Please respond to the questions in the reading guide below. Or if you prefer, reflect on the lectures from this morning. What aspects of the Moffatts did you find most intriguing, surprising, or significant?
Reading Guide
Ward, Barbara McLean, ed., The Moffatt-Ladd House: From Mansion to Museum.
Portsmouth: The Moffatt-Ladd House and Garden, 2007.
Background
You might be surprised to find a guidebook such as The Moffatt-Ladd House used as a course text, but in a class on Everyday Life in Early America History, this kind of source is especially useful. For one thing, investigation of material culture offers insight into particular issues of the daily round and engages our thoughts into the kinds of choices early Americans could and did make. For another, the text introduces us to kinds of expertise that we may not locate in the narrative and interpretation of conventional studies. Related to this second point, the guide enables us to break out of the assumption that the career path for history students necessarily points toward education or the law; rather, we find there are many more ways of “doing” History than we might be aware. And, of course, the aesthetics of architecture, gardens, and material goods enlightens and enlivens our appreciation of the world, past and present.
Questions
Historiography
— How did this book come to be written? How would you categorize it?
— What are the major primary sources from which the contributors designed this study of the lives and times of the Moffatt-Ladd residents?
— What does this text tell us about the methodology of historians of early America material culture?
— How are the Moffatt-Ladd house and gardens representative of everyday life in early America?
Ch 1. “House & Home. . . .” by Barbara Ward
— Why does Ward begin with Clifford Shipton’s description of John and Samuel Moffatt? What themes of everyday life are we alerted to look for in the book? (Ward, Moffatt-Ladd, 9)
— How could the boundaries between business and family become blurred in 18th century life?
— How could the Revolution influence attitudes toward slavery?
— What do the house and furnishings tell us about consumption patterns in early America?
— What do Maria Ladd’s “solemn warning to be also ready” and other sources tell us about the relationship between health and wealth in early America? (Ward, Moffatt-Ladd, 26 and passim)
Ch 2. “Museum & Headquarters. . . .” by Jane Nylander
— What does Nylander tell us about the history of early American preservation during the 20th century?
— What the phases of interpretation that governed preservation of the house?
— What assumptions and values guided preservation of the house during each phase?
Ch 3. Collection Highlights
— What are your favorite pieces in the collections? Why?
— What are your favorite pieces in the collections? Why?
— Consider the c. 1765-1775 kettle stand [59]. What does it suggest about provincial Portsmouth’s integration into the Atlantic economy? What are we to make of the distinctively Portsmouth features such as the arched stretchers and central pierced finial? How are we to reconcile the crafting of the piece by Robert Harrold at a time when “patriots” were boycotting tea and the most famous tea party of the times occurred in Boston and involved the destruction of a cargo of tea? Lastly, why was it that some families held onto and passed down such pieces as heirlooms through generations of family
— Consider the late 18th to early 19th century fire buckets and fire bag [76]. What does it tell us about the ideal of civic duty that these artifacts were part of the households of the Ladds (we will see also the fire buckets proudly owned by Leonard Cotton at SBM)?”
Before my brain turns completely to mush, I want to capture a few ideas, in no particular order. The field of material culture is relatively new, especially as compared to the study of great battles and great men. To some, it may seem almost fanciful - sort of like when we enter an old house and say, "Oh, if only these walls could speak!: To a material culturist, the walls do speak, as do the windows and doors cut into them, and the furnishings of the rooms. Knowing where an item was made and its apporoximate cost or value at the time provides an insight into its owner's realtive wealth and also his/her values.
ReplyDeleteMy experience of less exalted old New England homes is that they are often filled with a hodgepodge of things - some items still in use and others put away in attics, closets, cellars, sheds and barns. Apparently this was common practice; Barbara Ward mentions "stuff" found in attics and sheds on the property.
In the case of a merchant, the "stuff" would have been important on several levels. As was mentioned in the lecture today, the furnishings of a merchant's home were a kind of advertising for him. A merchant who dealt in goods form Asia or Europe would have more "foreign" goods in proportion to the number of locally-made items. On the other hand, because relationships with local businessmen and craftsmen were also an importaant part of his business, we should expect to find a few local pieces of the best quality. Quality of material goods in general would be important to a merchant who had so many opportunities to learn what the "best" of a particular item looked and felt like, in contast to lesser goods. A merchant and his family would have to balance between frugality - not discarding items that were still good - and the need to appear au courant, to replace old items with the latest fashions. Having too many old items in relation to everything on hand would make him appear less prosperous, while having only new things would make him appear frivolous, not careful with his money.
