Life in the Colonies | BJU Press Summer History eCamp

Life in the Colonies

Good Things to Eat

The colonists raised most of the food they ate. Even the colonists who lived in towns and cities grew their own food in gardens behind their houses. Many city families had chickens, cows, goats, and pigs too. What things to eat did they get from these animals?

Colonists got many seeds for their gardens from the Indians. The Indians gave them seeds for pumpkin, corn, squash, peppers, and beans. But colonists brought some seeds with them from their old country. From these seeds they grew some of their favorite
foods--carrots, turnips, spinach, and fruits.

Do you have a favorite fruit? Many colonists liked apples. The colonists fixed apples many different ways. They ate them whole, made applesauce or pie, or pressed out the juice and made apple cider. Which way do you like to eat apples?

Most of the colonists used wooden plates called trenchers. Often, two people would share one trencher. The colonists used spoons and knives to eat their food. Will you use a spoon or knife? What else might you use to eat your food?

Everyone in the family drank from the same cup. If guests came for dinner, they drank from that cup too. Only very rich colonists had more than one cup for drinking.

Everyday and Special Days

The colonists knew how to turn everyday work into fun. If a colonist had a big job to do, he asked other people to help. They might work together to take stumps and stones from a field. They might build a house or a barn. They might even make maple syrup out of maple tree sap.

Then when they had finished the job, the colonists would have a party. The ladies would bring pies and cakes and other good things to eat. The men would carry in a big barrel full of apple cider. Would you help with the work so that you could come to the party?