Native Fruits for Colonial Tastes

By Debra E. Marvin, horticulturalist and just a bit fruity herself.

I saw an article proclaiming  the United States only has 3 native fruits: blueberries, cranberries and Concord grapes. Wrong! First there’s that whole fruit vs vegetable discussion (tomatoes and peppers are fruits, by the way) and there are plenty of other fruits. Okay. Maybe not commercial successes... but it's a decent list.

While we do have wild grape (buckshot sized and super tart), the Concord Grape is a hybridized plant.

Colonials had to learn what new world fruits and nuts were safe to eat, and when. Here’s a list of native plants, shrubs and trees that bear edible fruit. But don’t run out to the store expecting to find anything but cranberries and blueberries. That much was right!

CRANBERRY – related to the blueberry and very similar in growth but they love wet feet. This is a well-known northeast native, famous for its preference for bogs (they love soil acidity) and for showing up on that Thanksgiving table.

 

Cranberry shrub --just before flooding for harvest

HUCKLEBERRY – also called  Bilberry and sometimes ‘red blueberry’. Tarter than blueberries and have a noticeably different taste, and larger seeds. A favorite childhood memory for me is having Huckleberry Pie at my grandma's house in Pennsylvania. This plant seems to thrive in wooded, mountainous areas.

Immature PawPaw fruit

PAWPAW – the largest edible fruit native to the Colonies. It may have been named for its similarity to the tropical Papaya because it does not resemble any other fruit we know. Another name is Kentucky Banana! This is a large shrub that flowers in spring. Those flowers tend to smell yeasty at one point, rotten at another, or so I'm told. Fruit grows through the season until it is a large 2-6” yellow oblong. The flesh looks like a mango with big black seeds but is soft enough to eat like custard and tastes like banana, or melon depending on whom you ask.  This is the fruit world’s answer to the Aardvark.

SERVICEBERRY – few trees are as special and underused as the Amelanchier or “Serviceberry” (or Sarvisberry, Shadbush, Shadblow, Shadwood, Junebery, Saskatoon or SugarPlum) There are ~20 species of shrub to tree forms and all are a favorite of birds. Fresh fruits have a blueberry/almond flavor but are usually tart. The Native American food PEMMICAN sometimes had serviceberry fruits added with the meat and fat before dried into a meat ‘leather’. A great fruit for pies and jam and the tree has year round appeal. I happen to have serviceberry jam in my pantry right now.

WILD STRAWBERRY – these tiny fruits were native to Europe as well. They have a stronger taste than the hybridized strawberry and are special treats to eat, but require a huge number for any other use, due to their size and small populations.

A colony of Mayapple. A favorite sight in... May

MAY APPLE – or Mayapple.  Native to woodland borders in Eastern North America.  A curious umbrella shaped spring plant related to the Mandrake, and yes, poisonous as well, except for the edible fruit. They are not so tasty that you’d ever eat enough to get sick on, but the leaves and roots are dangerous. Like other spring understory plants, the Mayapple dies back by midsummer, but in this case, the fruit keeps growing on a small vine. Mayapples grow in small clonal colonies and provided fruit for colonial preserves.

Failing MayApple plant in summer, the fruit will continue to ripen

AMERICAN PLUM – aka Wild Plum. A true member of the plum and cherry family, Prunus americana is a wide-spread native with pretty white blossoms in spring. A shrubby plant, it spreads by suckers and colonists would have to compete with birds when the fruit ripened. Their sweet/sour taste can be enjoyed fresh, preserved or made into wine.

THIMBLEBERRY – a cousin of the raspberry, found along the edge of woodlands. It’s a dense shrub but has no prickly stems like raspberry. They are much more common in the western Great Lakes area than the Eastern seaboard. (Carrie, have you eaten these?) Thimbleberries are a soft fruit and don’t hold up or ship well, but great for pies and jam. Very seedy and sometimes not very sweet. Jams are often ½ sugar, ½ fruit.

BEACH PLUM – or ‘Seaside Plum’ Prunus maritimus (I heart scientific names!) A shrubby plant, 3-7’ tall that loves sandy soil. The blue fall fruit, smaller than imported plums, is now being grown commercially for jam. 

Beach Plum!

WILD BLACK CHERRY – a big tree with tiny white blossoms in spring. This is a bitter fruit for most of our palates. The pits and leaves can be poisonous (cyanide) and must be removed from pastures, but the fruit was used for pies and jams and the wood is still sought after for furniture. Birds can make a mess with their purple stained droppings!

