Colonial Williamsburg

VOLUME 7, ISSUE 7

Top Stories

Courtship and Marriage in the
Eighteenth Century

Courtship and marriage were among the ritualized customs that white eighteenth-century Virginians practiced and adapted from their European roots. Courtship taught young people about social interaction; the parties and visits ensured that they met many eligible partners . . . Weddings were joyously celebrated as occasions that affirmed the young couple's affection and the binding of family ties . . . [and] were important milestones in the formation of community, consciousness, and culture in eighteenth-century Virginia.

Learn more

Primary Source of the Month:
"The Story of Pamela" Print

"The Story of Pamela" is a series of twelve prints engraved by L. Truchy based on paintings by Joseph Highmore. The prints illustrate the story presented in Pamela or, Virtue Rewarded, a 1740 novel by Samuel Richardson. Often regarded as the first true novel in English, Pamela created a sensation when first published, and became the bestselling novel of its time.

Learn more

Teaching Strategy: Courtship and Marriage

In this jigsaw activity, students work in small groups to examine various aspects of eighteenth-century courtship and marriage, and then compare courting practices, parental influence, the wedding ceremony, and wedding celebrations with similar present-day customs.

Learn more

Colonial Williamsburg Teaching Resources for Your Classroom

Colonial Williamsburg offers a variety of quality instructional materials dealing with 18th-century life, including:

• A Day in the Life Series (DVD/CD-ROM set)
• Our Common Passage (DVD)
• Hands-On History: Lady's Pocket (object kit)
• Virginians at Home (book)

Learn more

Teaching News

Today in History
Have you ever needed a last-minute history connection for your students . . . perhaps as a hook or conversation starter? Or are you simply curious about people and events associated with a particular day in the past? If so, try the "Today in History" section of the Library of Congress Web site. Not only is the site chock full of terrific information, it is also fully searchable by keyword, day, or month.

Social Studies for the 21st Century
What would happen if social studies classes . . . focused on goals such as collaboration, creativity and innovation, and initiative and self-direction at almost every turn? Or if students in those classes regularly published their work in spreadsheets, online wikis, and multimedia presentations, and made full use of digital tools . . .? Plenty would happen, say the advocates of a new social studies map designed to place students and their social studies teachers on a firm footing for the century ahead . . .

Learn more

Quotation of the Month

"Those Marriages generally abound most with Love and Constancy, that are preceded by a long Courtship. The Passion should strike Root, and gather Strength before Marriage be grafted on it."

—Joseph Addison, The Spectator, no. 261,
December 29, 1711

If you would like to subscribe to the Teacher Gazette, please send
an e-mail to teachergazette@cwf.org with the subject heading "subscribe."

If you would like to be removed from future Teacher Gazette mailings, please send
an e-mail to teachergazette@cwf.org with the subject heading "unsubscribe."