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.

Nursery Rhymes and Mother Goose Overview

The first written form of children’s literature came from the nursery rhymes in Mother Goose’s Melodies. This was a compilation of formerly oral stories for children. These stories were meant to teach kids lessons about everyday life and to, of course, entertain them and the whole family. Mother Goose was mainly the fictitious compiler of all these stories but she was also a main character in many of the stories. There is a difference between Mother Goose in England and Mother Goose in the American colonies. Mother Goose in England was original nursery rhymes compiled in England and written in England. But, although many of these nursery rhymes were in fact brought over to the states the Mother Goose books made in the United States were from nursery rhymes originally made in the colonies instead of ones taken from the English. It is thought that Mother Goose is either a group of poets who decided to use a name to compile all their children stories into one easy book. Others think that mother goose was one person. It’s possible that mother goose could have been Elizabeth Foster Goose who lived in Boston and was the wife of Isaac Goose. Regardless of who actually wrote those nursery rhymes they had an incredible effect on the upbringing of colonial children. Children read these nursery rhymes and learned moral and educational things about life. They were presented in a manner that was easy to understand but at the same time taught the consequences of certain wrong doings.

Minstrel Shows

Minstrel Shows was a late development in the entertainment industry of the colonists but it is clearly the first organized theatrical activity of the colonists, that’s why it is so important. Minstrel Shows nowadays have a bad reputation since the majority of people assume that all they did was racist satire. They did many other things other than the few racist jokes they threw in here and there. They performed skits,dances, songs , and various other artistic expression. The reason there is controversy around Minstrel Shows is simply because the actors and singers were in blackface. Blackface was the style of dressing up and coloring one’s skin to make yourself look like an African American. At this time people were still owning slaves and had plantations. African American’s were considered to be inferior and the Whites made this into a joke. Weirdly enough, after the Civil War people who acted in Minstrel Shows were African American’s themselves. Minstrelsy minus the racism was a very fun time and obviously as African Americans began to gain rights Minstrelsy lost a lot of popularity but, it continued all the way up until the 1960’s where amateurs did small Minstrel Shows in High Schools and small stages. At the time Minstrel Shows were great fun but it’s a shame that those who were most talented in the arts at that time used it for such a controversial thing. The legacy that Minstrel Shows leaves is of course both good and bad. It was the start of American plays, concerts, and comedy shows. Unfortunately , the main thing that Minstrel Shows contributed to America is the racism. African American stereotypes that are still incredibly relevant today originated in the jokes of the actors in Minstrel Shows. At that time it was simply trying to entertain but nowadays the effects of the jokes are still reflected in the hate that many people have for different races.

List

-Native Culture

-Colonial Toys

-Oral Tradition: Whites/Natives

-Hunting/Sports

-Nursery Rhymes

-Minstrel Shows

-Slave Culture/ Indenture Servants

-Upper Class Literature Vs. Lower Class Literature

-Music

-Relationships/Marriage/Sex/Prostitution

-Alcohol/Drugs

Four out of Four: Poetry

Like many forms of art during the colonial times the colonists initially followed the British style of poetry. From there some of the greatest poetry of all time was created. An interest in poetry among the colonists greatly increased when they took notice of the huge oral tradition the Native Americans passed down , this inspired them to write their own stuff. Much of the poetry created during this time was political and influential since the basis of the government was still being developed. Many “everyday figures” in the colonial times wrote poetry to express feelings or just to write about every day life. For example Captain John Smith had many poems that are still around today. These works showed clearly their feelings about this new land. They talked about everything from the varying weather to the actions of the Native people. From this the more artistic people took over and began creating incredible artistic poetic works. These are the ones that are around and loved today. As boring as it may seem to us now the colonial people enjoyed expressing their feelings and observations in the form of poetry.

Three out of Four : Painting

Since American during the seventeen and eighteen hundreds was still a developing nation they had many political leaders coming up looking for a shot at shared power. And with this comes the need for portrait painters so represent these important people in paintings. Looking at paintings done throughout colonial times is a great representation of the feelings of the colonists and also gives us a look at what our leaders looked like. As painters became more and more comfortable with the land and became feeling more like Americans rather than simply immigrants in a strange land. Also as monumental events changed history paintings became on of the favored ways of representing these things. Painting was in that time a way for people to express themselves and although many more talented painters were paid to paint important people the vast majority of people who were painting were doing it simply out of enjoyment and trying to represent their surroundings visually. Those who were good enough to be hired to paint generally painted not from what they say but from what the person hiring them wanted them to see. It is clear that paintings of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson and various other people of high stature had their paintings made to make them look like attractive, successful, and important men, while painters who did it for shear enjoyment took the real aspect of life and thats a true representation of American life. A few paintings were recovered from a house maintained from the 1850’s. These pictures were not necessarily professionally done but there mere beauty of the simplicity of them has had people put them on display in over three major museums. This shows that even though he was only painting for his own enjoyment he captured the true essence of American land and nature. In conclusion, painting was yet another way that colonists expressed themselves and it provided the bored colonists with something to do after long ours of working on the farm or doing various other odd jobs.

Two of Four: Weaving

Weaving

During the start of the forming of the United States the colonists relied heavily on the trade from Britain to provide them with clothes and cloth. When trade from Britain was restricted they began to need to learn to weave and eventually it became a profession and many people did it for pleasure and to provide their family and friends with clothing. They made recipes for dyes which interestingly enough were all safe to drink since they were made from all natural ingredients. Weaving was mainly done in groups in a large weaving house or a factory. Although this production started with a need for clothes it became many people’s leisure activity which was helpful since obviously they needed clothing since there was no trade. Most people made clothing using a loom and they learned how to use a loom through the apprentice-master system. This is where someone who knows how to weave or do another trade teaches a small child or a group of children. Weavers had to know how to use a loom, how to prepare it, and how to maintain it. Apprentices would go and watch a weaver work day in and day out. It was a way of learning a profession immediately instead of going to school and deciding what you wanted to do with your life.Weaving for important for colonists on many levels. First off, the trade with England being cut off forced them to be more independent and from this many people found something that they loved doing and it became a loved profession and a loved hobby.

One of Four: Colonial Music

There is very clearly a shortage of American written colonial music but many music was taken from England and given significant new importance in the United States. These pieces came mainly from England, Scotland,Ireland,Africa, Germany,Italy, and France. These songs had many purposes for example : “Over The Hills and Far Away” was a theatre song, a recruiting song, a dancing song, and a military march. Instruments were widely used throughout all ages,classes, and genders of the colonists. Everyone owned a fiddle or a violin from Thomas Jefferson to his slaves and servants. Of course, this is the 18th century so musical options for women were not as open whatsoever. Wealthy women could have a harpsichord to play for their family while less fortunate women would have a guitar like instrument for pleasure strumming with their poor children.These instruments were invented during the Renaissance and of course brought over to the Americas. Operas that were performed in London and other areas in Europe were often taken and used in the colonists to reenact and to sing around campfires and other such things. Another widely used form of music was music sung in church. People sung Psalms and Hymns to known tunes to help with worship which was of course a huge part of the colonist’s lives. Lastly music was very important in a military sense. Musicians were hired to keep beats and keep morale up during parades and during the March to battle. Music was very important to the unity of families and also had many daily uses regardless of the fact that they had not started making original music yet.