Story of America Cards

Teenagers Of Early America

Now You feel good being a teen nowadays and maybe a lot of our teachers say you have grown up and that's what i am teaching you about, SO YOU BETTER LISTEN JUST BE LUCKY IT AIN'T THE 1600s!.

Because you see you gotta grow up fast in early america and they didn't have cell phones......they didn't even know what a phone was. But one good thing is they got to hold guns!, so they can protect their families, and a lot of responsibility was put on them at this time, so let's learn about Teenagers in Early America from the Daily Card Section in Story of America.

(What were colonial teenagers like?)

In colonial America, there were not really any "teenagers" as we know them. Of course, children passed through the decade that we know as the "teens," but that stage of their lives was not the carefree, exploratory period that today's youth experience. Children grew into adulthood more quickly than they do today, and by the time a child entered their teen years, they were already on a path toward their life's occupation.

Although a youth's path to adulthood depended on their family's socio-economic status, regardless of wealth, young men usually learned their trade through some form of apprenticeship (This is what the Website TechingHistoty.Org says about Children in Early America).

Now let's see what the Card has to say.

(You Gotta Grow Up Fast!)

In a Sense there were no teenagers in early america, that is there were no identifiable group of young people for certain ages who tend to act, dress and speak in ways that were markedly different from other age groups, It was not common for boys and girls to married around the age of 16 years old, (Which some cultures today still do but i wouldn't say get married, like in Japan I know from what I looked up that two people can get engaged, the Boy has to be 18 years olds or older while the Girl must at least be 16 years old or Older).

And Back to Early America, Young married people were expected to act like adults not a "Teenager". Thus most young people matured from "Child" to "Adult" without experiencing the in-between years, The New England Colonies were in General strict with their children especially for those in their Teens, Young Boys had to sit on side of the church on sundays for instance while girls sat on the other.

In The South teenage boys and girls especially those from weather families became walking models of etiquette each schooled in the seemingly endless ways of "Proper" behavior.

Perhaps the Closest Thing to a "Teenage Group" in Colonial times was found among the Dutch in New York city during the 18th Century, The Dutch Colonists generally allowed their teenage sons and daughters a good deal of freedom.

They Mixed Socially held sledding parties or picnics in the Contrary, played golf and bowled "on the green" (This means your playing Bowling but on the Grass in a Straight Yard like croquet or something similar to it), Teenage boys of Dutch ancestry were even noted for skipping school and otherwise defying authority.

These Teenagers were fortunate that most young adults in Colonial America had only hard work to look forward to, they were children of poor farm families who often had to begin working in the fields or at home as soon as they learned how to walk.

The Years between childhood and marriage were marked only by longer hours and harder work; there was no other way for the family to survive during those harsh times.

As America Grew and Prospered, However customs changed, Young people began to marry later and thus had more time to enjoy teenage years.

An Improved economic situation provided them with more free time, and they were not forced to assume the burdens of adulthood so quickly.

Perhaps Teenage years in early america were typified best by one young colonial girl envisioned during the late 1700s, Stitched into a sampler she made are three stages of life as she saw them:

"As a baby in her cradle, as young woman sewing for her family, as a old women lying dead in her coffin"

(Ending)

And That was what Teenagers back in Early America, so properly lucky that you were born in the 21st Century and the Late 1900s. Am I right?, so this is where I am heading off for Today, Like for More and I'll see you next time.