BLACK RASPBERRY -- not just from Oregon! They are also native to the east coast and are enjoyed fresh during their 2-3 week harvest period as well as. . . you guessed it. . .  perfect for pies and jams. I have a shrub next to my kitchen which provides 1/3 of the fun for Triple Berry Cobbler on Fourth of July.

BLUEBERRY – a cousin to the cranberry and, in the wild, very non-committal about their harvest time-- May through August depending on weather and altitude, and they prefer slopes and mountain sides, where they thrive on acidic soil.  The ‘lowbush’ variety has a snazzy red leaf in fall. Blueberries are white inside while Bilberries are purple inside –just in case you are out wandering and need to know.  Blueberries are difficult to grow without nets as birds seem to know exactly what day they are ripe (that’s my experience, anyway).

That's my list of native "Colonial" fruits. How many of these have you tried?

The Cross's Load Will Grace Renew

Seal of the Germantown Congregation

"Ah, precious soul, take courage new,

All this shall have an end;

The cross's load will grace renew;

Soon blissful rest thou'lt find.

The sorrow of this fleeting time

Is worthy of the joy divine,--

Patience."

Translated from a German hymn by Peter Becker, Germantown, Pennsylvania.

"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;" I Peter 1:13

The German Baptist Brethren, otherwise known as the Dunkards or Dunkers, came to the American Colonies to escape persecution from the Lutheran church. They formed a congregation in Germantown, Pennsylvania.

Peter Becker had a reputation for living a pious and godly life, and for his even temper. I imagine he felt the sting of persecution in the form of mockery perhaps from those who thought him odd. At the end of each verse, the word "Patience" appears. How fitting a word for us all to hear when we'd love to scream, "Unjust!" Perhaps when he wrote this hymn he had specific men in mind:

"If upon the narrow way

Thou suffer scoffings here,

Just go on in path of right,

But shun the broad way's snare;

Though men may look at thee askance

And thou must often grieve perchance,--

Patience."

 How wonderful that God provides for us examples of men who have lived the way He wants us to live.

In a discussion with my daughter, the subject of gracious living came up. So often we hear on the radio or TV malicious talk. Expressed opinions given in a manner of ill-will leave us wondering what separates those who profess Christ from those who hate Him. From the pulpit, from time to time, we'll hear a fiery sermon expounding upon some seemingly unforgivable sin or ideology. Where is the grace in that?

The people to whom the Apostle Peter wrote were experiencing great persecution, some even having been thrown to the lions. Not once through his epistle did he say to speak out in anger against those whose ideologies were wrong or who despitefully used his readers. He did not want them to seek revenge through actions or words, for that was the Lord's to do. On the contrary, he exhorted them to do quite the opposite.

After reminding them the price Christ paid for them and the great salvation they received, Peter says:

"Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings," (I Peter 2:1)

Peter didn't launch into a bunch of dos and don'ts. He didn't say, "Wear this; don't wear that." He went first to the outward expression of the inward character.

We, who are saved by grace, must extend to the same grace God extended to us to those around us--even those who mistreat us or whose lifestyles and ideologies contrast what we believe to be right. Grace doesn't mean you condone what they do. It doesn't mean you excuse what they do. It simply means you extend to them the blessings they do not deserve, even as God extended to you the blessings you do not deserve. And remember, the Holy Spirit convicts and draws men to God...not you.

In my research of the preachers and the people of the colonial times, I find time and again the companions to Godly character are a kind heart, an even temper, and a generous spirit. I find the men and women who bore these traits were loved and esteemed even by their enemies.

My daughter often encounters 'trials' in school where her faith maybe tested. In this recent conversation, we agreed that grace must prevail in our conversations with others. Sure they are out to rile you. Don't give in. Turn and walk away, if you must. But look to the Holy Spirit to produce in you His fruit and lay aside any harsh words that would match the words and manner of the world.

"Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous;

Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 

Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it."

I Peter 3:8-11

The Father of the Father of Our Country

Susan F. Craft

 

Augustine Washington

Americans often refer to President George Washington as the Father of Our Country. But, who was his father?

President Washington’s father, Augustine Washington, the son of a militia captain and a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, was a member of the landed gentry and a tobacco planter  in the Colony of Virginia.

He was born in 1694, and his own father died when he was only four years old. He inherited a thousand acres on Bridges Creek in Westmoreland County.

