How Early America Sounded

by Richard Cullen Rath

"My hope is that by attending to sound I have been able to open up parts of these worlds, not to get a glimpse of them but to listen in. These were worlds much more alive with sound than our own, worlds not yet disenchanted, worlds perhaps even chanted into being."―from the Introduction In early America, every sound had a living, willful force at its source. Sometimes these forces were not human or even visible. In this fascinating and highly original work of cultural history, Richard Cullen Rath recreates in rich detail a world remote from our own, one in which sounds were charged with meaning and power. From thunder and roaring waterfalls to bells and drums, natural and human-made sounds other than language were central to the lives of the inhabitants of colonial America. Rath considers the multiple soundscapes shaped by European Americans, Native Americans, and African Americans from 1600 to 1770, and particularly the methods that people used to interpret and express their beliefs about sound. In the process he shows how sound shaped identities, bonded communities, and underscored―or undermined―the power of authorities. This book's stunning evidence of the importance of sound in early America―even among the highly literate New England Puritans―reminds us of a time before a world dominated by the visual, a young country where hearing was a more crucial part of living.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Music, American History

240 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2003

Reviews

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rath's argument of the diminishing "magic" of societal processes (primarily around sound) is well made and provides interesting accounts of Early American thoughts on acoustics.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This probably would have gone hard as an audiobook

[David Bates · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Sound was more important to early Americans than it is to you,” Richard Cullen Rath argues from the first to the last page of How Early America Sounded. Attempting to reconstruct for the modern reader the experience of the 17th century New World, Rath dwells on the understanding of sound as a force with more causal punch and a heavier burden in supplying meaning than our own highly visual culture permits. The devastating sound of a thunderclap, rather than the brilliance of the lightning bolt, was the cause of death and damage. The roaring wind of a hurricane, rather than the dark and rain which impaired visibility was the threat to keeping ships together in a storm. The sound of the church bell provided the lynchpin of colonial social life, ringing the community in to the worship which mediated its relationship with God, providing the joyful clamor which celebrated the events of the larger imperial community such as the birthday of the King, and even with its blast of sonic force breaking up storm clouds. To be beyond the bounds created by the bells of a community was to be dangerously beyond warning or aid in the event of an attack by Native Americans. In describing the prominent role assigned to sound by both the popular and scientific thought of the day, and the importance of sound as a means of communication in a world where the immediately local occupied a more important place in life, Rath is convincing.

Rath’s second focus is on how different groups used sound to make sense of the social aspects of their world. Sound could support different conceptions of proper social order. The construction of Puritan meetinghouses amplified the clarity of the words spoken by the minister, and the volume of the response from the congregation, clarifying the authoritative role of the minister to communicate and the more passive role of the congregation to respond with loudly but without complicated content. The acoustics of Quaker meetinghouses on the other hand preserved the clarity of the speaker regardless of their position inside, supporting a more egalitarian sonic order. Sounds, and the meanings ascribed to them could also become significant between groups. Drums, as socially significant to many African groups as bells were to Europeans, were banned in many West Indian and Atlantic islands when their political role became clear in slave uprisings. In the writings of New England Puritans, the religiously radical “singing” Quakers of the 1680s and ‘90s “howled” and “roared” – meaningless uses of voice which placed them, like Indians, beyond the bounds of civilization. To mainstream Quakers the same sect were the “Ranters,” a description of borderline meaningful communication which denoted their position within, but near the edges, of acceptable society.

[Mija · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was honestly pretty good and quite insightful. A little dry and dull at times, but still interesting. And very informative. Also - it was kind of funny to see speculation about capital "I" Internet and the technological shift we're currently experiencing from an early 2000s perspective. But even that is not so far off really.