Colonial America

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Colonial America

• Daily lives of people in the 13 Original
  Colonies

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Timeline of Historical Events

• 1492 Columbus land in the New World and claims
  it all for Spain
• 1565 St. Augestine, Florida, is founded by Spain.
  Its the first permanent European settlement in
  the present-day US
• 1585 English settlers attempt, unsuccessfully, to
  establish a colony. Another group arrives 2 years
  later, only to disappear and become the Lost
  Colony.
• 1607 The first permanent English colony in
  America is founded at Jamestown.

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Colonial Clothes

• Told how wealthy they were
• If wealthy- wore clothing made of finest European
  cloths and had their outfits tailored to copy
  latest fashions overseas.
• Most colonists, however, wore simple clothes made
  of linen or wool.

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Women

• One of the responsibilities of women was to make
  the clothing in their household.
• The cotton gin wasnt invented until 1793, so
  cleaning cotton in order to spin it took a very
  long time and was very hard work.
• The homespun was woven from flax (for linen) and
  fleece (for wool), then dyed with bark, roots, or
  berries to add color.

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Parts of a Womans Dress

• The shift was the undermost garment worn by
  children women
• Served same purpose as a mans shirt
• Made from white linen
• Drawstrings or cuffs at the elbow
• Could be plain or lace trimmed
• http//www.history.org/history/clothing/women/wglo
  ssary.cfm

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The Petticoat and The Gown

• The actual dress actually consisted of a gown
  and a petticoat.
• The gown had a fitted top with a skirt connected
  to it
• The skirt had an opening in the front to show the
  petticoat which was an essential part of the
  dress.
• The petticoat was not considered just an
  undergarment- it was very important.

Petticoat
Gown
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Womens Accessories
Apron

• Apron was worn as the outermost garment
• Pockets like these were worn tied around the
  waist
• They resembled mittens with slits down the center.

Pockets
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Womens Headwear

• The cap was worn by women and girls to dress
  their heads.
• It allowed the head to be dressed w/o styling the
  hair
• It also protected the hair from everyday dirt and
  dust so that the hair doesnt have to be washed
  as frequently.
• Could be made of linen, cotton, or even all lace.
  
• Style of fashionable cap changed frequently.

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Womens Hats

• Worn for fashion and for protection against the
  sun
• If a lady was outdoors she almost always wore a
  hat.
• Could be made from straw or even covered with
  fabric with different styles of trim.

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Mens Clothing

• The shirt was worn as a mans undergarment
• Covered the body from neck to knee
• Most made of linen
• A gentlemans best shirt may have ruffles at the
  wrist or top of the shirt
• A plain shirt might serve as just a night shirt

Shirt
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Mens Clothing

• Men were almost never seen without his waistcoat.
• A man was considered undressed if he didnt
  have it on.
• Was worn to reach the upper part of the thigh
  with the opening V located right below the
  stomach.
• Made of all qualities of silk, cotton, wool, and
  linens
• If wealthy it could be embroidered, printed,
  quilted, or with silver or gold lace
• Considered most elaborate part of mens dress.

Waistcoat
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Other parts of Mens Clothing

• Breeches- worn just like we wear pants
• Worn by all levels of society
• Made from variety of silks, cottons, linens,
  wool, knits, and even leathers
• Since breeches came to just below the knee, men
  wore stockings for warmth and protection
• Stockings fully covered the lower leg from a few
  inches above the knee all the way down to cover
  the top of the foot.

Breeches
Stockings
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Hats

• Since many men wore vast wigs it was hard for
  them to wear the fashionable broad brimmed hat
• So hats would be taken off and carried beneath
  the arm
• The hats were hard to carry under the arm, so
  rapidly they began to fold their hats to make
  them easier to carry.
• This habit of folding hats led to the changing of
  fashions
• Hats eventually were made with the two sides
  cocked and this quickly became the fashion.
• Hats were made from wool or even beavers felt
  and camels down.

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Childrens Clothing

• Wore clothes similar to their parents
• Young children (both boys and girls) wore white
  dresses called frocks
• Toddlers sometimes wore pudding caps to protect
  their heads if they fell

• Boys didnt start wearing pants until they were
  between the ages of 3 and seven.
• Middling and upper class girls (and some boys)
  wore corsetlike garments called stays to
  promote good posture

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Colonial Leisure Time

• Life was filled with hard work, but life had its
  pleasures too.
• At barn raisings and cornhuskings, families would
  work together very hard to prepare and then enjoy
  feasting, dancing, and games together.
• Horse racing was also a very popular spectator
  sport.

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Games and Toys
Bilbo Catcher
Cup and Ball
Wooden Hoop
Marbles
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Other Popular Games and Toys of Colonial American
Children

• Ball games
• Kite Flying
• Hopscotch
• Yo-Yo PuzzlesJump RopeLondon
  BridgeTennisJacob's Ladder

Corn Cob Dolls

• Bubble-Blowing
• Rocking Horses
• Swinging Cards
• Ice sliding
• Jack Straws(or pick-up sticks)
• Leap FrogBow ArrowBlind Man's BluffSee Saw

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Colonial Dancing

• Important part of colonial social life
• Balls and dance parties were opportunities for
  people to meet.
• Dancing skills were a mark of good breeding and
  refinement.
• It was rare if a person didnt dance.

Popular dance in Williamsburg- The First of
April
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Resource Page

• 1.http//www.history.org/History/clothing/index.cf
  m

2. http//noahwebsterhouse.org/games.html
3.http//www.williamsburgmarketplace.com/exe/asp.p
roduct_line/MGID.6470/02/Colonial-Toys.htm