Mary Ball Washington

Over the years, through his marriages and through purchases, he acquired even more land. He had four children by his first wife, Jane Butler, but only two of the children survived to adulthood, Lawrence and Augustine, Jr.  

President George Washington

            When he was 37, the widower Augustine married Mary Ball, and they had six children: George was their first child, then Betty, Samuel, John Augustine, Charles, and Mildred.

            Augustine was active in politics, and at one time was a justice of the peace and a county sheriff and was active in his Anglican Church.

Augustine died in 1743 when George was 11 years old. Mary managed the property George inherited until he came of age.

I hope everyone had a Happy Father's Day last week. And I hope my Christian friends remembered to give thanks to our Heavenly Father.

CAN THE HEART OF A NATION BE CHANGED?

CAN THE HEART OF A NATION BE CHANGED?

As I look around my neighborhood and town I see American flags everywhere. We just celebrated Flag Day and in less than two weeks we will celebrate Independence Day. Two hundred thirty-seven years ago we declared our independence, and many courageous patriots put it all on the line, to free us from an overreaching government.

Numerous wars have been fought since that time, when again men and women stepped up to defend the liberties our founders established as the bedrock of our nation. There are countless individuals throughout our nation’s history who also have also spent their lives working to protect us and pursue justice.

“We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind of self-government; upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.”

                                                                                                 Attributed to James Madison

"Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations; but, on a candid examination of history, we shall find that turbulence, violence, and abuse of power, by the majority trampling on the rights of the minority, have produced factions and commotions, which, in republics, have, more frequently than any other cause, produced despotism. If we go over the whole history of ancient and modern republics, we shall find their destruction to have generally resulted from those causes."

    James Madison's Speech at the Virginia Convention to ratify the Federal Constitution June 6, 1788

"Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens. The mere Politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked, where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

                                                              George Washington's Farewell Address September 17, 1796

Much has changed in our country in the intervening years. Scandals, both personal and national, plague us. Many people have lost confidence in our resolve, and an increasing number of citizens distrust the various branches of our government. One cannot go to work, read a newspaper, run a business, or manage a household without being reminded about our growing debt, a poorly managed economy, corruption, deceit, immorality, over-regulation, over-taxation, and attempts to increase control over our citizenry. Our beleaguered nation seems to have lost the idea of who we were created to be, a people who were optimistic about the future and who proudly acknowledged that our nation was founded, and operated at its best, under Judeo-Christian principles.

We seem helpless to alter the direction America is headed, or are we?  While we may not be able to change others, we can repent of our sins, spend time in communion with the Lord, study His Word, and choose to live the Gospel. We can take responsibility for ourselves and our families, become informed about what is happening in our country and in the world and get involved, even if it is only to vote for godly leaders. We can also pray for revival in our nation, our churches and our families.   

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."   —Jesus, from the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:14-16.

"Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain."   Psalm 127:1 ESV

It's WAR! June 18 marks the 201st anniversary of the Declaration of the War of 1812

"Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That war be and is hereby declared to exist between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the dependencies thereof, and the United States of America and their territories; and that the President of the United States is hereby authorized to use the whole land and naval force of the United States to carry the same into effect, and to issue to private armed vessels of the United States commissions or letters of marque and general reprisal, in such form as he shall think proper, and under the seal of the United States, against the vessels, goods, and effects of the government of the said United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the subjects thereof."

Fort Macinack by Seth Eastman

So reads the Declaration of War signed by President Madison. The ink was barely dry when eager troops launched into Canada from New York's border to attack British forces. That early confidence proved premature when the British capture Fort Mackinac, and Fort Dearborn is abandoned that summer.

General Van Rensselaer, in command of 500 New York Militia troops, attempted to eradicate the British from the Niagara Peninsula when he crossed the Niagara River into Queensland Heights. They succeed in driving the enemy from the top of the heights, but when the small contingent calls for reinforcements, they are met with two obstacles: other NY militia members are hesitant to leave their home state undefended and refuse to go. And then, politics interfere when General Smythe of the regular army wouldn't send his force stationed at Buffalo to help the militia. America loses the Battle of Queensland Heights.

A shaky start to the war did not mean all hope was lost. "Old Ironsides" takes British frigate the H.M.S. Guerrière in the epic battle depicted in this print. 600 miles east of Boston, the USS Constitution meets the British vessel and delivers its first broadside. The battle went on for 20 minutes' bombardment until the British man-of-war lost its mast. The Constitution by contrast incurred little damage. The victory galvanized the new country and made Commander Hull a household name.  Old Ironsides earned its name, going on to defeat or capture seven more British vessels. It also ran the British blockade of Boston twice.

