Garner Rix and the Royalton Raid - 1780

1780 World Map 

18th Century World Map

What were the political divisions of the world in 1780?

As the American Revolution progressed the map was changing. You can own a map of the world in 1780 and use it to discover political differences in other parts of the world that will lead you to events happening throughout the world at the time of the Royalton Raid..

One can only wonder how much Garner Rix and his family knew about world events outside the town at a time when most people traveled by foot.

Historic World Map - 1780

Historic World Map - 1780. Available laminated.

Major Events at the turn of the 18th Century in Vermont 

1770 -1810 Events

1770 - Green Mountain Boys organized to protect New Hampshire Grants

1775 - Ethan Allen captures Fort Ticonderoga

1776 - 1783 -Many Native Americans side with British against American colonists

1777 - Vermont declares itself a republic in Windsor adopting the 1st Constitution with universal male suffrage, public schools, and abolishing slavery

1779 - Property rights established for women

1780 - Last major Indian raid, led by the British, in Royalton

1783 - Peace Treaty ended the Revolutionary War and 80,000 Loyalists emigrated north to Canada

1791 - Vermont becomes 14th state

1791 - University of Vermont chartered

1791 - Population of Vermont is 85,341

1810 - Population of Vermont is 217,895

Vermont History Timeline: Vermont Important Dates and Events

Offers a chronological timeline of important dates and events in Vermont History. Access Vermont timeline, early history, state facts, state history firsts, and famous people.

NH, NY or Vermont 

Vermont was not yet a state in 1780 at the time of the Royalton Raid

What to call this area claimed by both New York and New Hampshire

Vermont

Click on the map to see this map up close. Note that Royalton is labeled Lynfield on this 1783 map. Starting in the south follow north along the course of the Connecticut River. Lynfield, now Royalton is northwest along the White River just past Sharon.

How did Vermont Get to Be?: The Growth of a Regional Identity By Daniel Gade

A distinctive regional name was adopted quite deliberately. The two early territorial designations of "New Hampshire Grants" (later shortened to "The Grants") and "New Connecticut" were viewed as unsuitable in framing a separate geographic identity. "Verdmont" was proposed as the new name as early as 1763 in a supposed Gallic allusion to the Green Mountains that quietly mirrored the anti-British sentiment of the period.

The awkward "d" in that manufactured word was soon discarded, and the more felicitous present spelling was accepted in 1777. The first usage of the name Vermont on a map dates from 1780, although not until 1794 did such a map appear that corresponded to present borders.

Vermont in 1780 

A Brief History of Early Royalton before, during and after the Royalton Raid

Chartered by the Province of New York



The town of Royalton is the only town in Windsor County to receive its charter from the Province of New York. On November 13, 1769 Royalton was chartered to residents of New York. The first permanent settlement was made in town during the year 1771, by the coming of Robert Havens and his family.

Daniel and Rebecca Rix brought their family up 8 years later in 1779. Probably Daniel had come up earlier to pick out a plot of land and to build a log cabin for the family to move into.

The Attack On Royalton

The major event in Royalton's history occurred during the Revolution when on October 16, 1780 was attacked by the British and Mohawks. Daniel Rix's cabin and barn were burned to the ground. Joseph was captured and released but Garner was captured and taken to Montreal.

The attack on Royalton caused a tremendous amount of destruction and the Legislature extended the time of payment of the "grant in fees" for a period of five years, and designated by name the persons to whom the extension should be made including Daniel Rix, 42y, Garner Rix, 14y and Joseph John Rix, 11y.

Chartered by the Vermont Legislature

On December 20, 1781, by an act of the Vermont Legislature, the town was granted and chartered. The petition for the charter lists the 61 petitioners who were the actual settlers who had acquired there land under New York. All of these petitioners listed were men and boys who had settled in Royalton. Garner was included in this list dispite the fact that he was only 14 years old at the time. Family Tradition says that this is because he survived the Raid. Some believe that land was given to the young men to keep them from moving further west as they gained majority. In any case, Garner stayed, and this property is still in the family.

About Royalton and it's History

The Villages of Royalton, North Royalton and South Royalton, Vermont

Vermont 1771 Census

By studying the Vermont census you can see how quickly the population was growing. From 1770 to 1780 it is estimated that the population grew at about 16.9 percent whereas from 1780 to 1790 it only grew at about 5.5 percent.

Family Life 1780-1820 

Lives of people Garner Rix encountered in Vermont and Quebec in the 1780's

Photo Credit: Dressing up as Garner Rix
on Bing Public Domain Images.

