Aaron Chapman // AMH 4112.001 – The Atlantic World, 1400-1900 The button. In the eighteenth century, buttons were an essential part of some articles of clothing, though not the same ones we might see today. On women’s clothing, buttons were an unlikely sight.[1] Primarily, you would expect to find buttons prominently featured on a man’s […]
Read MoreCasey Wolf // AMH 4110.0M01 – Colonial America, 1607-1763 On 22 November 1761, death had come to the Gunston Hall Plantation in Fairfax County, Virginia. The deceased was Sempha Rosa Enfield Mason Dinwiddie Bronaugh—mother to Captain William Bronaugh and the daughter of George Mason II.[1] Prior to marrying Jeremiah Bronaugh, she was the widow of John Dinwiddie—a […]
Read MoreDanielle Roper // AMH 4112.001 – The Atlantic World, 1400-1900 Calamanco shoes were a women’s shoe in the 18th century that were often purchased and worn by members of the upper class. Calamanco is a glossy woolen cloth that is checkered on one side. Lower class women’s shoes would be made of a more durable […]
Read MoreJason Bernstein // AMH 4110.0M01 – Colonial America, 1607-1763 Whenever we look back on the colonial period of American history, we always look to the relationships amongst the Native Americans, the colonial economy, and the events leading up to the American Revolution. But there are several aspects that go under the radar, such as diet, […]
Read MoreAmanda Eversz // AMH 4110.0M01—Colonial America, 1607-1763 We can gain some insight into the economic priorities of those living in colonial Virginia from an account ledger from John Glassford and Alexander Henderson’s Colchester store in Fairfax County dating back to 1760-1761 which contained an accounting record for the overseer, Jeremiah Thomas, of Colonel Thomas Lee’s […]
Read MoreJoseph Lolli // AMH 4110.0M01 – Colonial America, 1607-1763 When looking at any documents from the past, you must understand that the words used in their time may mean something completely different than they mean today. Depending on how far back you go, you will also have to become patient with simple things like spelling because […]
Read MoreJordi Pelayo // AMH 4110.0M01 – Colonial America, 1607-1763 Clothing is a status symbol. If you have the nicest pants on the block, chances are they were expensive, and you bought them to show off. The clothing people buy tells us about who they are and for what purpose the clothing is intended. Cotton is […]
Read MoreChristopher José // AMH 4110.0M01 – Colonial America, 1607-1763 To find answers from the past, historians search endlessly through documents of all types, even store ledgers. These answers result in the researcher being able to glimpse into the past and learn from it. In the end, we better understand the culture and methods of those who […]
Read MoreMatthew Gray // AMH 4112.001 – The Atlantic World, 1400-1900 Imagine you wake up one day in colonial America, with no idea why you are there or how you got there. What is the first thing you need to do? Get some clothes so that you fit in and not draw people’s unwanted attention. You […]
Read MoreSarah Green // AMH 4110.0M01 – Colonial America, 1607-1763 For most, silks are a fabric associated with the finer things. Silk is a rich, luxury fabric by today’s standards but what about in eighteenth-century America? Silk was as favored back then as it is now. While examining ledger pages from the Glassford and Henderson Colchester […]
Read MoreKayla Davis // AMH 4110.0M01 – Colonial America, 1607-1763 When reading about colonial life in the British colonies during the mid-eighteenth century, it is easy to think of their consumer habits as idyllic or self-reliant, as we often reference the homespun movement preceding the American Revolution.[1] Beginning in 1765, after the implementation of the Townshend Acts, this […]
Read MoreJames Wilson // AMH 4112.001 – The Atlantic World, 1400-1900 After looking through the Ready Money account (1760-1761) of Glassford and Henderson’s Colchester store in Virginia, there were a few items that stuck out to me because I had no idea what they were. One of which was Osnaburg, having never heard of this, I […]
Read MoreChristian C.deBaca // AMH 4112.001 – The Atlantic World, 1400-1900 Shalloon, a fun name to come across when learning about life in colonial Virginia, but what is it? As found in the Glassford & Henderson 1760-1761 ledger at the Colchester, Virginia store on January 16, 1761, Humphrey Peake purchased 9 yards of Shalloon along with […]
Read MoreVincent Ventola // AMH 4112.001 – The Atlantic World, 1400-1900 In the past, women as well as men and children wore pumps, or shoes; these pumps are very similar to what we know as pumps or heels in the 21st century.[1] In the 18th century, pumps were also worn during special occasions, just like they […]
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