Module 1 Key Terms

Southern Colonies

(Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia) Jamestown and tabacco, settlers came to own their own land, religion no at the center of their reasoning, high tolerance for sports, gambing is cool and reveals a person's standing with God, primogeniture, landed gentry, indentured servants, horse races, "side bets, ganderpulling, separates classes

New England Colonies

(Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire) "Great Migration", Puritans fled to settle in Massachusetts, John Winthrop, Sabbatarian Laws, lawful recreation or sport

Middle Colonies

(New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware) Quakers, tolerant for religion, intolerant for sports, Blue Laws, needful recreation, Society of Friends(settled by persecuted religious sect)

Kolven

A game introduced to the New York colony by the Dutch. It most closely resembles the modern game of golf.

Quarter Horse

A new breed of horse in the colonies that was much smaller than the British thoroughbreds with larger hindquarters bred to race shorter distances of a quarter mile or less.

Ganderpulling

A popular blood sport in the Southern colonies usually staged on the Monday following Easter in which a goose was hung by its feet from a rope tied between two trees. The bird's neck was greased and the participants attempted to pull its' head off from horseback

Landed Gentry

A relatively small group of landowners in Virginia who owned most of the land and became the cultural elite of the colony

Puritans

A religious group who wanted to purify the Church of England. They came to America for religious freedom and settled Massachusetts Bay.

Lawful Recreation

Activities allowed by Puritan society that were designed to refresh the mind and body of the participant while being completely disassociated from Britain's Festive Culture.

Needful Recreation

Activities deemed to be appropriate in Pennsylvania. Similar to Puritan Lawful sport, needful recreation was allowed if it benefited the individual through exercise or providing food.

Tennis

Also a popular royal sport imported to Britain from France during the Middle Ages

May Day

Annual rite of spring for British Society and rite of passage for British youth. The most popular holiday of the British Festive Culture

Primogenture

British culture tradition of the firstborn son inheriting the family fortune

Backcountry

Considered the frontier to the west of the original colonies settled primarily by Scots-Irish from the borderlands of Britain. It was the last area of North American colonization. Rough and Tumble, Wrestling, warrior ethic, Andrew Jackson

Foolstide

Derisive term used for Christmas by the Puritans

Folk Games

Foot races, quibits, skittles, etc..

Britain's "Festive Culture"

Games played in conjunction with the gathering of large groups of people in British society celebrating religious or pagan holidays or simply celebrating life

King James' "Book of Sports"

King James' 1618 declaration of what sports were and were not allowed to be played on the Sabbath. The declaration came in response to the growing influence of the Puritans

Sabbatarian Laws

Laws passed in the colonies to restrict recreation on the Sabbath

Oliver Cromwell

Leader of the Parliamentary forces during the British Civil War. Was the titular ruler of Great Britain after the Civil War when there was no monarch.

Rough and Tumble

Popular violent sport with no rules in the Backcountry usually contested when there was a real or perceived slight to one's manhood. The ultimate goal of the sport was to gouge out the eyes of your opponent.

Pageant of Misrule

Someone unmarried makes fun of the upper class and the married

Royal Sports

Sports that kings and queens participated it. Joust was most popular along with tennis. Henry VIII was a great person/athlete but an injury from a joust turned him into a new person. Queen Elizabeth was an avid fan and supporter of the joust. When she was involved with a festival there was always a jousting tournament during her rule.

Joust and Tilt Yard

The joust was popular competition among the royals and the tilt-yard was where the joust took place -- a field divided by a fence that helped prevent the participants from crashing into one another

Football

The most popular of the violent folk games-especially among the lower classes

Shrovetide

The two days before Ash Wednesday that marks the end of Carnival and the beginning of Lent.