Customer Reviews

Sturbridge - American Legacy Series - The Story of Life in Restored 1790 New England Town

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Old Sturbridge is a village in Massachusetts where they live like the people did two centuries ago. Their farming uses the techniques of the late 18th to early 19th century New England. People lived close to the soil, all farmed for part of the year. Many of the buildings were relocated from other New England states and restored to the 1780-1840 era. [You don't see wristwatches, but the eyeglasses are modern.] The lack of currency often meant articles were exchanged for food or clothing or other goods. [The statement that people didn't use cash ignores the historical record of state and local banks and their scrip.] Old publications told of the clothing worn in those days. Villages let their cattle graze on the village green - land held in common. A crowded one-room schoolhouse taught reading, writing, and arithmetic for a few months of the year.

They raised a wide variety of vegetables; many are unknown today. There were different breeds of chicken. Water came from wells, milk from the family cow. [No mention of beer, cider, or rum.] Food is prepared according to the receipts of that day. It was plain and simple. Town meetings allowed people to speak on issues. Many of the manual techniques for making things are becoming a lost art. [When did you last see a wooden barrel?] It ends with advice for taking pictures indoors and outdoors. Become familiar with your camera before visiting.

There is one thing missing from this film: no village tavern or inn. This had a monopoly on selling drink by the glass and also had to provide beds and food for travelers. From the 18th to 20th centuries taverns were the center for political life. No other public houses were available for political meetings. The fad for Prohibition erased the historical records in most school history books.
[You can read "As We Were - Life in America 1814" by Gaillard Hunt for more about life two centuries ago].