Colonial House | Golden Skate

Colonial House

Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I see from the American Idol thread that at least RavenRant and Piel are watching Colonial House. Anyone else?

I think this is by far the best of the shows that this PBS series has done. The interesting conflict is between the people who want to relive, as much as possible, the actual experiences of American colonists in 1528, and those who want to observe from the outside but still maintain their identities as 21st century Americans.

The first group is led by the Baptist preacher from Texas who was appointed Governor. To him, the experience is truly a religious pilgrimage.

In the other camp are people like Mrs. Vorhees, who won't go to church and pray to a God that she doesn't believe in, won't cover her head to honor 16th century notions of modesty (and subservience) in women, etc.

I am sort of on the preacher's side. If you didn't want to live like the Pilgrims, why sign up for the show? (OK, 6 hours worth of Church every Sunday might be cruel and unusual punishment.)

On the other hand, I think they did a good job of bringing out the point that the people who came to the colonies in pursuit of "religious freedom" ended up imposing their own form of religious tyranny in the new world.

Mathman
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
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Jun 27, 2003
ok it is tempting to get into a religious/political debate on this I'll try not to.. ;)

mom loves this show... I get so mad with some of the things they say in regards to the religion of back in the day it's like Pfft... obviously some that signed up had no idea of colonial history... maybe they thought they were signing up for Survivor :rolleye:
 

Jill

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
I watch Colonial House. In fact, I've watched all the PBS "house" programs. I liked Frontier House, the most. Edwardian House and Victorian House were filmed in England and those were fun, too.

I like the Governor, too. I agree that if you didn't want to truly live as the people did, you should just stay home and watch it on the tube.

On the previews for next week's show, didn't they say that the Governor was leaving? Does anyone know why? Maybe due to family problems. I had to laugh when the Governor called the other "settlers" children. That's how most of them act.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
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Jun 27, 2003
that's also a "Baptist Preacher Thing," "Beloved," "Friends," "Children," it's how they address their "flock" :)
 

Aloft04

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 15, 2004
I'm watching, Mathman!

My degree (which I've never used) is in Sociology, so this show is simply fascinating to me. It's good to know my college education can be put to good use in front of the boob-tube.... :laugh: Maybe I'll go for a graduate degree and get a big screen TV!

JillLaQ, I think the governor's son was involved in the same tragic car accident that killed his daughter's fiance. I would imagine that plays into the decision to depart, but I'm not sure.

I like the English guy who hit the trail to a nice cold beer and leftover potato chips in town!
 

bronxgirl

Medalist
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
I think the BBC did a program where the participants had to live as the Druids did (can't remember if it was Iron or Bronze age, but it was NOT the age for me! :\ )
 

Aloft04

On the Ice
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Mar 15, 2004
I missed that one, bronxgirl, it sounds good! Maybe the PBS store has DVDs of it.

I'm sure the Druidic livin' wasn't easy, but at least they didn't have to wear whalebone corsets. I couldn't have handled that!
(She said from the comfort of her stretchy waist flannels...)
 

Ptichka

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Jul 28, 2003
A little correction -- it's 1628, in 1528.

I love this program. I immediately started sympathyzing with the lay preacher and his wife, rather than the governor and his family. However, it was clear that when the governor had to leave, the preacher with his democratic ideals couild not do the job nearly as well as the governor.

I also want to complement PBS on not indulging in voyeurism. I appreciated that when the the "governor"'s daughter received the news about her fiance, they did not show her or her family, but just interviewed other "colonists".

Here, however, is an exerpt from the laws that they are supposed to live by. I wonder how they would abide :laugh:
Idleness
Every colonist shall take their due pains, and not loiter, or idly misspend the time appointed for work for the Company. The Governor shall not allow any of his Company to be negligent, and idle, or depart from his work.

Punishments included: for the first offense, the head tied to the feet for an entire night; and whipping for the second offense.

Threats to Masters
Servants may not threaten their masters or steal from their masters, or resist the authority of their masters.

Punished by whipping.

Suspicious Behavior
Unseemly, lustful, or other suspicious behaviors are against the law.

Punishments included whipping, fines, and paper stating the offense pinned to the chest at public meetings, or the Governor determined the punishment.
I bet Mr. Ashcroft would love a law against "suspicious behaviour"
 
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Lucy25

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 31, 2003
I am loving this show, as I have the previous "House" shows. I feel so badly for the colonists who had such a hard life! Makes me appreciate all the more all I have now.
 

merrywidow

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Joined
Jan 20, 2004
I watch all the "House" shows on PBS, too, & each is fascinating as well as informative in its own way. "Frontier House" is my favorite, tho, most likely because I live in Montana & found the wealthy Ca. family so laughable. They couldn't have survived a winter in Mt. LOL! I enjoyed the British "Manor House" series & was very impressed with how well "the servants" coped even tho the Butler was frustrated with them.
As to "Colonial House" I had ancestors who arrived in the 1630's
& am even more impressed by their faith & belief in God than I was before watching this show. The women had to have such strength to follow where their husbands/men led without a voice in decisions. One of my ancestors, was an indentured servant who was able to buy his freedom 4 years after arriving in this country, married his former master's daughter & became quite well to do in the new country.
 

