Introduction

During the eighteenth and seventeenth centuries American started truly developing as a society. This was a time of great change as the colonists started building the base to a huge society. During this influential time the colonists picked and choose the things they wanted in their society in order to make it what they thought was the best. It was the beginning of arguably the most influential country to date. Nowadays the United States of America is an incredibly influential country and it started during this time. Looking at how people lived during this time is very important. In order to understand where you came from you have to look at what the lives were like of the people that formed this country from the beginning. Primarily, looking at how colonists entertained themselves gives better insight to their daily life and how they functioned as a society. Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries entertainment played an increasingly prominent role in the beginning of America as they developed as a viable society.
As the colonists developed a better base for society and a stable civilization they began developing new and interesting ways to keep themselves entertained and busy. Many of these forms were taken from existing activities in England as well as other places across the world. However, with the more and more independence we gained from Britain as we we grew as our own nation we slowly began developing our own forms of entertainment. From the start Americans had to do things for themselves. It was a fresh start and they had to make the most of it by doing the right thing themselves instead of relying on others as they had done before. The same went with entertainment. If you wanted a game or a toy or anything like that you had to make it yourself or come up with it yourself. Ideas and toys would shared among the colonies but essentially it was up to you to keep yourself busy. Both children and adults found ways to entertain themselves. The ways in which kids were entertained versus adults varied incredibly. Children had fun by making hand-made dolls, inventing new board games, and listening to nursery rhymes. On the other hand, adults of this time were a fair deal “sleazier” than they are today. They indulged in prostitution,excess drinking, gambling, and other various activities that now are considered to be low. During this time it was normal for adults (primarily males) to participate in all sorts of inappropriate events. This contrast of children versus adult forms of entertainment shows how their reliance on themselves to keep themselves busy caused some very different results. Finally, entertain in the colonial times has shaped what we do in present day. There are things we still do today that they did back then and there are some things that have evolved and changed from older forms. But, of course many colonial leisure activities have long since been forgotten.Looking at colonial entertainment is important to better understand the huge industry that it is today and why it’s so big.

Outline and Thesis

Thesis:Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries entertainment played an increasingly prominent role in the beginning of America as they developed as a viable society.

Outline
1. Intro-Overview

2.Why looking at entertainment is relevant and important

3.Reliance on self sufficiency for entertainment needs

4. Entertainment for kids
a.Toys
b.Nursery Rhymes/Mother Goose
c.Sport hunting/Target shooting

5.Entertainment for Adults
a.Minstrel Shows
b.Alcoholic Consumption:Excess/Leisure/Sophisticated Drinking
c.Prostitution:Rise to prominence
d.Literature:Upper Vs.Lower Classes

6.Influences from non-colonist cultures
a.Influence on Native American Culture
b.Influence of African American Culture

7.Influence on Life Today
a. Forms still alive
b. Evolved forms
c. Dead forms

8.Conclusion

Flaws

The main flaw I can see having in my essay is having too much useful information. I feel like I have enough to write about but its relevance is certainly debatable. I'm going to need to find more interesting ways to portray the facts i was given throughout my blog posts. Filling up the space in the 15 pages shouldn't be a problem partly because of how broad my topic is but finding information that is interesting and relevant to my overall point will be a challenge. I need to do this since if I just prate about all the things people did in colonial times to entertain themselves my essay will be horrible. I feel if i can plan out how to make my information concise but also be interesting and long then i should be set.

