Child Life in Colonial Times

by Alice Morse Earle

What did the little ones do back in the days when "children should be seen and not heard"? How were they schooled, what did they wear, and which games did they play? This eye-opening survey revisits the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries for an illustrated look at the lives of Colonial America's youngest citizens
The first American historian to chronicle everyday life of the colonial era, Alice Morse Earle conducted years of research, based on letters, official records, diaries, and other accounts. A vivid portrait emerges, depicting a child's world of hornbooks and primers; lessons in manners and religion; methods of discipline; and toys, pastimes, and other amusements. The author offers a broader perspective by comparing conditions in America with those of England. More than 120 illustrations include reproductions of images by the era's finest artists, including Copley and Peale. "The book is one of historical interest and value," declared The New York Times, praising it as "beautifully illustrated [and] a charming book for old or young."

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, Reference

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1889

About the author

Alice Morse Earle was an American historian and author from Worcester, Massachusetts. She was christened Mary Alice by her parents Edwin Morse and Abby Mason Clary. On 15 April 1874, she married Henry Earle of New York, changing her name from Mary Alice Morse to Alice Morse Earle. Her writings, beginning in 1890, focussed on small sociological details rather than grand details, and thus are invaluable for modern sociologists. She wrote a number of books on colonial America (and especially the New England region) such as Curious Punishments of Bygone Days. She was a passenger aboard the RMS Republic when, while in a dense fog, that ship collided with the SS Florida. During the transfer of passengers, Alice fell into the water. Her near drowning in 1909 off the coast of Nantucket during this abortive trip to Egypt weakened her health sufficiently that she died two years later, in Hempstead, Long Island.

Reviews

[Mike Boutot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alice Morse Earle was a female historian in the late 1800s who wrote on the subject of colonial America. She was a very unusual person in many respects. She wrote at a time when women were not expected to work as serious academics and was largely self-taught. She was an excellent researcher who spent years tracking down documents in private collections for her work. Unfortunately, at the time she wrote it as not as common for detailed bibliographies to be included in history books, so for many of her sources we have not much more than "From letters in the Baker family collection" to follow.
The book itself is a fascinating glimpse into the lives of children in colonial society. Earle divides the book into chapters on different topics, such as toys, books, school, etc. and focuses on smaller details and stories to develop her description of the times. Because of this, the book is filled with entertaining anecdotes. For instance, I was fascinated to learn that in colonial America teachers were often people who had failed at other careers or even felons, so it was not unusual to see a newspaper notice telling people to be on the lookout for a teacher who had gotten drunk and ran away. Teachers were paid by individual donations from the local farmers, so it was typical that a teacher would have more bushels of corn than he needed and would want to sell it for cash. To do so, a student would be assigned to sit by the window of the schoolhouse and watch for travelers on the road. When was was spotted, the student would run out with a basket of corn to try and sell some for the teacher. Lessons could be quite different as well. Math was often taught with narrative problems focused on "real life" issues that the student would solve. One textbook in particular posed the problem of 15 Christians and 15 Turks on a sinking ship. The lifeboats would only hold half the number so the crew decided to use a counting method to try and decide who wold get the lifeboats. Students were asked to figure out how the Christians could game the method to their advantage to ensure the Christians were saved and the Turks all drowned.
The book has its flaws (such as the extended chapter on needlepoint) but is still a fascinating glimpse into the lives of children in colonial society.

[Dree · Rating 3 out of 5]

With no citations or bibliography, this book leaves something to be desired. It weakens toward the end, as the author drifts into her own memories of games played with flowers.

However, it was first published in 1899--making it a first-hand account when discussing 19th century children's games. The number of illustrations and quotations show the amount of work that went into it.

My favorite quote, from the start of chapter VI School Books:
"The most worthless book of a bygone day is a record worthy of preservation... --A. de Morgan, 1847"

Somehow I don't think the author intended that to refer to her book one day. Not fabulous scholarship, so-so writing, way too much opinion, but a fascinating set of illustrations and descriptions of rhymes, schools, and the games of boys and girls. Some of which are, indeed, quite familiar.

[Kelsey Grissom · Rating 4 out of 5]

You have to know what this book is going in: a social history of colonial childhood written by a late-nineteenth century historian who has all the biases and limited methodology you would expect in that era. However, it is a fun read and jogged my memory on some aspects of childhood that had been passed down to me by my grandparents about their ancestors, and the author has a charming way of commenting on her subjects. Towards the end the author completely abandons her historical project and succumbs to reminiscing about her own childhood, but the earlier parts taught me several interesting things I did not know.

[John Peel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a reprint of a book published at the end of the 19th Century, and goes into great detail about what life was like for children 200 years earlier. Lots of illustrations and examples from older sources, many of which will probably leave you wondering what was going through the minds of the adults of that time! The author has a sense of humor about everything (which is lucky, given some of what she had to work with), but it's best read in chunks rather than in one sitting. A terrific reference work.

[JC · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little dry at times but a good look into the everyday lives (and values) of the times. Some insights into the values that made the child's life what it was. And some (rather disgusting) details of everyday work, health and play of kids in colonial times

[Miriam]

Chapters
XVII Games and Pastimes
XVIII
Children's Toys
XIX
Flower Lore of Children

[Robyn Klepfer · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love history and are curious about life in another era, this is a quite fascinating and charming read.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knowing the ancestors I had that lived at that time made this an interesting read

[p roper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where to start on this? This book was written in 1899 and is almost as fun to read for the views of the author as it was interesting to read in order to glean tidbits of information on how children lived during colonial times.
Earle mentions several practices which make me very glad that I was neither child nor adult during colonial days. I mean, who would want to either be taken as a child or take a child to the cellar to dip the feet of the child in cold water? This was a common practice, though, and thought to do the child good.
She also gives us the origin of the term 'commonplace'. It seems that many people kept a commonplace book which was simply a blank book where they wrote memorable sentences or passages or even just words from the books they read. Sometimes they would write an abstract or just take notes from a book. It seems that not only did this help to commit these things to memory but was a way for people, especially young folk, to improve or practice their penmanship. Without knowing there was a word for it, I have done this in the past and think it might be a good practice to continue.
After putting forth a quote from a book from the late 1700s on playing hopscotch and the opinion that it might prevent chillblains, she says, "No isn't that stupid?" She of course tells the ready why she thinks this and I do agree but this is just one example of her tone. Throughout the book, it is as if she is talking to the reader. She shares information but she also intersperses it with her thoughts and opinions based on life at the time she is writing.
If you are at all interested in life during colonial times, this book is well worth the read.

[Lindy Bruzzone · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, the author provides invaluable research into the lives of of the children who were raised in very early America within the Massachusetts colonies. Complete with photographs of actual objects used and cherished by children during that time period, coupled with detailed information of their daily life, it provides a good base in an understanding of the life of the child in early America. It is a great read for all who are preparing their genealogical story for the generations to come, for historians, for history buffs and history teachers and for early child education majors...to name a few.

A short, easy read, it is guaranteed to be informative.

[Kim Ess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Considering it was written in 1899, I thought it was interesting but I admit I skimmed over a lot of the direct quotes taken from the sources she quoted in the book. I did learn many things I didn't know. The last chapter about how kids used their imaginations by making games and little toys from nature was really sweet. The author felt sad for city kids without a graden to play in. It was interesting how the author wrote about the many changes from the New England Puritan children's upbringing in the 1700's to her time in 1899.

[Avis Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

Available at Project Gutenberg:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/43863

[Erin Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dated and not referenced but good for context.

[Julia]

First published in 1899, I listened to this audiobook as a free download from LibriVox.org.