Document Text |
Summary |
| Friday, October 6. From hence we went pretty briskly forward, and arrived at Saybrook ferry about two o’clock in the afternoon; and crossing it, we called at an inn to bait, (foreseeing we should not have such another opportunity till we come to Killingsworth.) | Friday, October 6. We took the Saybrook ferry at 2 p.m. We stayed at an inn, as there would not be another place to rest until Killingsworth. |
| The landlady came in, with her hair about her ears, and hands at full pay scratching. She told us she had some mutton which she would broil, which I was glad to hear; but I suppose she forgot to wash her scratchers; in a little time she brought it in; but it being pickled, and my guide said it smelled strong of head sauce, we left it, and paid sixpence a piece for our dinners, which was only smell. | The landlady told us she would cook us mutton. When she brought it to us, it smelled awful. We paid for our dinner but did not eat it. |
| So we put forward with all speed, and about seven at night came to Killingsworth, and were tolerably well with traveler’s fare, and lodged there that night. | We rushed to Killingsworth, where we arrived around 7 p.m. The food was acceptable and we stayed the night there. |
Document Text |
Summary |
| They generally marry very young: the males oftener as I am told under twenty than above; | They marry at a young age. The men are often younger than twenty years old. |
| they generally make public weddings, and have a way of something singular (as they say) in some of them, namely, just before joining hands, the bridegroom quits the place, who is soon followed by the groomsmen, and as it were, dragged back to duty—being the reverse to the former practice among us, to steal ms. Bride. | They have a wedding tradition where the groom leaves with the groomsmen shortly before the wedding. He is then dragged back to the wedding. For us, the tradition is the opposite, where the bride is taken shortly before the ceremony. |
Document Text |
Summary |
| The next morning I crossed the ferry to Groton, having had the honor of the company of Madam Livingston (who is the governor’s daughter) and Mary Christopher and diverse others to the boats—and that night lodged at Stonington and had roast beef and pumpkin sauce for supper. | I took the ferry to Groton the next morning. I was on the boat with the governor’s daughter and several others. I stayed in Stonington that night and had roast beef and pumpkin sauce for dinner. |
| The next night at Haven’s, and had roast fowl, and the next day we came to a river which by reason of the freshets coming down was swelled so high we feared it impassable and the rapid stream was very terrifying. | The next day we had to cross a river that was overflowing from the rain. It was difficult and terrifying to cross the river. |
| However, we must over and that in a small canoe. Mr. Rogers assuring me of his good conduct, I, after a stay of near an hour on the shore for consultation, went into the canoe, and Mr. Rogers paddled about 100 yards up the creek by the shore side, turned into the swift stream and dexterously steering her, in a moment we came to the other side, as swiftly passing as an arrow shot out of the bow by a strong arm. | After talking with my guide for an hour, I went into a small boat and he safely and quickly got us to the other side. |
Sarah Kemble Knight, The private journal of a journey from Boston to New York in the year 1704, 1865. Kept by Madam Knight. Via HathiTrust.
Background
Sarah Kemble Knight was a widow and mother who lived in Boston her entire life. In the winter of 1704-05, she had to travel to New York City to manage the business affairs of her friend’s late husband. In the early 1700s, travel between the American colonies was difficult and uncommon, especially for women. Sarah made the journey primarily on horseback. Roads were rough and food and lodgings were hard to find. Sarah hired male guides for protection and navigation so she did not have to travel alone.
The trip from Boston to New York and back to Boston took her six months, from October 1704 until March 1705. She recorded her observations in a travel diary. Today, her diary is one of the earliest known travel journals by a woman in colonial America and offers insights into the differences between the English colonies in North America.
About the Document
These excerpts from Sarah Kemble Knight’s travel journal describe her journey through the Connecticut colony. Sarah’s journal is a valuable source of information about daily life in the colonies in the early 1700s. But it also contains examples of the racist and classist attitudes that were common in her time.
Discussion Questions
- What was it like for Sarah Kemble Knight to travel from Boston to New York City? What challenges did she encounter during her journey?
- How does Sarah Kemble Knight describe the people of Connecticut? How are their customs and traditions different from those of the people in Boston?
- What does Sarah Kemble Knight’s journal reveal about class and status in the English colonies? What does her description of other people show about her prejudices?
- What does Sarah Kemble Knight’s journal reveal about everyday life in the English colonies in the early 1700s?
Suggested Activities
- APUSH Connection: 2.7 Colonial Society and Culture
- Include this resource in a lesson about life in the English colonies. Sarah Kemble Knight’s diary highlights the challenges of travel and differences between the various English colonies in the early 1700s.
- Map Sarah Kemble Knight’s roundtrip journey from Boston to New York. This took five months in the early 1700s. Discuss why it took so much longer than it does today and have the students consider the challenges of traveling during this time.
- Combine this resource with any of the following to explore the experiences of women traveling in the colonial period:
Themes
GEOGRAPHY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