Garner Rix encountered many people. There were the farmers of Connecticut, pioneers moving to Vermont, Native Americans who had always used the forests of Vermont for hunting and gathering, and French fur traders. There were the people creating small towns in the wilderness and the people living in the developing city of Montreal.

What were their lives like? What did they do on a daily basis?

Family Life 1780-1820

The population of Britain's former North American colonies continued to expand in the years after the American Revolution.

Family Life and Sociability in Upper and Lower Canada 1780-1870

A look at family life in Canada drawing on diaries and letters exchanged between family members.

Native American Indians 1780-1820

As white populations surged around them, Abenaki and many other Native American peoples -- lived what seemed to their white neighbors to be marginal existences developing into a myth of the disappearance of the native population.

Written records, including tribal records, government documents, and family papers reveal a persistent and continuous Native American presence in New England.

The life and writings of William Apes (1798-1839), a Pequot preacher, provide rare insights into Native life and community. Apes drew attention to racism and legal injustices, revealing the sophistication of Native peoples' understanding of their situation.

The vicissitudes of Mr. Seth Hubbell and his family 1789

" In the latter part of February, 1789, I set out from the town of Norwalk, in Connecticut, on my journey for Wolcott, to commence a settlement and make that my residence; family consisting of my wife and five children, they all being girls, the eldest nine or ten years old. My team was a yoke of oxen and..."

Garner Rix's Neighbors 

Building and Rebuilding Royalton, Vt. in 1780

Zebulon Lyon helped build the town of Royalton, Vt

Zebulon Lyon often used his land holdings and generosity to attract businesses to Royalton. To attract a shoemaker, Zebulon offered Ebenezer Herrick a location for a rent of one dollar per year forever. Mr. Lyon also built the building for what was likely the first general store in Royalton (known as "The Red Store"), owned by the firm of Chandler and Mower.



The town meeting place (now church) at the left and the Royalton Academy, both built by Zebulon Lyon. The photo shows the second Academy building--the first building, also built by Zebulon, burned in the raid of 1780.

Clothing worn in 1780 

How to make the clothing worn at the tiime of the Royalton Raid

Notice the clothing worn in the upper photo. This is probably the style of clothing worn by Garner Rix and his family in the 1780's.

The shirt was one of the most basic of all
garments for the 18th century man, and, like the woman's shift, was worn as both the garment closest to the skin as well as to sleep in.

The shift is the basic undergarment for all women. It was a longer version of the man's shirt. Often aprons were made of wool as wool was more fireproof than any other fabric, and the working class woman was around fires most of the day.

They were almost always tied with woven tape ties, which were either sewn to the narrow band to which the apron was pleated, or were run as a drawstring through a casing at the waist. The tape was long enough to wrap around the back and towards the front again.

Then the tie was tied and usually tucked into the front of the apron, to prevent loose strings from catching fire or coming undone. Usually they were not made with self-fabric ties, which is how modern aprons are constructed..

96 District Storehouse

Fabrics and accessories for the Living Historian including patterns for Men's and women's 18th century clothing.

Reenactment Clothing from the 1780's

Have you ever gone to an art gallery, colonial village or Civil War re-enactment and wondered what it would be like to wear period clothing?

Most of the clothing you will see on this website, Laura Gibson produced using period
methods and materials available at the time, including cotton, wool, hemp, silk, linen, and combinations of linen/wool, wool/cotton and linen/cotton.

Laura Gibson makes incredible authentic period clothing for whenever you would like to step back in time.

Glossary of 18th Century Costume Terminology

Glossary of 18th Century Costume Terminology

Homespun Wools

Wools

Wool was the most common fabric in New England in the 18th century and used to make all garments because of its durability. It was not only used for warmth but, worsteds, due to their absorbency and ability to breathe, are cool when used in the summer. It accepts dyes easily and is available in many colors.

How to Building Stone Wall 

Stone Walls defined the Boundaries of Garner Rix's Farm

The stone walls that Garner Rix built still define the boundaries of our farm. Some are on the edge of the field but some are deep in the woods.

Some understanding of stonewalls and the reason they are built can be understood when you read Robert Frost's poem, the Mending Wall. Robert Frost is helping his neighbor repair the stone wall that separates their properties. His neighbor might have been Garner Rix's grandson, Garner Rix Dewey who took over the farm and must have spent time each spring mending the stone walls that Garner Rix built.

Designing and Building Stone Walls

The first settlers found stone everywhere, pushed up by the ground as it froze and thawed. Fortunately, the same stones that stopped the plow, defined the boundaries of newly cleared fields.

