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.