This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Teaching Male National Identity in Early America: Honest Young Men and Religion, Part 3

Following the Revolutionary War, how did Early American males become "Americanized"? This eight part blog explores this question using an average 19th century Montville resident as an example.

Each of the authors mentioned in the last posting emphasized honesty as being one of the most essential character traits.  Interestingly, in the case of the author John Abbott, he utilized the legend of George Washington cutting down the “pear-tree” to reiterate his point.  Upon being caught by his father, “George trembled and hesitated. He was strongly tempted to deny that he knew any thing about it.  But summoning all his courage, he replied, ‘Father, I cannot tell a lie.  I cut it with my hatchet.’ His father clasped him to his arms and said, ‘My dear boy, I would rather lose a thousand trees than have my son a liar’.” 

This story has several important factors, primarily that Washington epitomized the true American citizen through his honesty, humility, and courage and, secondly, it reaffirmed that Washington had these virtuous traits even as a boy.  Abbott stated in referring to the tale, “that George Washington, when a boy was too brave and noble to tell a lie.  He had rather be punished than be so mean and degraded as to utter a falsehood.” Accordingly, those who read the book should realize the importance of embodying Washington’s valiant characteristics. 

To even further accentuate his point, Abbott explicated that the traits Washington exhibited as a boy gave him the strength to persevere as an adult and “a brave man, even in the face of danger.  He would march to the mouth of the cannon in the hour of battle, he would ride through the field when bullets were flying in every direction, and strewing the ground with the dead, and not a nerve would tremble.”  In his final declaration concerning the evils of lying, Abbott stated, “The liar, whether he be a boy or a man, is looked upon with disgust.”

Find out what's happening in Montvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Society in the early American republic necessitated that males represented desirable traits to insure a stable nation.  James wrote, “As a son, you learn to be a good subject; as a brother, you learn to be a good citizen.  Rebellious children are traitors in the bud,” and the early republic did not want traitors in their midst. As the parents influenced their sons to be good citizens and learn the quintessential character traits of an American male, in the same way the formal education of young men reiterated their family’s ideologies.

Religion became the bridge that tied together the parents’ lessons and the educational component.  Historian Monica Kiefer, American Children through their Books wrote, “many adults by 1800 whose spiritual lessons had been ‘painfully learnt and darkly understood’ advocated that religious education in early life should be addressed to the heart rather that to the mind.”  To this end, according to the 1827 New Jersey Sunday School Journal, “The American Sunday School Union had been formed in 1824 by merging the resources of various denominations and thus provisions were made of a confederated system of religious instruction.”  Historian Monica Kiefer made a key point in arguing, “the object of the Society was twofold: to provide the young with oral instruction, and to furnish suitable juvenile reading material to be used in the schools and at home.”

Find out what's happening in Montvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Harvey Newcomb, one of the American Sunday School Union writers, was a clear example of authors combining the home and religion.  In his book, How to be a Man, Newcomb felt he would be “contributing something toward forming the character of some of those who are to be our future electors, legislator, governors, judges, ministers, lawyers and physicians”  for the book “is intended for boys, - or if you please, for young gentlemen, - in the early youth.”

Newcomb clearly stated that “next to your duty to God comes your duty or your parents; and you can never form an excellent, amiable, and lovely character, unless the foundation of it is laid in filial piety,” for “your parents are under God: the authors of your being.”  The parents received the position from their covenant with God; they were then duty bound to mold their children into proper citizens.  Newcomb further stated, “Good parents are most of all anxious that their children should grow up intelligent and virtuous, pious and happy.  There is no being but God to whom children are so indebted as to a faithful parent.” 

Newcomb’s book covered a wide array of subject matter with such headings as “Choice of Society and Formation of Friendships” and “The Union of Serious Piety with Habitual Cheerfulness” and “Behavior at School.”   The contents of the chapter “Behavior at School” created an obvious alliance between parents and school.  He stated, “You ought therefore in the first place, to pay strict regard to every rule of the school, as a religious duty; and obey your teacher, in all things, with the same promptness and cheerfulness that you would obey your parents,” for when you go to school, “Your teachers take the place of your parents.”  The intermingling of the teacher and parent roles became important as a way of extending the character development of young men to the next level, that of school.

Next: Part 4: Teaching Male National Identity in Early America: Education

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?