Colonial Toys and Games

Many toys and games that were invented and widely used in colonial times are still used and popular today. The majority of the toys in that time were cruder versions than what we have today because they had to made out of corn husks and rags. Making toys was a group activity since every family had five to eight children. They worked together and played together and thats how some of our most famous games were developed. Famous games that originated in the 1700’s include :Hopscotch,Jacob's,Ladder Leap Frog,Bow & Arrow,Blind Man's Bluff, and See-Saw. Toys that were invented during this time include: the Yo-Yo, Jump Rope,Kites,Playing Cards, Rocking Horses,Pick-Up Sticks, Marbles, and Puzzles. These toys kept kids entertained while their parents were out in the field. Some would say that having to rely on yourself to make and maintain your own entertainment source is what gave kids the work ethic they needed to take over the farming and other jobs when they grew up. A big board game during that time was called Nine Men’s Morrice and it could be played on a board or some paper or even just drawn in the dirt so it was very easy for kids to play. Each player needed nine markers. You could use anything for your markers, players used beans,corn,stones, and so on. The object of the game was to make three rows of markers on a line and to stop your opponent from doing the same. It was very simple and easy to find materials for so it was widely popular for a span of time. Another popular game or activity during this period were riddles. They were a more intellectual form of entertainment and were almost the same as they were today. People tried to come up with and share their riddles. Many of these toys and games have been the base of toys and entertainment nowadays and were incredibly important for the children of that time.

Hunting

During the colonial times hunting was of huge importance. It was a status symbol to be able to provide your family with the finest meats in large quantities. Contests were held in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s to see who could acquire the most game in a given time and this was the beginning of hunting competitions in the United States. One reason that hunting was not only a good way to get food for your family but was also a popular sport traces back to the England times. In England hunting was restricted to the gentry and poorer lower class individuals who hunted were punished and it was looked down upon. Also in England gun ownership was limited and only with special permission could you get gun ownership. But, in American all of this changed. There were no rules on gun ownership and the land was open for all to use as they pleased. After a while Americans had manufactured a few different types of guns that were sufficient and worked well enough, but it wasn’t until the French stepped in and provided influence that they got more powerful more accurate firearms and hunting ability was greatly improved. The French were big on hunting and much of their passion rubbed off on us and inspired even more people cause of influence from New France. The French people’s whole economy and clothing is largely based on furs so they need to continue hunting to keep their economy up and running. The provided us with hunting techniques and new guns and gun powder and this made our hunting more precise and more fun for the colonists.

Natives

Native American Culture

Looking at Native American culture is very important in the same way that looking at slave culture is.What the Natives did as ceremonies and for entertainment had a large impact on the colonists and such. Native American culture in and of itself is hard to look at simply because at the time of the colonists there were truly thousands of different tribes and sects of Native Americans all with slightly or largely varying cultures. The lives of most natives revolved around specific jobs and specific responsibilities. The men would hunt during the day and the women would make clothing and gather small berries and food. But, of course indians had down time which is what I’m going to focus on. The majority of the things the Natives did served a purpose and were to keep their entire little tribe running and flourishing, but during certain festivals and during the night time the Natives let their hair down. Many Natives had incredible rhythm and it was very popular in a powwow for tons of people to dance and sing to a single drum beat. They felt like they were pleasing various spirits and they also wanted to “cleanse” themselves of all toxins and such. The main thing we take away from Native American culture is their religious worshipping styles and their various energetic ceremonies.

Slave Culture

Noah Brown
History
Slave Culture

It’s very important to look at the culture of slaves since it has such a huge influence on life today. Many of our music and spiritual ways come from African American slave culture.Many slaves passed the days by singing chanties to keep each other moving and to keep everyone on beat so they didn’t get tired or fall behind. Music is the area that Slaves had the biggest influence on. Sea chanties , yodeling, and falsetto all come from african american slave roots. These have a huge effect on our lives today. African Americans in this time were also heavily religious. Many of them thought that god would come and save them from the struggle and abuse of slavery as long as they endured for the time being. They worshipped with loud songs and they had a huge stress on the Holy Spirit and emotional conversations with him. African American folklore also was important in their lives and had a considerable influence on various things today. Slaves would share these folklores with their children and they were meant to teach morals similar to Mother Goose Stories in England and the United States. These stories influenced the Brer Rabbit Tales which taught about powerless creatures who got their will not from power but from cunning. African American culture also developed a sort of jargon which later we stole those and made words like: yam,phony,jamboree,jazz, and funky. African American culture was unique and developed quietly on it’s own and once it was discovered by the rich whites we did what we usually do and we took what we wanted, changed it slightly, and claimed it for our own.