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The Virtual Times |
Arts & Entertainment |
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Just what did a person do in his or her spare time in Colonial America? Considering the colonists lived without phones, televisions, malls, movies, computers, or other modern conveniences, what did they do for fun? During the 1700s, newspapers and journals, such as the Boston Gazette and Country Journal, provided both information and entertainment through articles and features. The news articles were often written to spur the public into action and influence public opinion on current issues. For example, in the Boston Gazette article published on March 12th, 1770, reporting the news of the Boston Massacre, one of the British soldiers was described as "a person of mean countenance." In modern journalism, you infrequently will find subjective opinions about whether a person is "mean" or "nice." Still, these early newspapers were important for spreading information across regions. During the 1600s, however, newspapers were rare and only sporadically published in the colonies. Most information was related through personal writing or through discussion amongst the colonists. Like the later newspapers and journals, the information related through personal writings and discussion was a combination of facts and opinions. These personal writings often took the form of diaries, journals, and poetry. |
Poetry: an expression of emotion through words, often using imagery and symbolism. Another common form of entertainment for colonists, poetry provided a way to escape the chores and duties of living in the wilderness. While much time was spent on meeting daily necessities such as food, water, and shelter, free moments may have been spent writing. |
| Though The Scarlet Letter is set in 17th century New England, the characters, conflicts, and messages in this work speak to us today. This is a powerful tale of personal turmoil, inspiring strength, and passionate conflict. When Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter in 1850, he chose to present his view of an earlier time and challenge his readers to evaluate the society of Salem in the 17th century. Knowing his family's history in Salem, he provides us with a snapshot of how colonists would have spread information through conversation and gossip, rather than media such as newspapers. |
Historical Fiction: a novel set in the past, written to include accurate details of the time period and setting while using characters created by the author. Historical fiction allows an author to explore the life and times of earlier civilizations while creating an interesting story for the reader. Many novels of this type present real events from history from a more personal perspective of a fictional character. |
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