A Little Commonwealth: Family Life in Plymouth Colony

by John Putnam Demos

The year 2000 marks the thirtieth anniversary of the publication of A Little Commonwealth by Bancroft Prize-winning scholar John Demos. This groundbreaking study examines the family in the context of the colony founded by the Pilgrims who came over on the Mayflower . Basing his work on physical artifacts, wills, estate inventories, and a variety of legal and official enactments, Demos portrays the family as a structure of roles and relationships, emphasizing those of husband and wife, parent and child, and master and servant. The book's most startling insights come from a reconsideration of commonly-held views of American Puritans and of the ways in which they dealt with one another. Demos concludes that Puritan "repression" was not as strongly directed against sexuality as against the expression of hostile and aggressive impulses, and he shows how this pattern reflected prevalent modes of family life and child-rearing. The result is an in-depth study of the ordinary life of a
colonial community, located in the broader environment of seventeenth-century America.
Demos has provided a new foreword and a list of further reading for this second edition, which will offer a new generation of readers access to this classic study.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, 17th Century, Reference, Grad School

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

Reviews

[John Reis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was written in 1970. It is a short little book which spends the first two thirds talking about life in the Old Colony based on sparse Colony records of wills and court transactions. The last third attempts to draw big conclusions about the personal and emotional lives of the residents of the colony from current psychological theories and the scant data. Demos’ favorite is Erik Erickson. Though he thinks perhaps Freud would be better. He talks about repression on the matter of sex. He works under the assumption that any colonial behavior that varies from his own predilections needs some kind of deterministic explanation. This is rather a work of fiction than a work of history.

I put it down at p. 140

[Vasha7 · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely fascinating attempt to elucidate the social structures within the family, and the experiences of family members, during the first seventy years of Plymouth Colony. The evidence is scanty, and consists mostly of such documents as wills and deeds and records of court cases; personal letters and journals are almost absent. Demos is very honest about what he doesn't know and scrupulous about attempting to find evidence for every one of his hypotheses, pointing out just what is speculative. Nonetheless, he gets very far, and comes up with a very clear picture of a society in which there simply were no institutions outside the family -- even in cases where courts had to step in to dispose the case of some individual, they did so by directing some family to do it internally.

From a modern point of view the society seems very oppressive, as there was essentially no privacy, no one was permitted to live outside a family, and moral misbehavior was constantly scrutinized and repressed. However, for anyone who can tolerate living like that, it provides belonging from birth to the grave, and a certainty about one's course in life, especially given that there were very few vocational choices; young people learned their parents' trade (farming) by participating in it from a very young age, and moved gradually and naturally to independence.

To some extent, Demos depended on extrapolating from psychological theory to figure out what the responses to social circumstances might have been; this of course is where evidence is most indirect. Usually his hypotheses were quite plausible, although one of the most central, that the way child-raising was conducted and the circumstances of family life led to a great concern and fascination with aggression, seemed also among the weakest to me.

Add to the fine subject matter a smooth writing style, and you have a book I'll want to read again.

[Alyssa Gee]

John Demos’s A Little Commonwealth: Family Life in Plymouth Colony offers a unique perspective on family life and social dynamics in one of America’s earliest settlements. His monograph is an influential work that provides readers with a vivid portrayal of the challenges and complexities faced by the families of Plymouth Colony.
Demos’s research focuses on the period between 1620 and 1692, delving into the daily lives, customs, and values of the Pilgrims who settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts. By exploring the experiences of ordinary families, he uncovers the intricacies of the colonial social structure and the interaction between individual households and the larger community.
One of the book’s central themes is the communal nature of family life in Plymouth Colony. Demos revealed how the “little commonwealth” concept guided family dynamics. He demonstrates that families were, in a sense, individual republics with a patriarchal figure at the head of the house responsible for the welfare and moral guidance of the household.
Demos’s examination of the sources allows him to paint a detailed picture of the roles and responsibilities within these early colonial families. He explores the distinct gender roles, with men typically responsible for public affairs, economic activities, and religious leadership, while women managed domestic affairs and child-rearing. The monograph provided an understanding of how gender roles shaped family relationships and influenced decision-making.
Another notable aspect of A Little Commonwealth is Demos’s exploration of child-rearing practices. He discussed the upbringing of children in the context of the community’s strong emphasis on religious education and moral discipline. He highlights the role of apprenticeships and indentured servitude in shaping the lives of young people and how they transitioned into adulthood and contributed to the larger society.
Additionally, the book addresses authority, discipline, and conflict resolution issues within families and the wider community. Demos discussed dispute resolution and how the colonial authorities balanced individual rights and community welfare.
Demos weaves many primary sources throughout the book, including diaries, letters, court records, and personal accounts. The rich and diverse array of materials enhances the book’s authenticity and credibility, providing readers with a deep and intimate understanding of the lives of ordinary families in Plymouth Colony.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting perspective and exploration of the Plymouth colony. This book was a different perspective than the typical one that focuses on the key players of the colony. I especially liked the chapter on clothes!

[Andrew Pemberton · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent social approach to understanding the commonly overlooked aspects of familial life in Plymouth Colony.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A solid overview of family life and structure in colonial Plymouth. Demos being Demos wasn't afraid to take some whimsical moments, and I doubt very much that some of his psychobabble musings remain relevant 45 years later. Perhaps a better overview would be to read the some sections from Fischer's Albion's Seed, which draws heavily from this work. In comparing those two works however, Demos was more careful than Fischer when examining the material culture and architectural elements in recognizing that what exists today was mostly exceptional of the times and is representative of Elite culture, not the general masses. To the best of my knowledge Demos' statistics remain useful and relevant.

[Donna Peake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book to read if you want to know about the life of a Pilgrim, what they wore, what they ate, how they worshipped, wills, day to day life. This book brought them to life.
Also the name Mathews & Peakes are mentioned in this book. Made it more personal for me.

[Marit · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a short history on the dynamics and roles of family members in early colonial days. The book is simply and clearly written and the author often includes (sometimes copious) remarks on where he hypothesized about the historical facts or psychology of the time. Interesting but not wildly so. I do feel that I learned some new tidbits.

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had tons of information on Plymouth Colony. There were lots of guesses/conjectures but that is necessary when there are not many artifacts surviving. Even though I am interested in Plymouth, this book was a bit boring for me. I think I would rather read a historical fiction book on the subject. One that is based on fact, it is original in its storyline.

[Meniek]

A Little Commonwealth: Family Life in Plymouth Colony, telling the structure of households in which there is an article about the relationship of husband and wife and parent relationships with children.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

In depth study of of the ordinary life of a Puritan community, by one of the giants in this area of American history.

[Dyang6529 · Rating 5 out of 5]

great

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slightly tedious in places, but still an interesting topic.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of examples from wills and other documentation.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love history and this had a little twist on it. It was a quick read.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

History 110A: United States History Beginning - A small read that examined the life of the early Puritans. Used legal documents alongside living quarters artifacts to postulate what life was like for these early American inhabitants. Some surprising facts can be found here such as the misconception that Puritans wore drab clothing.