New York State would play a vital role in the war, as naval battles on the Great Lakes would be launched from several points along the New York/Canadian border. In this war, Watervliet, NY became the site of America's oldest continuously used arsenal, positioned along the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers and able to supply both the northern and western fronts. The Niagara Frontier increases in importance and stages some of the worst fighting in the War. New York Harbor and the St Lawrence River also set the stage of wartime drama. In future posts I hope to explore each of these a little closer. 

Kathleen L. Maher writes about NY history. Her novella Bachelor Buttons is part of a Civil War sesquicentennial collection released through Helping Hands Press. She won the 2012 ACFW Genesis contest, and  is represented by Terry Burns of Hartline Literary Agency. She and her husband live in a 100-year-old farmhouse in upstate NY with their three children, two Newfoundland dogs and a tuxedo cat. 

Nathaniel Griffith's Perspective of the "City upon a Hill"

Trouble brewed in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1649. But before I give you the next of my memoirs, please take this seat beside me overlooking my wife's garden. I, Nathaniel Griffith, would not have the pleasure of this great garden view (which overlooks the Narragansett Bay) had it not been for the grace of God.

Let me first be charitable to my father and those Puritans who first came to this land. Their intentions were good, desiring to establish a model community in and around the Boston area. Zealous for pure living among all church members (especially of the clergy) and for the church of England to be completely pure of Catholic influence, John Winthrop led a group of men to America. His was a tumultuous life--though I suppose any leader experiences such--but he served his people well and with the best of intentions.

I was a young man when John Winthrop died in 1649. My father insisted I should learn these words from this great man:

"...we shall be as a City upon a Hill. The eyes of all people are upon us."

And indeed, the world did watch to see if these Puritans would succeed. Those who crossed the Atlantic with John Winthrop believed they entered into a covenant with God.

Yea, I am shaking my head. Woe unto us who dare to think we have power to influence God by our right living, for righteous we are not. Nay, they learned through strife that one cannot be the conscience of another and not easily fall into sin oneself. Perhaps not the sin of the man they judge, but a sin even greater in believing they could act in God's stead.

After much labor one day, I rested against the stone fence my father insisted I build. You see, we had two horses which loved to wander. We kept them near on a picket line. What is that you asked? 'Tis a rope we strung about chest level between trees. We tied our horses to this line. We also used a high line, which is simply a picket line hung above the horses' heads. The high lines allowed the horses to graze and not get tangled in their lead. But I digress.

Behind my fence, three men walked. They spoke of those burned at the stake in England for beliefs contrary to the clergy, and then they spoke of those dissenters infecting the churches here in New England. Roger Williams was banished in 1635, Anne Hutchinson was banished, taking with her a number of other colonists to settle Portsmouth, Rhode Island. John Wheelwright was also banished then founded the town of Exeter, New Hampshire. And the list continues. Trouble brewed in England as well and the English Civil Wars began, leading to the beheading of King Charles I.

As I listened, I quaked with fear for Sarah Brown, the woman I loved. Her father had stood with Roger Williams against some of the teachings of the Puritans. Her father also stood in support of Anne Hutchinson and considered leaving with her when she was banished. Instead he stayed, his quiet manner seeming to appease those who opposed the teachings of salvation by grace alone and clung to the necessity of infant baptism. But he soon died and left Sarah. My father then took her in as a maid for my sister. A charitable act driven by a sense of guilt, for he was not without fault for the death of Goodman Brown.

These men that passed my fence determined to purify the Massachusetts Bay Colony of any and all who did not hold to their tenements. As the year progressed, they would seek out any who held a meeting outside of the church and arrest them. Indeed, in the years following some believe those who were tried for witchcraft were not witches, but those who claimed the Holy Spirit communicated with their spirit. And perhaps the most shaking of revelation to these staunch Puritans was the dissension of Henry Dunster in 1653. And one mustn't forget the hanging of Mary Dyer, a Quaker, in 1660, Boston.

I knew I needed to do something to keep Sarah from having the same fate of Anne Hutchinson and others who spoke freely of beliefs contrary to that of the religious leaders of the time. I thought perhaps if I could marry her, I could protect her, but my father would never let me marry beneath my station. Nor did I believe Sarah would have me, a wretched sinner.

