Attitudes Toward and Treatment of Children in Colonial America

The attitudes toward children held by our European forefathers and mothers, and particularly the English, greatly influenced the manner in which children were treated by early Americans. There are accounts of children who suffered greatly at the hands of their parents or, in some cases, of church leaders removing "wayward" youth from parents who were thought unable to break their child's spirit. Incidences of severe physical abuse of children, in an effort to cast out demons, are well documented.

It is important to note that in Colonial America, following precedents established by English and other European Biblical notions, corporal punishment of children was deeply embedded in child-rearing principles.  "Spare the rod and spoil the child," takes its meaning from Proverbs 13-24, "He that spareth his rod hateth his son" was a prevalent attitude espoused by adults during this period which also influenced how children were treated and disciplined.

In sum, in early American communities, children fared little better, at least initially, than they did in English and other European households of the time. Early Puritan settlers, however, believed it was necessary to study the Bible, so children were taught to read at an early age. But children were deemed to be responsible adults by the time they were ten years of age and as such received the same treatment as did their older counterparts when they acted out or got into trouble.