Homelife in the American Colonies

A drawing of a stagecoach by Paul Downing in Williamsburg, Virginia.

The colonial period in America had stricter laws than those of today. Some of them are rather silly, but here goes …

“A watchman in Hartford rang a bell every morning as notice to all adults to rise from their beds. Massachusetts had fourteen offenses, and Virginia had seventeen offenses that were punishable by death. Some of the minor punishments were unique. If a woman became a common scold, she was placed near her door, with a gag fastened in her mouth, so that all might see and beware of her example. A man was ducked in water or put in the stocks for other offenses.”

The difference between a stock and a pillory.

A stock was a strong framework, through which the feet or both feet and hands were thrust and held fast, while the pillory was a framework through which the head and hands of a criminal were imprisoned. Besides the disgrace of attending such punishment, it was very trying. The whipping-post was quite common long after the Revolution, and it is still occasionally used in Delaware!”

The Fashions.

The movies have a good claim on the legitimate appearance of fashion during Colonial times.

Men and boys dressed much alike, and the fashions for women and girls were similar. The breeches of the men suggested the present style of knickerbockers, the rich making quite a display of silver buckles and buttons. The breeches of the poorer people were made of coarse cloth, deerskin, or leather, the object being to obtain all the wear possible. The wealthy used velvet, and the men and women were as fond of the display as their descendants. In case you are wondering, women only had two dresses—one for daily use (with an apron) and another for dress-up. “Pinups” were featured to add to any dress, such as lace, fancy sleeves, sashes, etc. The old dress served as a “pattern” for the new dress!

In the earliest days, all the houses were made of logs. The exportation of glass and nails was expensive, so oiled paper replaced glass for windows. Carpets were an unknown luxury. Often, the floor was smooth, hard ground. The cooking was done in the big fireplace, where an iron arm called a crane was swung over the fire and sustained the pots and kettles. Coal and matches were unknown, and a fire was started using a piece of steel and flint or with the help of a pair of sunglasses.

The early settlers to America drank British tea, and nearly every family made its own beer. Because of water pollution, beer was believed to be a healthy drink in those days.

When James Edward Oglethorpe brought his regiment to Fort Frederica on St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, William Horton planted barley, rye, and hops for a distillery on Jekyll Island for military use. At the same time, the residents ran illegal rum into the colony.

Stages connected the important cities and towns, but most of the traveling was done on foot or horseback. In Virginia, people would stop visitors on the road and ask for the latest news. In addition, they furnished a room for travelers.

Since most of the settlements were near the sea or on large rivers, long journeys were made by coasting sloops. In 1766, a line of stages made the trip between New York and Philadelphia in two days, which was considered so outstanding that the vehicles were called "flying machines."