Alas, the sun is setting. Perhaps Sarah will share with you next month. And thank you for listening to me ramble on about those days. I fear I lacked great courage and faith, but God would work despite me.
______________________________________________

Here is the timeline of the events Nathaniel mentions:

1630 John Winthrop writes the sermon "A Model of Christian Charity," which includes the section known as "The City upon a Hill." Winthrop then sails to New England

1631 Roger Williams arrives in Massachusetts

1635 William and Anne Hutchinson follow John Cotton to the New World

1635 Roger Williams is banished

1636 Harvard College is established

1637 Rev. John Wheelwright preaches a controversial sermon

1637 Anne Hutchinson and her followers are tried and banished

1638 John Wheelwright is banished

1642 English Civil Wars begin

1649 King Charles I is executed

1649 John Winthrop dies

1651 John Clarke, Obadiah Holmes, and John Crandall arrested for conducting an illegal worship service

1653/54 Henry Dunster, first president of Harvard College, abandons the Puritan view of infant baptism

1654/55 Henry Dunster exiles himself

1659 William Robinson and Maramaduke Stevenson were hung in Boston for returning to the Massachusetts Bay Colony after banishment (they were Quakers)

1660 Mary Dyer is hung in Boston

1660 Parliament asks Charles II to assume the throne thus restoring the monarchy in England.

1661 Executions of Quakers halted by Charles II

This is a very small list of acts the men, whom Nathaniel overheard, had seen and would see in the years to come. It is a quick overview of the struggle those early colonists went through, growing pains of the freedom we now enjoy. Many look at this list and become angry with Christians, but I don't think that is an accurate reaction. Without the Bible to guide our forefathers in an understanding of what true freedom of conscience is, we would never have seen the constitution we have today. I believe the colonists needed to go through these struggles before they could gain an understanding of what America was to become. Without experiencing the trials some of these men endured, they would not have known the importance of their own discovery of true freedom. These men did not look at their current situation, but at the future in which their children would live. They fought for a better place and a better life for those who would live after them.

In my opinion, I think we need to tread carefully before we pass judgment on those in this era. These people were mere men seeking to accomplish something greater than themselves, not realizing they couldn't do it without God's grace.

THE FIRST MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY IN AMERICA

THE FIRST MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY IN AMERICA

Did you ever wonder who took responsibility for, or treated, the mentally ill during the Colonial era?

At that time, either family members or the parish church oversaw their care. However, if the individual could not be controlled, and if they were thought to be harmful to themselves or a menace to others, they were often jailed or sent to a poorhouse.

While there was a hospital in Philadelphia run by the Quakers that established a wing for the treatment of the mentally ill, Eastern State Hospital in Williamsburg, Virginia was the first public facility in the colonies that was built solely for the care and treatment of individuals suffering from mental illness.

In 1766, Francis Fauquier, the Royal Governor of Virginia, first proposed to the House of Burgesses that provisions for a legal confinement should be made available for the mentally ill where they could be cared for and attended by physicians. Apparently the proposition was not acted upon, and it continued to weigh heavily on him since he brought it up again at the next House of Burgesses in 1767. His continuing compassion for those suffering from mental disorders eventually led to the establishment of the Eastern State Hospital. The House of Burgesses passed a law to establish the hospital in 1770, and the following years, Benjamin Powell was contracted to begin the construction.

Prior to the creation of the hospital, a person who was mentally ill was judged by twelve citizens as to whether they were criminal, insane or mentally defective. Rather than being diagnosed and treated by a physician, these individuals were either cared for by family members, the local parish, or put in the Public Goal in Williamsburg.

The mission of the Eastern State Hospital was to treat and discharge patients considered curable and to incarcerate those individuals considered dangerous. When the hospital first opened in October of 1773, a Court of Directors, selected from the gentry, oversaw admissions and discharges, and made the policy decisions for running the facility. James Galt, who had no medical training, was appointed keeper and head administrator of the hospital. His wife, Mary, was assigned to be the matron for the women. Dutch Physician John de Sequeyra attended the patients when they were admitted and on a weekly basis. Additionally, several slaves provided the labor required to care for the inmates.

Patient's cell

Patients were kept alone in a prison-like-cells with only a mattress, shackles and a chamber pot. The windows were barred to prevent patients from escaping. However, since it was believed they could be cured, patients would often be released after only a few weeks or months being assessed as being fit enough to return to their families or society

Straight Jacket
invented in the late 18th century

From 1781-1786, the hospital fell into disrepair as a result of the Revolutionary War. In the following decade the hospital was refurbished and grew in size, and fences were added at each end to provide exercise yards for female and male patients. An electrostatic machine, used to shock patients out of their illness and tranquilizing chairs were added. Over the years the hospital began utilizing new techniques in the care of the mentally ill.

