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Puritans at Play

Puritans at Play. The Sporting Life in 17 th and 18 th Century New England. I. English Sporting Precedents. Medieval Sports dominated by military considerations Hunting and Fishing Medieval “Ball” games Medieval Football Blood or “Butcherly” Sports.

MikeCarlo
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Puritans at Play

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  1. Puritans at Play The Sporting Life in 17th and 18th Century New England

  2. I. English Sporting Precedents • Medieval Sports dominated by military considerations • Hunting and Fishing • Medieval “Ball” games • Medieval Football • Blood or “Butcherly” Sports

  3. II. Sports, Puritan Thought and New England Practice • Opposition to ball and blood sports • Reasons for Puritan opposition to sport • Sports as a political and religious issue --The Book of Sports (1618, King James I) • Public contempt for Sports

  4. II. New England Practice (cont.) • The “Howling Wilderness” • Sports and Militia Days • Most popular pastime: Fishing --Shad and Salmon Club, Hartford, CT • Hunting in Colonial New England

  5. III. 18th Century Development in Sport • Emergence of modern sport in England --James Figg • This aggressive spirit did not spread to New England • Horse racing—the only organized spectator sport in 18th Century New England

  6. III. 18th Century Development in Sport (cont.) • Organized horse racing began in Rhode Island • Horseracing in Massachusetts • Nine-pin Bowling • Sports during the American Revolution

  7. III. 18th Century Development in Sport (cont.) • Swimming, a “sport of opportunity” • Sports and New England women • Emergence of spas for the wealthy in the 1760’s • Mineral springs were first colonial “resorts”

  8. IV. Games and Gambling: Puritan Thought and New England Practice • Puritan view of gambling • Colonial gaming laws • Origins of card playing --Charles VI of France (1392), first set of cards • Puritan views of card playing • Positive benefits of card playing • Especially popular among lower classes

  9. IV. Games and Gambling (cont.) • Whist • Quadrille, all fours, cribbage, piquet • Popular Tavern games • Backgammon • Dice Games • Mixed View of Lotteries • Lotteries during the Revolution and the Early Republic period

  10. “A Sport Only For Gentlemen” Horseracing in Colonial Virginia

  11. I. Early Virginia Horseracing • Origins of Spontaneous racing • 17th Century racing practices • Quarter Horses • Importance of Arabian Blood • Important colonial horseowners --John Tayloe II --William Byrd III

  12. II. Changes in 18th Century Racing • Circular, mile-long tracks • Subscription Races • First Intercolonial race • Nature of colonial horseracing • Horseracing was an economic asset to colonial Virginia

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