Life in Colonial Times
Introduction
Imagine you are taking a trip from England to America in 2017. You would travel in style in a luxury airline. You would be in a comfortable seat, have plenty of food, and maybe even a TV to watch. It was way different for the colonists! Traveling in tiny wooden ships, with barely enough food, and a lot of diseases, many people struggled to just survive the trip. As you can see, life was already hard for the men, women, and children, in colonial times before they even got there. Their hard life continued, even when they settled in their colonies.
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| Travel in 2017 |
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| Travel in 1600’s |
Google Search
CHAPTER ONE
Hard Life Started on the Ships
Colonial Travel
The colonists traveled in small wooden ships. The journeys were long (more than two months) and hard with hundreds of people in small spaces. The ships smelled terrible. Most people were sea sick and throwing up. People were hungry and thirsty. Most people had lice all over their bodies. There were also no bathrooms! Many travelers died even before they got there. As you can see, life for the colonists was hard from the beginning.
Colonial Ship- Google Search
Slave Ships
You would not have wanted to be a slave on the first slave ships back in 1619. Slaves spent many months on these horrible ships. For example, men were packed together below deck and were secured with leg irons. The spaces were so cramped some people had to lay on the floor chained to other slaves. Most did not wear clothes. Also, people were forced to eat twice a day. This was because the men in charge did not want them to die on the trip to America. If they died, they would not be able to make money selling them. The men in charge were probably very vicious and selfish because all they cared about was money, even if it terrorized other people.
Sadly, those who did die were thrown overboard. It was also so hot it was hard to breathe. In fact, one in five African Americans died. They were treated like animals on their way to the New World. Slaves’ elbows were on the floor so much that the bones started to show. It was very common for them to become sick and the heat was very oppressive. I learned that saves were treated more horribly than I thought they were treated.
Slaves packed in a ship- Google Search
CHAPTER 2
Hard Life for Men
These are some reasons that explain how men worked hard during the colonial times. First of all, they had to clear land, take care of the farms and at the same time had to deal with the slaves. They also had to take care of the animals every day and build fences for them by hand. They also chopped wood, built houses for the settlements, and did many other things too. The men couldn’t just go to Home Depot to buy the tools they needed. They made all their tools by hand. These tools were very simple, which did not make the work much easier.
Men also worked hard at different trades. Trades were particular jobs or crafts. Millers ground up grains at the mills. (I wonder if my ancestors were millers!) Other jobs included, carpenters, blacksmiths, basket makers and shoemakers. Do you think that the men in colonial times worked harder than the men in now a days? It is possible.
Colonial Blacksmith- Google Search
CHAPTER 3
Hard Life for Woman
Colonial woman had a hard life too. It was hard because they made everything. For example, they made the candles, clothes and all of the meals. Also, they fetched the water and scrubbed the clothes. To do the laundry it was not like nowadays. The women had to carry heavy pails of water to the house. Then, they had to boil the water over the hot fire and scrub the clothes. Then, they used lye to make soap. Lye was a mix of ashes and fat used to make soap. In the winter, people wore dirty clothes because the women could not do laundry in the cold.
Also, they worked in the gardens and then preserved the food for the winter so their family would survive. They also had to raise and take care of the children. These were VERY hard working women.
Colonial Woman- Google Search
CHAPTER 4
Kids Had a Hard Life Too
Kids today have a much easier life than colonial kids. An example of how colonial kids had a hard life is that everyday they had to walk to school. Sometimes it was many miles. Also, they always had to carry a log to school for the fire and if they did not bring the log to school they would get a consequence. Another example that explains how kids worked hard to is that they had to make their own clothes! Children were taught how to do chores when they were very little. Boys were expected to help do chores at a young age. Girls helped their mothers with chores. Farm boys chopped fire wood, feed the animals and made fences. When the boys turned into teenagers, they started to become apprentices to tradesmen. An apprentice is someone who is learning a trade by working with a skilled person. Their goal was to become tradesmen someday so they worked hard.
Colonial Children- Google Search
Conclusion
Sometimes we complain about our life being hard like when our phones run out of charge or when the Internet is down. But our lives, compared to the colonists’ lives, seem pretty easy. The way the slaves were treated was disgusting. The men worked hard farming, building houses and working as tradesmen. The women took care of the children and the homes. Also, the kids did many chores such as chopping and carrying wood and making clothes. Kids in 2017 don’t have to do that! The most important thing about colonial times is understanding that life was very hard for the people. Do you argree??
Source: Google
Glossary
Apprentice- Someone who worked with a expert to learn a trade
Lye- A mix of ash and fat used to make soap in colonial times
Trade- A particular job or craft