Tranquilizing Chair

The hospital’s expansion was interrupted during the Civil War, but by 1875 The Eastern State Hospital owned 225 acres of land, including a 170-acre farm and had an inmate population nearing 500.

In June of 1885, the original 1773 hospital was destroyed by a fire, judged to have started from recently added electrical wiring.  A hospital was rebuilt on this site, but by the 1930’s its patient population had grown to almost 2,000 and there was no more land to expand on the present site. This is the same period when Colonial Williamsburg was being restored so a move in location on the outskirts of the city became necessary. By the late 1960’s all of Eastern State’s patients were moved to a new facility only a few miles away from its original site in Williamsburg, Virginia, and it continues to operate today.

 

In 1985, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation rebuilt a replica of the original hospital on its excavated foundations and it currently operates as a museum.

The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in Colonial America

            This hardcover book, published in 1997 and written by Dale Taylor for the Writer’s Digest Series, gives a thorough and honest overview of times in colonial America from 1607 to 1783, at the end of the American Revolution. I emphasize overview, because that is just what it is—it covers so many topics for each of the thirteen colonies that it doesn’t get into too much historical depth of the people or events of this period. For the person who is interested in writing an historical novel set in this time period, it makes an excellent resource for building an authentic world; the research is dependable and well done.

            Taylor covers regional overviews for government, religion, every day life in the home, society, trades and businesses. He does mention notable leaders in some instances, and why this country offered such favorable conditions for the nation's growth. The book is generously illustrated with pictures of the period, and is a factual resource for the Early American history lover.           

            Writers of an early American novel—or of several other historical eras—might want to begin their research with a Writer's Guide to Everyday Life book. This series includes many historically accurate books of periods from the Middle Ages up through the Prohibition and WWII. Interesting as they are however, they do read like a high school level text book.
            FYI: I’d recently heard from someone interested in writing about World War I who was unable to find enough information on the subject, and though I’d expected to find a book written about the time period in this series, there were none. 

           You may find The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in Colonial America and other books from the series on Amazon. My rating: 4 of 5 stars.                

Put Your John Hancock Here

 More than 200 years after signing the Declaration of Independence, it is still John Hancock’s ornate signature that draws the eye. His artistic style is looked upon with fascination by young and old alike. 

It is such a stark contrast to the methods of written communication today. Hovering with bent shoulders, writers click away on keyboards, leaving the "art" to the creation of passages that draw pictures for readers to envision. But the actual fonts? They are produced, magically it seems, by the software in computers.

So how did the Colonials write like that back in Early America? The students learned the art with painstaking practice. With a feather quill and homemade ink, these boys and girls refined their strokes in great flowing style that marked an era of intricate penmanship—an art nearly forgotten.

The script demonstrated by John Hancock was known as the “Boston Style of Writing,” taught by Abiah Holbrook, who was esteemed as a great master of the pen. Writing masters were universally honored in every community, according to Home and Child Life in Colonial Days by Shirley Glubock. In 1745, Mr. Holbrook had 220 scholars in one school, learning this art of penmanship. John Hancock was one of Holbrook’s most notable students.

Galls on a tree

It’s difficult to imagine all the intricacies of this type of written communication. It required a sharp quill with the feather still attached, usually from a goose. Some managed to perfect the art of sharpening the point of the quill with a knife—the origin of the word, “pen-knife.” Those not wanting to sharpen their own could have them done by professionals who stationed themselves on streets. These gentlemen were called “stationers.”

And then there was the ink. There were various recipes that produced the blue liquid that dried black and eventually faded to a brown tone. An essential ingredient of the formula was galls—odd swellings on oak trees that were a natural reaction to parasites—combined with copperas, which is an iron compound. This produced an ink that has lasted through hundreds of years, making letters from long ago still visible to the naked eye. And beautifully visible at that. The script makes any document look more art than narrative.

One recipe of olde to make “excellent ink:”

Raine water 3 gallons, of white wine vinegar a quart, gaules two pounds, gum arabeck one pound, pomegranate pills one quarter of a pound, all these bruised but not beat too small, copporus two ounces, this will be ready the sooner, if it stand nearby the fire, or in the sun.”