Fom thinking about the fire buckets in the Moffat-Ladd house, which would either be used as home fire extinguishers or to help a neighbor, I think also of Samuel Lane who took his turn at civic office. In a community it is important for its leading citizens to take part, both as an example to lesser men, and to prove why they were the leading citizens. When I think of John Moffat's involvement in the affairs of his business contacts' families as well as civic affairs, I remember how my own father's company paid his Shriners initiation fees and dues, and allowed him to take time away form the job for church or town affairs - it reflected to the company's credit to have its executives involved in elite networking organizations and in religious and civic affairs. I had never thought before about how modern business practices are a direct outgrowth of pre-Revolutionary business practices.
I could go on at great length about all I've learned from the Moffat-Ladd House, the occpatns' stories, and the home's furnishings, but this seems enough for the moment.
I found myself comparing. John Moffatt and Joshua Lane were similar in that they both provided for their sons with property and a home. However, Early America required a skill, a trade or experience in some field. John Moffat was a ship’s captain and probably worked his way into that position. John Moffat knew all aspects of the business because he lived it. Samuel Moffat although well educated really needed to apprentice with his father. The shipping industry has to be taught just like shoe making. When hearing about the Moffats, I found myself thinking if Joshua Lane had merely set his son up and not trained him in some trade then Samuel Lane’s outcome may have been the same as Samuel Moffatt. Providing the material goods for ones children is not enough. This quote came to mind: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Lao Tzu
ReplyDeleteIn the house, I really appreciated the staircase, the view of the Piscataqua River, and the intricate details above the fireplace. Once I saw the inside of the house, I could understand how a house and its contents were advertisements for ones business and ones self as a businessman. That house commands respect.
I agree with Rachael. The similarity to Lane's business ethic is striking, but perhaps that's only in comparison to today's standards. John Moffatt was not only trained to handle the business, but he knew how to "walk the walk." There was much more of a sense of savvy when it came to business - even when Samuel Failed, his father bailed him out. John's teaching and protection of Samuel was a striking difference in the two situations.
ReplyDeleteThe staircase and entrance hall was stunning, and the reproductions were quite amazing. The wallpaper was an impressive match. The overall elegance of the house and estate speaks volumes.
What I found most interesting about the Moffatt's and the Kinsman's specifically was the reliance on other economic areas of the world when finances at home were getting tight. The Kinsman's relied on Macao and Canton in China while the Moffatt's used much of the Caribbean as a economic resource.
ReplyDeleteIt really opened my eyes to hear home many Americans or transplanted Europeans living in the colonies depending on the time period actually left the colonies/states to live in the Caribbean or Asia in hopes of economic prosperity. Prof. Morrison made the point today saying that Americans in the revolutionary era are falsely identified as staying put in one space as in fact they would move if the occasion called for it. That amazes me due to the problems of traveling during that era and the amount of time, energy and effort it took to get any place.
The last point I wanted to touch upon were the amazing gardens at the Moffatt-Ladd house today. I was extremely impressed with the upkeep and the layout of the gardens surrounding the estate. I enjoyed seeing the gardens around the Strawbery Banke yesterday but I really felt that the ones at the Moffatt-Ladd house were exceptional.
To reflect on the lectures this morning it was quite striking how different the Mofat’s and Lanes lifestyles were. The Lane property was set up for an efficient working environment and a good home for the family to live. The Mofat estate is set up to show off their money and to entertain guests at their “balls”. The rooms at the Mofat house are big and elegant with high ceilings and the house was filled with very nice furniture and beautiful textiles. The location of the Mofat house in itself was amazing with a view of the river from all the rooms along the front of the house and amazing gardens in the back. The Mofat house was however setup for the Mofat’s business which was linked with pleasure while entertaining the high profile people that they wined and dined. The Mofat house was a great location for them to walk the wharf and docks to check in with the ships and merchants and to “work the crowd’ to keep up with the goings on in the shipping world. The house was set up perfectly to entertain the important people that came to visit who would support their business and the house was filled with things to show off their status and importance. I was very intrigued with their paintings and the things they would be holding to show their wealth and status in life. The Mofat’s were very strategic in all they did to their paintings, house set up and location. With no Internet and technology that we had it was very important to keep up appearances to those who might be working to help your business.
