Bennett Family record, Poland, Maine,1804. Someday someone may discover an illuminated record like this for the Springers.

The Springers--like most people who lived, worked, and died in centuries past--left little evidence of their daily lives. No pictures of them exist: they probably were not wealthy or famous enough to have their pictures painted (and there were no cameras in the 1700s!). But we can piece together a picture of their everyday lives.

Now that you've looked at the kinds of objects they left behind...

Compare your conclusions with those made by historians...

	Courtesy Library of Congress

 
Thomas and Elizabeth Springer and their daughters, Anne and Mary, lived in a two-story log house on 139 acres of land along Mill Creek in northern Delaware. Their lives--and the lives of their African-American slaves Will, Ace, Sara, and Amelia--followed a pattern determined by the rising and the setting sun, the changing seasons, and the social and economic networks of the new nation.

Thomas was a farmer. Working with slaves Will and Ace--and sometimes hired hands or neighbors--he tended fields of corn and grains for flour, selling any surplus. They raised livestock: Sheep for wool, milk cows, pigs, and cattle for market. They cut hay from meadows and marshes, picked apples, and cut firewood from the woodlands that surrounded his "improved" acreage.

Elizabeth undertook the wide-ranging work of the household. Assisted by slaves Sara and Amelia--and, as they grew older, her daughters--she tended the household vegetable gardens, milked cows and made butter, preserved foods, baked breads, and cooked the daily meals. They processed wool into yarn which was woven into cloth by a neighborhood weaver.

	Collection of The New-York Historical Society

The Springers lived a quarter mile from Milltown, a crossroads village. Relatives lived nearby, as did many neighbors. From time to time, Thomas might visit the tavern or local mills and artisans' shops where men gathered and shared news and information. Elizabeth formed bonds with other women through regular visits or by supporting and attending them in childbirth or during illness.

The Springers were more prosperous than most of their neighbors. They owned land, a house, and four African-American slaves. They could afford to purchase imported foodstuffs and household goods.

Thomas and Elizabeth Springer's lives were short and difficult compared to ours. Their lives, like ours, were filled with joys and disappointments. They probably never thought that people 200 years in the future would know anything about them. Wouldn't they be surprised by how much you have learned!

The story of the Springer family is featured in the exhibition After the Revolution: Everyday Life in America: 1780-1800 at the National Museum of American History.

Teachers may also print the Questions for Future Historians to go along with printed or internet material.
 

Coming Soon:  A new web activity about the Hands On History Room Buffalo Hide Painting and the many stories it tells! - On the Not Just for Kids page

 
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