Note to teacher: It should be remembered that many residents of new towns (and Deerfield was one) had very few possessions. They owned textiles – blankets, sheets, clothing – in limited amounts; tools for their chosen craft and for farming (often shared with neighbors); and cooking equipment. Certain basic furniture forms, common to this period, were useful for keeping house: bed, chest, table, chair, but all these forms were not owned by all. Many slept on what we would call “bedding”… a mattress on the floor, rather than a bedstead. Stools often substituted for chairs, and tables might simply be done without. Students should be reminded that the objects in museums are often those that were cherished – the best possessions, and thus saved, so they do not always accurately represent the everyday lives of the typical early English settlers.
Unit Central Questions:
What do primary and secondary sources teach us about the characteristics of “everyday life” of individuals living in Deerfield at the three turns of the centuries? What do these characteristics reveal about changes in the town since its beginning as an English settlement?
Key Content Ideas
The residents of Deerfield built modest homes and owned basic household goods, clothing, and tools. The roles of men and women were different.
Intended Learning Outcomes
Understandings:
Students will understand:
- That architecture and artifacts can teach lessons about daily life.
Skills:
Students will be able to:
- Read, analyze, and interpret a home and artifacts of the 1680-1720 period.
- Extract information from background reading materials.
- Observe and draw artifacts.