Child Abuse in Colonial America

Abstract

Child Abuse in Colonial America is an investigation of the extent to which colonial societies were aware of child abuse and how they responded. Historians often assert that awareness of the problem did not exist in America until the mid-nineteenth century; however, the evidence uncovered suggests that cases of child abuse were recognized during the colonial period and that the societal responses differed widely. Historians of childhood document myriad social, economic, political, religious, and other cultural influences that dictate how children were treated at different times and locations, and this framework is used to interpret why the responses to child abuse varied by colony. Puritan-influenced New England is considered first before turning to an examination of Quaker Pennsylvania, which elucidates how different religious perspectives operated on the issue of child abuse. Then, Dutch New Netherlands is considered to examine how an economically focused colony with a different legal system contrasted with the religiously inspired colonies of New England and Pennsylvania. Finally, the southern colonies, with less densely populated settlements and difficulties related to disease and famine, are considered. Primary sources, including court records, newspapers, and correspondence, provide ample opportunities to examine the topic. Secondary sources from the historical study of childhood provide a framework for interpreting the primary sources. The conclusion is reached that colonists were aware of child abuse, often found it reprehensible, but were limited in their response by the various cultural, economic, and social circumstances of their time