Decades passed. The earth swallowed up the settlers and the forest reclaimed much of the farmland. But the stone walls endure, faithfully outlining the old homesteads, now deep in the woods.

The Mending Wall by Robert Frost

...There where it is we do not need the wall:
He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
My apple trees will never get across
And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.
He only says, Good fences make good neighbors'...

18th Century Agriculture in Vermont 

What farming Techinques did Garner Rix use?

Agriculture & Industry in Vermont

Agriculture in Vermont played a dominant role in the State's development. The region's first New England/European settlers were primarily farmers, cultivating only that which they and their immediate community required. Sparse settlements were established in the southern half of the state in the mid 1700s, but more permanent settlements and cultivation of the land for export were not measurable until after the Revolutionary War.

18th Century Threshing

Once Garner Rix had cleared enough of his land to plant wheat and oats, he needed to have a barn for storing his grains and for threshing the grains to separate the seeds from the straw.In the early 1800's the only tool for threshi

Garner Rix's Sheep 

Merino Sheep on Garner Rix's Farm

Garner Rix raised Marino Sheep on the farm. He sheared them in the spring and Betsy used the wool to make the family's clothing.

Traditional Sheep Shearing

Learn all about historical sheep shearing practices. Includes historic photos and video and workshop.

So Where Does Wool Roving Come From?

We all know that our wool roving comes from an animal, but what processes does it go through before it gets to me?

'Greasy fleece' is the term for wool that has just been shorn from the sheep. The next process is called 'scouring' during which the fleece is washed to remove dirt and excess oils from the fibre. (Did you know that the oil from the fibre is called Lanolin and is used in some soaps and cosmetics?)

The fleece should now be almost ready, all that it needs to be brushed into a length of useable roving (wool tops). This process is called 'carding'. The wool is passed through a carding machine, which untwists and untangles the fibres into one long, smooth length of roving. This process can be performed by hand at home but does take a long time.

The finished roving is also known by the name 'carded sliver' and is perfect for dying, spinning and felting.

Vermont Heritage Network

Sheep farming in Vermont dates back to the 18th century when the state's earliest settlers brought sheep with them as part of their family agricultural operations.

The early sheep were of no particular breed, and they were raised for the dual purpose of mutton and wool for the family.

Beginning in the 1810s sheep farming began to develop from a largely subsistence operation into an industry that gave Vermont national prominence, first for the production of wool, and later for its superior sheep breeding.

During the second half of the 19th century, sheep farming began to decline and was gradually eclipsed by the dairy industry.

Make a Flock of Sheep for Garner Rix's Farm 

Make lots of Sheep for Garner Rix

Daniel and Rebecca did not bring sheep with them. Sheep need pastures and Vermont was still covered by Old Growth Forest. It wasn't until Garner had become an adult and cleared his land that he began raising sheep.



Garner Rix would have had very little paper but birch trees were available. If you have white birches near you, look for bark that has fallen off the tree. Use this bark for making the sheep. As a child, Garner and his siblings may have made sheep from natural materials such as birch bark.

NOTE: Never remove bark from a live tree as it will kill the tree.

American Sheep Industry

Make Your Own Paper Sheep!

Merino Mania - 1837

Merino sheep are noted for their fine wool, hardiness and herding instincts.



In 1837 there were over one million sheep in Vermont. Changes in tariff laws created economic booms and busts for sheep owners. Wool prices dropped from 57 cents per pound in 1835 to 25 cents per pound in the late 1840s. Vermont sheep farmers were also suffering from competition from farmers out West. The average annual cost of keeping a sheep in New England was $1.00-2.00 a head, while farmers further west were spending 25 cents a head. Many Vermont sheep farmers suffered great financial loss during this period.

-Vermont Historical Society

Vermont Heritage Network

Sheep farming in Vermont dates back to the 18th century when the state's earliest settlers brought sheep with them as part of their family agricultural operations.

The early sheep were of no particular breed, and they were raised for the dual purpose of mutton and wool for the family.

Beginning in the 1810s sheep farming began to develop from a largely subsistence operation into an industry that gave Vermont national prominence, first for the production of wool, and later for its superior sheep breeding.

During the second half of the 19th century, sheep farming began to decline and was gradually eclipsed by the dairy industry.

Which Animals Would Have Been on Garner Rix's Farm? 

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In 1780 when the Rix family first moved to Vermont they would have had very few farm animals. There was as yet no pastures for horses or large numbers of cows. We do know that they had oxen and probably a milk cow. Chickens seem likely, possibly pigs and one or two horses.