ReplyDeleteWhat I found most intriguing about John Moffatt was his savvy business sense. “Social Darwinism” is what comes to mind when I think of him. Some people are more apt to succeed in business than others. John even owned the land on which his raw materials were shipped. He set up his family for wealth and success in every way he knew how, but as we see, sometimes that isn’t enough. Samuel Moffatt, son of John, was given a Harvard education and handed a thriving business but couldn’t do anything right. I don’t know if it was because of personality, intelligence or his father’s coddling; but Samuel just wasn’t fit for business. I wonder if John taught his son the shipping industry, instead of handing him a readymade company, maybe he would have found success. We will never know.
ReplyDeleteThe Moffatt- Ladd house was beautiful inside and out. From the detailed molding, to the huge window at the bottom of the staircase, the whole experience was surreal. The house made me feel like I was back in the 18th century.
Today at the Moffatt house I and learned about the family. John Moffatt had been a mate and captain now was a merchant. In John Moffatt portrait he held a note I think it was a note of thousand pounds to show his wealth that he had made it. I never realized today that having a portrait of yourself like this would help your business. I think the history of the family is so interesting with Samuel not having a clue of what he was doing as a businessman and having to leave New Hampshire and never able to come back. Samuel wife Sarah Catherine Tufton Mason who came from England thought her life would have been different. John Moffatt tried to help his son in every way sending him to Harvard but Samuel never learned how to manage his business affairs even in exile in St. Eustatius and then later when his wife arrived later. Sarah Catherine left Portsmouth a British subject and came back to a country to Portsmouth now changed a new country was forming. John Moffatt had tried hard to be a good father to provide for his son but Samuel couldn’t fulfill his dreams for him. John had to rely on his son- in-law William Whipple for his business affairs. The first owner life ended in sadness with his death and his wife struggling survive.
ReplyDeleteThe Moffatt house was very elegant when you enter and you could image how it felt to live in the house in the 18th century. Every room seemed to have a story to tell of its own. I was very surprised how high the ceiling on the third floor I would of thought they would have been lower. The kitchen was very much what I would image an 18th century would look like in a well to do merchant home. I could stay longer to learn more about the next owners of the house.
I found the day at the Moffatt Ladd house to be extremely beneficial. First of all, it was interesting to learn about the average day of a merchant sailor. They would wake at dawn and then read the bible. I found the “making calls” portion of their average day to be especially intriguing, as these merchants needed networking and social skills in order to survive and produce new business. On another subject, who would have thought that the roles of teenage boys would have been so crucial to sailing and business on the sea. They played a key role as soon as they could. They would encounter anything and everything on the seas, and were responsible for maintaining discipline and achieving the end result....trade. This trade may have even involved the sale of one’s own boat if it meant cash! Also, I think it was important to note how families in both Portsmouth and Salem had extended families that could be either back in Europe or in the West Indies or other islands. Again, this all ties in with networking for the cause of business.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed learning how one’s house would be furnished from traded items and income brought in from business. As we have fads and trends today, people in the colonial period would keep up with trends in Europe and one’s home was a true expression of wealth and style. Items displayed throughout the home and the home itself was without a doubt a status symbol. This is evident through the Moffatt Ladd House. This house was simply amazing. The crown molding displayed true craftsmanship and the stairway banister was an A+ work of art. It was fairly obvious that a family with considerable wealth during this time period occupied this home. Barbara relayed the fact that this home would have easily have been a million dollar home during this time period.
Today I reflected on this morning's lecture regarding the importance of relationships; personal, business, and social. I valued the letter writings of father to son and the premeditated marriages to prominent women that secured social and professional standings. I valued the care and networking of merchants to acquire information so that may establish financial security; and I valued the everyday life of neighbor-to-neighbor social relationships that lead to honorable or dishonorable reputations. Since my project is "Following the Fish," I was particularly drawn to the everyday life of the merchant and found the lectures, maps, and primary sources (letters)helpful to the design of my lesson. I was reminded of Col. Jeremiah Lee of Marblehead, who was perhaps the wealthiest merchants in Massachusetts. Lee owned 21 vessels (mostly fishing schooners), married well, and traded mostly in Europe and also seasonally up and down the Atlantic coastline and West Indies. He relied on the fishing trade and the relationships that he fostered to gain financial success.