Ravyn Rant

Totally 80s Dance Party!
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Jan 22, 2004
I'm really enjoying the series and can't wait until Monday! It is kind of funny watching the "colonists" trying to work out their 21st century issues in a 17th century format, particularly the Voorhees' and the lay minister's households. I guess the producers didn't clue them in that individualism hadn't made it too far as a popular concept in that day and age!
I've spent time without power and running water, and I've spent time in 17th century clothing. Heck, I even know how to spin thread, but I don't think I'd last five minutes in 1628!
Rave
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Merrywidow, that's cool about your ancestor -- and also that you have researched his life.

I'm really enjoying the series and can't wait until Monday! It is kind of funny watching the "colonists" trying to work out their 21st century issues in a 17th century format, particularly the Voorhees' and the lay minister's households. I guess the producers didn't clue them in that individualism hadn't made it too far as a popular concept in that day and age!
I've spent time without power and running water, and I've spent time in 17th century clothing. Heck, I even know how to spin thread, but I don't think I'd last five minutes in 1628! -- Rave
That's neat about the spinning. In the colonial setting, would some of the ladies have brought spinning wheels with them? What would they have spun, goat hair? Do you know if there were plant fibers that they could have used?

About individualism in that day and age (this question is for Aloft, too), I get the feeling that what we now think of as national virtues -- indeed, the bedrock of our nation's ideals -- including the freedom to practice whatever religion we want, or none -- was, in the context of the New England colonies, at best a necessary compromise with mortal sin and error (rather like the grammar of this sentence).

MM
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
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Jul 28, 2003
Mathman:

I have watched a couple of episodes, but I enjoyed the English reality show of a couple of years ago "1900 House" also shown on PBS. Much better. I also liked the "Edwardian Country House."

I find the folks at "Colonial House" spend too much time squabbling. They are still mentally thinking of the 21st century - pretty hard to conform to the rules and way of life of those days - especially for the ladies.
 

Lucy25

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 31, 2003
Ladskater said:
Mathman:

I have watched a couple of episodes, but I enjoyed the English reality show of a couple of years ago "1900 House" also shown on PBS. Much better. I also liked the "Edwardian Country House."
I completely agree. I enjoyed the shows out of England much better, for some reason. Especially "1900 House". I am a history buff, and that period of time is just fascinating to me, with all the inventions happening almost daily. I think I could have done well in that reality house, but not in the others. I like reading about the pioneers and colonists, but I don't like to be dirty, so I would never make it!:laugh:
 

Longhornliz

Final Flight
Joined
Apr 1, 2004
I have watched all of the other house series as well, and I'm so excited about this newest installment into the genre. I have DVR'd the first few episodes because my PBS affiliate is airing them at odd times... Perhaps I'll have a marathon this weekend.

Did anyone see the follow up on Frontier house after the taping was finished... I was sad to see that one of the families had gotten divorced, apparently the experience was pretty hard for them.
 

merrywidow

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Joined
Jan 20, 2004
Longhorn, I watched the followup show on "Frontier House" & was sorry to see that the one family (who really did well, IMO) had split up. The wife just didn't seem to be able to appreciate all the outdoor work that her husband did. I did find it heartwarming when the Ca. teenagers said that they now found life in modern Ca. boring (hanging out & shopping in malls)compared to their lives back in time.
 

Ravyn Rant

Totally 80s Dance Party!
Medalist
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
Mathman said:
That's neat about the spinning. In the colonial setting, would some of the ladies have brought spinning wheels with them? What would they have spun, goat hair? Do you know if there were plant fibers that they could have used?

Oh, yes, Mathman, there would have been more than one spinning wheel on the boat. And a loom would have been high on the list of things to assemble as well. People needed clothing, and animal hides only go so far. They would have spun thread from goat hair, or whatever long-haired animal was available to them. I've seen socks made from the hair of an obliging Newfoundland.
As for plants, I'm not sure what's native to the islands off the coast of Maine, but the colonists probably would have gotten around to planting hemp (for rope and sturdy cloth) or flax (for linen) pretty quickly once the colony started to grow. I'm also ignorant about what dye plants grow in that area, but the colonists would have known what to look for, having performed the same tasks back home.
Textiles were a vital part of any long-term, thriving, self-sufficient community. Once the basic survival problems were solved, spinning, weaving, dyeing and sewing would have been chore #2 for the women of the colony.

quoth the Mathman:
About individualism in that day and age (this question is for Aloft, too), I get the feeling that what we now think of as national virtues -- indeed, the bedrock of our nation's ideals -- including the freedom to practice whatever religion we want, or none -- was, in the context of the New England colonies, at best a necessary compromise with mortal sin and error (rather like the grammar of this sentence).


An excellent point, regardless of grammar. It was a long and occasionally bloody process, coming to the popular acceptance of religious freedom! We don't learn much about the actual religious practices of the Puritans in school, except that they came to America to practice the intolerance that they felt they received from the English! They didn't tolerate anyone who wasn't a Puritan, and I won't go into details here because this post is already pretty long! Just remember that once they got into power in England, they tried to cancel Christmas!
And that's this morning's history lesson!
Rave
 

Piel

On Edge
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Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Urine was used to fix the colors of dye in the fabrics.
 
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