Though not a farm animal, we do know for sure that there were black bears on the farm. The number of black bears declined as the farmers, like Garner Rix, shot them for meat and cleared the forests for pastures and fields.

At the time of the Royalton Raid, Daniel Rix had gone back to Connecticut to visit his parents.He may have taken a horse. In any case there was only one horse left on the farm when Rebecca tried to escape with all the children. Garner and Joseph had to run were easily captured.

A Child's Place

Program plans (crafts, songs, activities, printouts, etc) for a theme on the farm.

On the Farm Thematic Unit

free on the farm thematic unit complete with printable worksheets and book suggestions.

Down on the Farm

Songs, poems, and activities for use in the classroom when learning about Garner Rix and life in the 18th to 19th centuries.

Rebecca Rix's Cloth 

Textile Production in 1780

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Garner Rix helped his father plant flax to be woven into linen that Rebecca and later Betsey would have turned into beautiful linens.



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Cloth Doll Creations UK

In the 18th Century, the dominant figure in the textile industry in England was Richard Arkwright (1732-92) from Preston, who changed the cotton industry completely with the help of a brilliant inventor Thomas Highs (1718-1803), by introducing a machine for cotton spinning together with new mills and factories to replace the old cottage industry involving working at home by hand. Cloth would have been regarded as a cherished commodity due to the long hours invested in its manufacture. Even the smallest scraps or material were diligently saved and reused.

There had already been the invention of the Flying Shuttle in 1733 by John Kay (1704-c1780) from Bury, and the Spinning Jenny by James Hargreaves (c1720-1778). In 1765, Massachusetts, USA, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin to harvest the cotton crop, and tremendously increased cotton production in the Deep South, helping to revive a badly lagging economy. Suddenly cotton began to rival the tobacco industry's profits.

Hands On History: Spinning & Weaving Study Guides

Hands On History,ATA,The Association of Teaching Artists, Hands On History Inc.

Experiential education for elementary classrooms, eighteenth century living history programs, Colonial American Spinning & Weaving, Colonial American Fair

Was Death by fire Common in 18th Century Kitchens?

No, Says an Early American Domestic Arts Authority, Clarissa F. Dillon at the Camden County Historical Society.

The common belief that colonial women routinely died as a result of their clothes catching fire at the kitchen hearth is a myth.



Appearing before the Historical Society's Mary Cooper Gardeners, the historian from Haverford, PA, said 18th-century women were essentially protected from fire by the very nature of the era's homespun clothing.

Ms. Dillon, a founder of Past Masters in Early American Domestic Arts, explained that colonial cooks were most often dressed in natural fabrics, namely, linen or, in colder weather, wool -- neither of which were likely to flame up after contact with embers and sparks. Instead, they would smolder, giving off a distinct smell that would alert the cook to the danger and allow ample time to pat out or smother the fire before further harm could be done.

Rebecca Rix's Kitchen 

18th Century Cuisine

The New England colonies were extremely similar in their dietary habits to those that many of them had brought from England. A striking difference for the colonists in New England compared to other regions was seasonality.

Wheat was almost impossible to grow so cornmeal was substituted.

Northern colonists depended upon their to hunt obtaining their protein from deer, bear, and wild turkey. The meat was roasted or turned into soups, stews, sausages, pies and pasties. Occasionally mutton was eaten.

Many homes had a sack made of deerskin filled with bear oil for cooking. Solidified bear fat resembled shortening.

Pumpkins in Colonial Cooking

BACKGROUND

Pilgrims and other early American settlers made the first pumpkin pies by burying pumpkin in the ashes of their fires.

After a pumpkin had cooked, they would cut off the top, scrape out the
pulp and add honey or maple syrup. The pulp was then made into
delicious pies and breads.

Pumpkins were used for many different things. Dried pumpkin shells served as bowls or containers for storing grains and seeds. Pumpkin seeds were dried and roasted
for a high-energy treat.

Hands On History: Colonial Cooking

Students and parents can select and prepare a dish from many eighteenth century recipes.

