Sarah Kemble Knight: 1704 - 1705

http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/becomingamer/growth/text1/connecticutknight.pdf

The link I have posted above is of Sarah Kemble Knight, a teacher and businesswoman, who journeyed from  Massachusetts Bay Colony to New York City over five months. Sarah Kemble Knight wrote about her experience while travelling and what she witnessed on her journey.


"My Guide vented his Spleen at the Lubber; and we soon after came into the Road, and keeping still on, without anything further Remarkable, about two o’clock afternoon we arrived at New Haven, where I was received with all Possible Respects and civility."

Here Knight expresses how long and tedious the journey had been. She explains how her guide and herself had not seen anything 'Remarkable' and that they felt anger from the length they had to travel to the road that they had been told to go down.


"but a little too much Independent in their principles, and, as I have been told, were formerly in their Zeal very Rigid in their Administrations towards such as their Laws made Offenders, even to a harmless Kiss or Innocent merriment among Young people. Whipping being a frequent and counted an easy Punishment, about which as other Crimes, the Judges were absolute in their Sentences."

Knight explains how the laws are similar to where she was from in Boston but these people are more 'independent' and the punishments for breaking the laws were frequent and absolute. She also explains a story about a slave that had broken the law and was punished for it.


"They generally marry very young: the males oftener as I am told under twenty than above; they generally make public weddings"


"And they Generally lived very well and comfortably in their families. But too Indulgent (especially 
the farmers) to their slaves: suffering [allowing] too great familiarity from them, permitting them to sit at Table and eat with them (as they say to save time) and into the dish goes the black hoof as freely as the white hand."

"The present Governor in Connecticut is the Honorable John Winthrop, Esq. [Esquire, 
i.e., gentleman], A Gentleman of an Ancient and Honorable Family, whose Father was Governor here sometime before, and his Grandfather had been Governor of the Massachusetts. This gentleman is a very courteous and affable person, much Given to Hospitality, and has by his Good services Gained the affections of the people as much as any who had been before him in that post."

The quotations above show the ways in which the people lived and what was happening in their community at the time. She explains how the Governor was a man who's father and Grandfather had been Governors.


After leaving New York and making her way back to Boston:


"I lay very uncomfortably, insomuch that I was so very cold and sick I was forced to call them up to give me something to warm me. They had nothing but milk in the house, which they Boiled"

This shows the huge difference between the communities. The people here were less fortunate and many were sick and had barely anything to eat.


"About nine at night we come to Norwalk, having crept over a timber of a Broken Bridge about thirty foot long, and perhaps fifty to the water. I was exceeding tired and cold when we come to our Inn, and could get nothing there but poor entertainment"

Again, Knight shows how the conditions of the journey were extreme and tiring, especially for a woman at that time.