Colonial New England on 5 Shillings a Day

Thames Hudson 5... a Day

by Bill Scheller

Navigate the dangerous shoals of Cape Cod, talk politics with John Adams, sample the porridge known as “Indian pudding”―how to get around and enjoy Colonial New England’s towns and scenery. It’s 1765, and you’ve just arrived in New England. Once you’ve had a chance to freshen up and powder your wig, you’ll want to know where to find a room for the night (and how many other travelers might be sharing your bed), which tavern serves a good rum flip, and what you might expect to pay silversmith Paul Revere for a teapot or a set of spoons.

Colonial New England on 5 Shillings a Day answers these questions and many more, as it takes you on a time-traveler’s tour of Yankeedom’s cities and hamlets, highways and byways, customs and quirks in the decade before the American Revolution. What time does the stagecoach leave Boston for Portsmouth, New Hampshire? Should you travel from Providence to Newport by land or sea? Who serves the best fried clams on the Connecticut coast? When you settle into the chimney corner in a Hartford tavern, what newspaper will you likely read?

This lively, carefully researched guide will be an invaluable resource as you roam the post roads and village streets of a world nearly 250 years distant from our own, vastly different yet somehow as familiar as a sharp-steepled meetinghouse on a village green, a hearty greeting at a country inn, or a bowl of clam chowder.

So count your shillings (take a few extra if you’re stopping in at Mr. Revere’s), prepare to embark by ship or via the King’s Highway, and set your course for the eighteenth century. 8 color and 72 black-and-white illustrations

Genres: History

144 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2010

Reviews

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eighteenth century New England life and culture is examined. Many reproductions and photographs of artwork and buildings is included. The work is presented in the form of a period travel guide and is educational in nature.

[Frank Minich · Rating 3 out of 5]

While an easy read, I was expecting something more.
Where does the '5 Shillings' in the title come from? Does that represent something like '$50' today?
Why would one be travelling around New England, presumably on vacation? What could one hope to see? Attractions? Does anybody actually do so?
What are the fares for the various forms of transportation, and the costs for food, drink, and lodging? How far would 5 shillings go?
Do any travelogues from the time exist?
Do any travel maps from the time exist?
What kind of available guidance would a traveler back in the day have available?
The book has quite a few interesting factoids, but it just doesn't seem to address the book's title adequately.

[Jason Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun if somewhat dumb book. I enjoyed the author's approach to the idea of what a modern traveller might find odd about getting around and packing for travel in the 18th century. There is a lot to learn in this book as well, even if it is somewhat tongue in cheek.

[Pearl Yusuf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure if you'd like it if you weren't familiar with the area. But I think this has been done in a series to highlight other regions.

[Jeff Deck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative. Lots to steal here. Great narrative within each section, but ends abruptly.