Leisure

Description
The selected documents provide historical understanding of the lives of ordinary people and the culture of early nineteenth-century New England. The documents may be used to support studies about family, childhood, youth, courtship and marriage, aging, or holidays and celebrations.

Suggestions for using the documents:

• Use the selected documents to gain insight into the social interactions, celebrations and leisure activities of the past. Some activities combined work and play for both children and adults, while others were primarily social. An activity may be leisure because of the attitude brought to it. Picking blackberries might be a play activity for children, but if the berries were sold at a store for cash or trade, did that make it work?
  
• Some additional questions to think about as you read the documents:
  How did people spend their free time?
  What did they consider amusing or entertaining?
  When did they find time for leisure activities?
  
• Compare leisure activities of the past with those of today.
  
• Additional historical background information is available in the Papers and Articles.
  
• An Activity Sheet is available to assist with analyzing primary documents.

Primary Sources
Bessie Remembers Learning to Dance and Sing, Reminiscence
Christopher Columbus Baldwin, Diary Entries about Leisure
Edward Jenner Carpenter, Apprentice’s Diary
Fourth of July Scenes, Reminiscence
Fourth of July Toasts
How to Behave Politely at a Dance, Advice
How Young People Should Behave
Mary Cogswell’s First Dance, Letter
Mary White, Diary
Militia Day in Brimfield, Reminiscence
Mr. Gander’s April First, Children’s Story
Pamela Brown at Twenty: Diary
Sophia’s Christmas in New York, Children’s Story
Susan Blunt’s Childhood, Reminiscence
Thanksgiving Scenes, Three Descriptions
The Ladies Benevolent Society Fair, Letter


Papers and Articles
Historical Background on Leisure in Early 19th-Century New England


Teacher Resources
Reading Primary Source Documents: Hints for Students
Reading Primary Source Documents: Hints for Teachers


Activity Sheets
Primary Source Document Guide
Primary Source Document Guide