born. The first book written in the colonies was John Smith's True Relation of Virginia (1608). It is a book of travel in which are described the occurrences and incidents of note, relative to the early history of Virginia. Cotton Mather's Magnalia, a religious history of New England, is one of the first important books written by an American author. The Mather family were great scholars and remarkable preachers. Richard Mather, his famous son, Increase Mather, and his still more famous grandson, Cotton Mather, formed a growing power in New England life and thought for more than one hundred years. They produced, in all, between five and six hundred works. Father Andrew White, S. J., whose name is familiar in the annals of Maryland and shines so brightly in the pages. of American history as a writer, is especially noted for his History of Maryland, and a Grammar and Dictionary of the English language. Jonathan Edwards was another distinguished New England author. His most notable work is an essay entitled Inquiry into the Freedom of the Will. In this essay, the writer holds that the human will is not free. This principle, of course, is false and was borrowed from Calvinism, in which the author believed. The colonial writer of greatest distinction is preeminently Benjamin Franklin. His best production during the colonial period was a collection of wise sayings, which he published every year under the title of Poor Richard's Almanac, the successive numbers of which were afterwards abridged and printed in one volume, under the title of On the Way to Wealth. Besides this are many other writings, most important of which are his Autobiography, various state papers, and essays on electricity. Franklin's Almanac received its name from the fact that in it the author represents a curious old fellow, whom he calls Poor Richard, as uttering the sayings. People still read with pleasure such sayings as: "He that hath a trade hath an estate." "A little neglect will breathe great mischief." "Diligence is the mother of good luck.'' Makes men healthy, wealthy, and wise.' The first among the historical writers is William Bradford (1590-1657). His most important work is his History of Plymouth, in which he gives a clear account of the early history of that colony up to 1649. Next to Bradford may be placed John Winthrop (1588-1649), the governor and historian of Massachusetts Bay Colony. He is especially noted for his History of New England, really a journal of every day happenings. "The Boston Weekly News Letter," established in 1704, was the first permanent newspaper in the colonies. "The Pennsylvania Packet," founded in 1784, was the first daily newspaper. Newspapers were small and poorly printed. The chief contents were bits of poetry, advertisements for runaway slaves and servants, notices of the arrivals of cargoes, a summary of the news from London and Paris, and lengthy articles on politics and morals. 224. Colonial Art. The American artists of this period were the two historical painters, John Copley (1737-1815) and Benjamin West (1738-1820), and the great portrait painter Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828). Owing to the poor support given to artists in America at the time, they lived abroad, and each gained a reputation in England. Copley's most noted portraits are of the English royal family; West's most celebrated painting is the death of General Wolfe, and Stuart's, a portrait of Washington. 225. Medicine and Law-Charitable Institutions. The practice of medicine was yet in a crude state. The village doctor was an important personage. His education usually consisted of a short apprenticeship with some noted physician. The legal profession rose to preeminence during the colonial period, especially on the eve of the Revolutionary era. While studying the next epoch, it will be noted how many of the men, prominent in bringing about the separation from England, were lawyers (James Otis, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry). In the colonies, as elsewhere in the world, the sick and other dependent people received little attention. There were only a few hospitals. Insane persons were imprisoned in underground cells and brutally treated. Prisoners (except in Pennsylvania) were crowded together in loathsome dungeons, no matter what might be the degree of crime charged against them. 226. The Household. The New Englanders and the middle colonists (with the exception of the New York settlers) lived in a primitive manner in log cabins. Eventually solidly built houses of heavy oak timber took the place of these dwellings. There were few stoves, and large open fireplaces, over or before which the cooking was done, were used. The kitchen, seldom more than seven feet high, was the chief apartment. Huge bunches of seed corn, and long strings of apples and onions were suspended from the ceiling. The walls of the rooms of the better buildings were plastered and whitewashed. The furniture usually included a tall wooden clock and a dresser on which were the pewter dishes brought from England. Nearly every home had a spinning wheel, and a loom for weaving. The food was simple, consisting in most instances of mush and molasses, corn cakes, and potatoes. SPINNING WHEEL, The middle class of the South dwelt in houses resembling those constructed in the North, but the rich lived in stately mansions having vine-clad verandas and balconies, within which the music of the harpsichord was oftener heard than the hum of the spinning-wheel. The kitchen and the laundry stood apart from the mansion. The negroes dwelt in clusters of wooden cabins located at convenient distances from the residence. Black slaves performed all the domestic labors. 227. Amusements. The New Englanders had few enjoyments. During the long winter evenings the mothers and daughters would sit by the fireside with their spinning, knitting, and quilting, while the father read his Bible or smoked. his pipe. Sometimes ciderdrinking, nut-cracking, and story telling helped to while away the evening hours. The young people, however, were not without their amusements, such as house raising, dancing, and corn-husking parties, and social gatherings for spinning, quilting, and apple-paring. The chief holiday was Thanksgiving. Christmas was not observed because of the Puritan aversion for the Church of England. In the middle colonies, people were more social and fonder of merry-making than in New England. In the country spinning-bees, corn-husking, house raising, and dancing parties were favorite amusements. In towns, horse-racing, cock-fighting, balls, and picnics, were greatly enjoyed. The chief holidays were Christmas, New Year's, St. Valentine's Day, Easter, and May Day. In the South, the planters, with their choice dogs, blooded horses, and coaches-and-six, lived in wasteful extravagance. The southerner was fond of such sports as fox PURITAN COSTUMES hunting and horse-racing. He was generous and hospitable, and his house was always open to the respectable traveler. Christmas was the great holiday of the year. On this day everything was gay and bright in the planter's house. 228. Colonial Differences. The thirteen original colonies, though thirteen distinct governments, had very much in common. They were notably English colonies, obeyed English laws, and called the English sovereign their king. They traded with one another, kept in touch one with the other by means of letters and newspapers, and moved from one colony to another. Still we have seen, while studying the thirteen original colonies in divisions of three groups, that the dwellers of the various parts of the country differed greatly from one another in respect to government, enterprise, religion, and spirit. The difference in the main, however, was that between the Cavaliers and the Puritans. These planted, as it were, two distinct civilizations, the one on the James River, containing the germs of Monarchism, and the other on Plymouth Rock containing the germs of Republicanism. The former colonized and settled the southern states, the latter the northern and northwestern. In time these two civilizations, so radically different, met and clashed on the question of slavery and staterights in the great Civil War. |