Colonial Folkways: A Chronicle Of Everyday Life In Early America

Chronicles of America #9

by Charles McLean Andrews, Allen Johnson (Editor), Gerhard Richard Lomer (Editor)

Probes the nature of social customs, dress, architecture, entertainment and travel during America's colonial era

Genres: History

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1919

About the author

Charles McLean Andrews was one of the most distinguished American historians of his time as a leading authority on American colonial history. He wrote 102 major scholarly articles and books, as well as over 360 book reviews, newspaper articles, and short items. He is especially known as a leader of the "Imperial school" of historians who studied, and generally admired the efficiency of the British Empire in the 18th century.

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I shouldn’t have to say this, but I will: Historical books written in the past are valuable PRECISELY because they are written from the perspective of that past, in complete lack of knowledge of whatever the preoccupations of some future would be.

[Melissa Helton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book from 1919 gives a well-researched look into various aspects of colonial life, including buildings, travel, education, food, religion, and employment. It was very interesting to try to imagine colonial life, and as a secondary study, consider the 1919 world in which the book was written.

Being of that era, it was not surprising the book was racist, sexist, and classist. It repeatedly refers to the continent as uninhabited if white people aren't there, dismisses the experiences of the poor, uses phrases like "swarms of negroes," and if women are talking, they are "gossiping." It did have a section that called out the cruelty of slavery, but overall this history, of course, was focused on rich white men and their experience of colonial America.