks as their slaves.

    In 1775, slaves were already one-fifth of the entire colonial population. Slaves had strict laws such as not being able to sue, take a matter to court, carry any weapons, or stay out after their curfew. If slaves did any of the above, they could be branded, whipped, or even killed!

    Slaves either worked in the fields or in the house. The slaves who worked in the fields were called field slaves and their job was extremely tough. The slaves who worked in the house had work a bit easier because they did not have to work in the hot sun all day. The house slaves had the job of looking after the master and his family, cooking, cleaning, and doing any other work around the house that had to be done.

    Slaves were considered to be property, not people, so they were auctioned of at slave auctions just like any object. Slaves worked a 12-14 hour day from dawn till dusk and weather they were a field slave or a house slave did not matter. All of their 12-14 hour days every day were very tough.  Many families were separated and had a very good chance of never seeing each other again. Even little children were taken away from their mothers.

    As you can see, you should be glad that you were not a slave in colonial times because your life would be a very harsh, horrible, and unenjoyable one.

Susan Everett. History of Slavery. Secaucus, New Jersey: Chartwell Books Inc. 1991.

Courtship, Gender Relations, & Marriage

    Courtship and Gender relations were very important to the colonists and Colonial America. Girls were supposed to marry at thirteen and boys at fourteen. Then they were considered adults. When girls were twenty-five, it was disgraceful if she were single.

    Marriage was a business arrangement made by parents and couples. The sad thing was though, wealth and property overruled passion and romance. Everything was an independent household. You would much rather be married in the twentieth century than in colonial times.

    What was it like to be married in colonial times?   Marriage was not a joyful thing for the wife. The husband could beat her if she misbehaved, and he was in control of all her belongings. Usually, the court would not let the couples separate because the husband didn’t want to separate, and he had a lot more control over what the wife did. If they were unhappy, they would argue their entire lives, because marriage lasted forever. It was like being a prisoner.

    In some southern colonies, "MISSING WIFE" ads, equaled the amount of "RUNAWAY SLAVE" ads. The newspaper was full of them both. The upper class wives didn’t run away as much because it was considered to be unladylike. The Quakers and Indians made up their own vows and had happier marriages than the colonists. I hope this helps students learn about marriage and colonial life.

De Pauw, Linda Grant. Founding Mothers: Women of America in the Revolution Era. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Co., 1975.

Indians

    How did the Indians help the colonists in colonial times? Many tribes helped the colonists adjust to the strange new world without alternating their own customs. The Native Americans had grown corn for thousands of years and then introduced the colonists to it. The Indians also showed them how to cook and cultivate the corn. The colonists could not survive without the Indians.

    Why did the arrival of the Europeans have such a negative impact on the Native Americans? In America, William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, made a treaty with the Lenni Lenape tribe. When the Europeans arrived their goal was to push the Indians off the land to farm tobacco and other crops. The Native Americans gained much from the whites such as diseases, guns, tools, and alcohol . These gains shattered the Indians way of life. Few Indians adopted European lifestyles. Those who did were rarely accepted into the community except as second-class citizens. A lot of the Indians didn’t get along with the colonists in colonial times.

"Native Americans." Encarta. CD-ROM. 1995 ed.

"Native Americans." Compton’s. CD-ROM. 1995 ed.

By Daniel L.

A Native American dwelling

Food

    Food in colonial times was a lot different than the food today. It was harder to prepare  and once the food was served, it not very interesting. Food was as exotic as it is today because there weren’t as many spices to give a fun taste. Many families might eat the same dish for days.

    To prepare a meal, the whole family would have to pitch in to get the jobs done such as grinding, hewing, and churning. There was constantly a fire going in the fireplace. The gentry had slaves cook their meals for them. The lower class never had relish, molasses, honey, and melon rind to spice the meal. There were many important foods, like corn, and milk. For a long time, colonist enjoyed a beverage of ale, beer, wine, or whiskey. Be thankful for the food you eat today because your diet would be different.

Food for the Settlers. New York: Crabtree, 1992.