The Puritan Lifestyles

The biggest change over time in our eating habits has been how involved we are with our food. In the 1700s colonists grew many of their own crops and hunted their own game. Most individual families also had a dairy cow in their backyard, especially in New England. This was a tradition that they brought back with them from England. They would use the milk for cooking steamed puddings, cheeses, and custards. It also provided colonial families with fresh milk in the morning. Preparing meat was very laborious and difficult in the 1700s. Colonists had to prepare a dead animal, not just parts of it. The cookbook we read in class walked us through how to dress a turtle and the entire process of preparing it used to take hours. This shows that food would not have been made every day. Colonists had to grow their fruits seasonally and did not have the opportunities to go out and purchase what they did not have.

Food is always an extremely important factor that brings influence to people’s life in diverse ways from the old times to the present. Although it carries the same significance through the whole development of civilization, the English cuisine in Medieval time is very different from it is in modern time. The Medieval cuisine, including the foods, eating habits, food preservation, and seasoning, in England had been hugely affected by the social and political background during the Medieval Age.

After marriage, the husband was considered lord and master of the family. But not all the women were meek and submissive. By the 1700's, the woman’s status had rapidly improved in colonial America. A wife and child made as much as a man did. Although women did not have equality with men, their status greatly improved from their status in Europe. A woman’s station in life was determined by the position of their husbands or fathers. The women of the poorest families, compiled to work in the fields, stood at the bottom of the social ladder. One of the surest signs of the accomplishments a family had made, was the exemption of their women from the fields. Before 1740, girls were trained in household crafts and the practical arts of family management. But afterwards they began to study subjects that required reading and studying such subjects as grammer and arithmetic. The women of the upper classes occupied themselves mainly with planning the work of the home and with supervising the domestic servants. Along with these tasks the women also baked, nursed, and sewed. But there were many social restrictions placed on the women of that time. One such restriction was that a wife, in absence of her husband, was not allowed to lodge men even if they were close relatives. For

     Breakfast was usually eaten around 10 A.M. It might have consisted of cornbread with butter, cold meat, cider or beer, or maybe coffee or tea. The main meal was eaten around 4:00 P.M. This would be the lavish meal. When it was time to eat the man and his older sons would take their places at the table. The wife would sit next to her husband while the oldest daughter would serve the meal. Any young children would stand, not sit at a separate table and were not allowed to speak. (John F. Warner – pg.50-54)

Rich victorians ate large meals and poor victorians ate normal sized meals. Rich people cuisined their food, which is a style of cooking food, during the victorian era. Rich victorians drank high tea even though it isn’t different than regular tea. “Poor victorians ate tinned meat, which is meat out of a can, with their high tea” (author). The poor ate food and drank tea even if it’s cold because that is all they had. The rich people

A Puritan defined is “a member of a group of English Protestants of the late 16th and 17th centuries who regarded the Reformation of the Church of England under Elizabeth as incomplete and sought to simplify and regulate forms of worship.” Puritan society in America depended on the belief that all members were working for the glory of God. The Puritans did not allow deviations from the strict code of behavior which would not allow any member to have individuality. They restricted any type of entertainment, except that which was endorsed by the church. They worked and worshipped.

New England colonies developed rapidly throughout the early 1600s and the Puritans helped found most of those colonies. They were Christian group who fled from Europe to escape persecution from the Church of England and the ruling class. They originated from a movement for reform in the Church of England and came with certain values and ideas. They believed that God wanted them to set a good example that would cause those who had remained in England to reform their “sinful” ways and pretty much wanted to be the example community (The City upon a Hill) (Doc A). Over time the aspects of the Puritan’s lifestyles slowly integrated into American culture like strong work ethics and the importance of education in society. They are part

Europeans migrated and formed the American colonies in the 1600s. Puritans were religious separatists, who left the Church of England and migrated to the American colonies. According to my map analysis, the maps display European influences in North America and show that puritans settled mainly in New England Massachusetts. These Puritans migrated with their own prescribed way of life, beliefs, and doctrines. In their new home, Puritans preached and introduced puritanical doctrines to the New England society. This affected the lives and lifestyles of New Englanders. People were taught to live their life in fear of the wrath of God. People lived according to whatever the church or the ministers instructed out of fear of going to hell. Therefore,

Culturally, the society of New England developed differently from that of the Spanish Southwest because the Puritans of New England were stricter. The Puritans believed that people should live their life in moderation when it comes to action, drink, and even sexual activity. In fact, the Puritans even discouraged dancing, music, and celebrations because the Puritans saw those kinds of activities as distractions from contemplating the message of God. Meanwhile, the Catholics of the

The 17th century Puritans were known to represent a religious group migrating from England to America in order to practice religious freedom. These groups were determined to “purify” churches of England from Catholic practices. Puritans are known for their religious, social, and political influences on early America. Edmund S. Morgan’s novel The Puritan Family highlights a part of history that many would tend to look over upon- that is, the complex structural life of Puritan Families in the 17th century.

Modern culture allows the discussion of food to be a matter of opinion, but this narrative reveals that Puritans did not understand the different tastes in food that other cultures had. During the first week of Rowlandson's captivity, she refers to the natives' food as "filthy trash" (265). She later admits that the food was savory but can not believe that her stomach was not rejecting the

The evidence shows that colonial kitchens were a place for work and not relaxation. In three of the four photographs, there is not any counter space which leads to the conclusion that food was prepared on the ground or in pots and pans. The exception to this is Thomas Jefferson’s

Bakers would charge a fee if you brought something that wanted to be baked. Forks were uncommon, everyone had a small knife and a spoon. Also there would be a towel and some water nearby to wash up after each meal. Most households drank and brewed their own ale or beer because the poor water sanitation. Only rich homes could afford to have well water pumped to their houses.

In comparison to passage two she states the diners are eating “plain gravy soup,” “dry biscuits and cheese,” “prunes and custard.” Passing around a “water- jug”. Eating off of “plain” plates. Drawing the conclusion of food, cutlery, and dinnerware that at are cheaper and easier to access for people of a lower social

Food and drinks played an essential role in the life of a wealthy Roman citizen. Unlike other periods of time food had an important social impact during Ancient Rome and the daily life of Ceaser. However in many cultures breakfast, lunch and dinner were the three main courses of the day. A wealthy citizens breakfast consisted of bread with olives or cheese and lunch was usually quick with bread, cheese, and fruit (Ermatinger 1). Dinner was their main affair, and the largest meal of the day (Ermatinger 1). It contained bread, vegetables, olive oil, cheese and meat (Ermatinger 1). Banquets and feasts were also another elaborate way people would celebrate and enjoy their food (Moulton 27). How the poor ate was quite unlike the wealthy. They had the duty of finding and preparing their dishes in order for their families to eat. Wine was the favorite drink for both social classes and consumed with most meals. The knowledge and responsibility of women in ancient history pertained mainly to the preparation of food.