ReplyDeleteAs I sit typing away at my home computer with my personal email loading in the background and this morning's news humming on the TV, I'm impressed with the centrality of communication in the lives of men like John and Samuel Moffett. So much of their time and energy was spent attempting to acquire and utilize information. Accurate news was essential to the success of their business affairs, yet it was so hard to come by. More often than not, they had to rely on a random accumulation of gossip and hearsay as the basis for crutial business decisions. It is interesting that when setting up his son in business John's first big step was to send Samuel to London to make connections. In other words, Samuel was expected to establish relationships that would provide news, information and business opportunities. One wonders how Samuel went about this task, and whether he would have been more successful if has father had accompanied him to help facilitate this process. (Although, it sounds as if John did not like to travel and was a bit old for such an arduous voyage.)
ReplyDeleteIt was, apparently, lack of good communication that led to Samuel's eventual downfall. When his foray into the slave trade failed, his partner claimed reperations from Samuel. Was the arrangement that of a loan, or was it a business partnership? Samuel's failure to legally document the arrangements created a crises in communication. In fact, it was his inaccurate record keeping (a form of communication) that vexed his father so deeply.
Samuel's widow also faced a crises rooted in communication difficulties. Begging for her father's help must have been hard enough, but to then have the letter go astray and recieve no word from him for five years must have devastated her.
Situations like these help us appreciate the transformative value of inventions like the telegraph, telephone, email, fax, and cell phones. While I am often annoyed by the intrusive nature of modern communication devices, the instant connection they provide with family, friends and colleagues can certainly be helpful.
I enjoyed walking through the day of a Portsmouth merchant. Our discussion really humanized these professional men by examining their daily tasks from sun rise to sun set. This also reminded me of the Samuel Lane book that focused on and "ordinary man." So much of history has been written by the "winners" but this course went deeper into examining the life of ordinary Portsmouth citizens of the late 18th century in to the early 19th century. This made the course very reflective especially to many of us who grew up on the coast. I especially enjoyed talking about the sights, sounds, tastes, etc. of a Portsmouth merchant because I got me thinking of potential museum exhibits that usually strive to engage the visitor in all five senses.
ReplyDeleteThe house was really beautiful. The house was staged perfect. One could really imagine what it was like to live there in the time of the Moffatt's. The upstairs front room with the portraits and the navigation tools (compass, telescope)was my favorite with the view of the river right in front of you.
The story of Samuel's failure is what I find most intriguing about the Moffatt family story. Furthermore the fact that even after failing John Moffatt stuck by his son surprised me. It is interesting that someone so inept as Samuel can be the son of someone so diverse and skilled as John. I also found it interesting how both lectures stressed that success in early times was about who you knew (connections) not what you knew. I found this particularly interesting because I believe this is still relevant today. "Pressing the flesh" is just as important now as it was then and I found it intriguing that as much as technology changes life somethings never change.
ReplyDeleteI also really enjoyed the discussion of the different portraits. I never before thought about how important the objects in a painting would have to be in order to be in the one photo of the person. This made me especially appreciate John Moffatt's photo with his 1000 pound note... This way of thinking has led me to look up other famous figures just to see what else is in their portrait, and I have to admit they are all very telling of the person's character.
Dynamic - that was the word that stood out in the lecture at the Moffatt house. To me, it also serves as a unifier for the whole week. Historians tend to think in terms of eras. As a consequence the lay public gets the impression that people of a certain time were much alike, static throughout an era. What has been demonstrated throughout the week is how varied all those lives can be. And the role of the local historian is to describe those variations.
ReplyDeleteIn John Moffatt we see the classic merchant of his time, one of the 4,000+ that actually qualified as such. Yet again, as we delve into his everyday life we begin to appreciate how 'dynamic' it truly was. There was nothing pre-ordained about his success, and we can't discount the role of luck in his endeavors. As was pointed out, one bad voyage could fail a business.
Conversely we can look at his son Samuel. One would think that he had it made, that he was 'sitting pretty'. Here again, his own ability (or lack therof) coupled with the vagaries of the time played key roles. Without his father's intervention how would he have faired? Not only after his high-tailing it, but also before. Did his father in fact coddle him (as Chris wrote) or was he set up properly?
Sam found it easier, professionally as well as personally, to leave behind his life in Portsmouth - a family, beautiful house, friends - and settle in the Caribbean, rather than deal with the consequences of his shady business dealings. It was less of a humiliation to desert and let his father sort it out than to deal with it himself. What is interesting, as a historian, is how much of that attitude can be attributed to merely the man (Sam Moffatt), and how much of was in tune with the ethos of the time?
