Term Paper on Everyday Life in Early
America by David Freeman Hawke
(First 3 Pages)
The objective of this book is to provide healthy research on everyday life in
early America, from 1600 through 1860. It will focus our attention on the
familiar, local world in which all people lived: their houses and gardens, their
farms and villages, their food and their health, their work and their play. It
considers the daily habits of life for Native Americans, European Americans, and
African Americans in this early period. Students will give attention to the
lives of people in slavery and servitude; students will consider the lives of
the middling sort and the well to do. Finally, they will examine the changes in
everyday life that swept through early America with the transportation and
industrial revolutions of the early 1800s (Prof. Ruth Herndon, 1998)
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The purpose of this book is to create a greater understanding of day-to-day life
in 17th century America with a few hours of enjoyable reading. Hawke largely
avoids the in-depth treatment of weightier political, social, and religious
issues that bog down most such histories, and instead focuses on giving the
reader a palpable impression of what it was like simply to be alive. It's not
all farm implements and spinning wheels, either. The author skillfully uses
anecdotes to covey the impact of bigger issues like industry and economics,
transportation, warfare, morals and manners, etc.
In Hawke’s introduction, he quotes historian Fernand Braudel who said we must
"strip ourselves in imagination of all the surroundings of our own lives."
Adding that this trip in time "is a journey to another planet, another
universe." He discusses the possibility for us to forget our current
surroundings in our attempt to understand life in 1650 and how can we understand
it. It explains what kinds of people migrated to the American colonies in the
seventeenth-century and what skills did they have. This book also discusses
their background.
Writer tried to explain about the early settlers and why they migrated. Hawke
writes (p.2) "the character of the emigration created something close to an
equal society." Examine the statement: what does he mean by "an equal society"
and comparison between American colonies and England. He describes British
society in general—and the British class system in particular. Class differences
in seventeenth-century British society has described thoroughly. In this book
writer demonstrate current class differences in current USA. It answers so many
questions related to politics and national affairs of 17th century England,
Overall, what was the role of government in people’s lives? What did these
migrants to the New World find when they arrived? Hawke describes the land, the
crops, and the people who were already living here. He talks about (p.14) three
physical characteristics that distinguished America from England.
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Hawke discusses the two regions that were settled by these British and there
geographical differences. In this book students come to know about the kinds of
settlers went to New England and Virginia. It also touches in few areas of
Indians way of living and their treatment in each region. Then tobacco was
introduced in Virginia. Hawke describes farms in early America and the
difference between North and South farms. Also covers more topics related to
farming like how was the ground cleared and prepared for farming, and the labor
for these 17th century farms, tools of farming and type of crops etc.
Livestock was an important part of the 17th century farm. In this book writer
discusses kinds of livestock and it’s use. Hawk also writes about the roll of
and impact of the Indians on early American farming. This book describes houses
in the 17th century colonies, they way they built. Indian relation is one of the
most discussed topics of this book. Writer says, “ The colonists reneged on
solemn pledges, broke treaties, and in an early version of total war did not
hesitate to annihilate entire tribes." It also discusses the overall problem
between the settlers and the Native Americans.
The only genuine problem with this excellent book is that it does not compare
favorably with some of the other books in this series. For instance, if one turn
to this after reading Schlereth's amazing VICTORIAN AMERICA, one is scaled down
the book seems in comparison. This is not the fault of author David Hawke. The
problem is the paucity of details in everyday life in 17th century America
compared to the late 19th. Unfortunately for Hawke, the life of Americans in the
17th century was rudimentary and, of necessity, simple. What makes VICTORIAN
AMERICA such a delight is the almost overwhelmingly amount of delicious detail.
.....
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