Like everyone else, I too enjoyed touring the house and garden, especially after hearing about the family. I was also intrigued by how much the house was used as an advertisement - of wealth, respectability, etc. The grand entrance foyer and stair was particulary impressive - and unexpected.
As a comment, I had hoped for some information on how the house realted to the Portsmouth 'Black Heritage Trail'.
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ReplyDeleteDay 4
ReplyDeletecashman5@msn.com wrote:
I fell in love with the Moffatt-Ladd house the moment that I stepped into it. I grew up in Winthrop by the water, with houses that were over 100 years old, and felt like I had stepped back into my past as well as the Moffatt’s. I feel the significance of the house was to express to everyone just how wealthy and powerful the Moffatt family was. It did indeed say just that! The workmanship on the moldings alone spoke infinite wealth, (knowing the amount of time it took to make even one flower design). The average family could never have afforded to spend money so frivolously, so you knew they had plenty of money to spare. The fact that the downstairs rooms, (that most visitors would see), were extravagantly designed, tells me that their house was indeed intended as a showpiece. It was to let everyone know that they were in fact very wealthy, and you couldn’t be that wealthy if you were a terrible businessman. I’m certain that they threw many holiday parties and balls in that house. The gardens were just as beautiful as the house, and also meant to be another exhibit of their extravagant wealth. You could tell by the landscaping that many parties were also held out in the gardens throughout the years. It seemed to me that the Moffatt’s were the type of family that wanted you to know that they had indeed arrived! You knew that Samuel Moffatt was bred well, and had the confidence to run the family business when the time came, just by looking at his portrait. The entire family’s demeanor demanded respect the moment they walked into a room. Their home and gardens showed it.
However, when I see how John Moffatt set his son up in the family business, like many families do today, I see many of the same results. When children are born with the “Silver Spoon,” they don’t realize or appreciate what they have. I feel that was the case with his son Samuel. He did not have to work extremely hard to earn what he had; he got the easy road to riches. I feel that because of that, he ended up in the trouble he did. He was once again, looking for the easy way, but this time it didn’t work out for him. I feel that if John had not brought him up thinking he was “All that and a bag of chips,” he might not have been so cocky and realized that he could in fact fail, as he did. Anyway, I really enjoyed the week, and learned so much about the early American times. It was a great group of historians, and I had a great time!
zanzibar33090@yahoo.com wrote:
ReplyDeleteThe Moffatts were merchants, who up until Samuel took over, were quite successful. I find them significant because of their records. From them we are able to follow a family of generations that rose and fell in the merchant business. When Samuel was given everything to start his trade he quickly messed it up; not taking good records he got into a financial situation.
However his mix up helped to lead to the representation of the traditional view of paternalism when his father is the one who sneakily sued the man who would sue his son, and attempt to cut off the attack on his son. By this action the father yet again was providing and taking care of his family.
When Samuel left and the man, Whipple, who left him off was arrested for a “bond” meaning he was now responsible for Samuels’ debts. Samuels father had his nephew marry his daughter, thus continuing to care for his family, and make up for his sons mistakes. Everything was about caring for the family, learning a trade, and trying to become successful.
Their portraits all portrayed wealth or success, yet Samuel was reliant on his father to bail him out. And that surprises me that someone so well educated and brought up to know how to be a merchant would forget his lessons and force his father to fix everthing.
Having finished reading the Moffatt-Ladd book I have another idea about why this was chosen as a course text. Since this course "counts" as a public history class, I think this book highlighted some of the things a public historian might encounter on the job. In this case, the Colonial Dames of America, as the owners of the historic property, have a right to say how they think it should be managed - whether that represents best practices, common sense or whatever. The professional historian working for such an organization has to gently educate them, put out suggestions, provide facts, and hope to bring them to a better way of doing things! I had the sense in reading about the varoius renovations, remodellings, acquisitions and so on that the CDA had gradually come around because the professionals were able, respectfully, to educate them! Until I read this, I thought the public historian would spend most of her time putting together exhibits to educate the public - but now I realize that sometimes, before that can happen, the employer must be educated!!!
ReplyDeleteI propose to research and discuss a day at the wharf in Salem in 1800, during the East India trade. These are some of the questions I hope to answer. What were the sounds and smells of the wharf? Who meet the ship? How did they unload the cargo? Where did the crews stay when they were in port?
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