Recipe Index

Green Corn Pudding
Hasty Pudding
Indian Pudding
Indian Corn Sticks
Johnnycakes
Succotash
Boston Baked Beans
Pease Soup
Colonial Pumpkin Pie
Steamed Pumpkin Pudding
Baked Glazed Squash
Brown Bread
Sally Lunn
Apple Butter
Old World Recipes in a New Land
New England Clam Chowder
Snickerdoodles
Pine Tree Shillings
Hutspot
Cruller
Gingerbread Men
Pennsylvania Dutch Scalloped Potatoes&Ham
Shoofly Pie
Apple Pandowdy
Southern Colonies Hush Puppies
Hoppin' John
Cracklin' Bread

Deerskin Pouch for Storing Bear Fat

Spotted Pony Traders > Deerskin Pouches Products

Proprietors of leather goods, cusom leather, cloth clothing, and more!

Preparing and Rendering Bear Fat

Rendered bear fat or lard 'can't be beat' for pastry-making and is highly touted as a cooking oil for doughnuts and other fried foods.

cloth: 18th-century woolen cloth making --Britannica Online Encyclopedia

A drawing shows 18th-century American cloth makers carding, spinning, and weaving woolen cloth in a home workshop.,From the Stone Age to the 18th century, all fabrication of clothing was done by hand. Spinning and weaving machines that could be operated with the foot or with water power were develop

Rebecca Rix Washes, Irons and Makes the Soap 

EARLY DAYS - washing clothes , ironing and making soap

Learn how clothes were scrubbed on the washboard with homemade soap.

Ironing clothes was a hot steamy tiring job which took most of the day. The house got very hot in the summer. In the winter the clothes were taken off the line and ironed while still damp.

The Rix Women made their own soap using lard and lye. For lard they used animal fat or leftover cooking grease. Ashes were collected from the fireplace or from burning tree stumps.

EARLY DAYS - washing clothes, ironing, making soap

pioneers - washing clothes and making soap

How to Make Lye Soap

How to Make Lye Soap.

Making lye soap sounds a little scary. Using lye soap also sounds a little scary, but in truth if your measurements are precise, natural hand made lye soap is the best soap for your skin. I'll...

Learn how to use a Drop Spindle 

Learn About Women's lives in the 1780's

When you are up in Maine you have the perfect opportunity to learn all about using a drop spindle and turning wool into cloth.

Old York Historical Society - York, Maine

Spintastic

Learn to spin raw wool into yarn using cards and a drop spindle. Transform your white wool into beautiful colors using tarditional natural dye recipes.

Thursday, August 13th from 9:00 a.m. ~ 12:00 p.m. at the Remick Barn on the corner of York Street and Lindsay Road. Ages 8-12. $20 members; $23 non-members. Reservations and advanced payment required. Call (207) 363-4974 x12 or email education@oldyork.org.

Quilting and the Rix Family 

Quilts made around 1780

The women in the Rix family learned how to make tiny stitches in order to create the lovely patterns seen in their quilting.

You might try quilting a pot holder. It is done in the same way as a quilt for a bed but being much smaller it will take less time and give you an idea whether or not you want to tackle making a whole quilt.

18th & 19th Century Antique Quilts - Betsey Telford's Rocky Mountain Quilts

18th & 19th Century Antique Quilts - Betsey Telford's Rocky Mountain Quilts, features 400+ antique quilts of the finest quality.

Garner Rix's Childhood Toys 

During the late 18th century and early 19th century, play in this period was very gender-specific.

Toys for boys tended to promote physical activity. Boys rolled hoops, walked on stilts, and played ball. Even jumping rope remained very much a boy's game until around 1830.

Girls' toys and games were less diverse and more sedentary. No toy was so popular or considered so useful in preparing a girl for her future role as a wife and mother as the doll.

American History and Art from New England

Explore artifacts from our museum and historic manuscripts from our library that reveal the history of New England.

Wooden Hoop

Large wooden hoop with hardwood stick. Hoop is made of layered hardwood. Can be used for many activities, even as a Hoola Hoop! If you are after an old fashioned 'activity toy', this is it.

Wooden Handled Jump Ropes

Jump Ropes are assembled in the UK from old bobbins, used in the textile industry.

History of Dolls

For centuries, rag dolls were made by mothers for their children. Rag dolls refer generically to dolls made of any fabric. Cloth dolls refer to a subset of rag dolls made of linen or cotton.

Toys and More

Only on Sundays were children allowed to play with toys, and then only if the toy taught a moral lesson.

These toys taught biblical history, such as the story of Noah's Ark. Many of these "Sunday" toys were quite elaborate, considering the austerity of the time period, such as this European set made in 1800.

A Noah's Ark toy could carry up to one hundred pairs of animals as well as Noah and his family. As a result of societal restrictions, children often created their own toys from left-over materials.

Sometimes Indian traditions were adopted, such as the making of dolls from corncobs.

Rebecca Rix might have played Button on a string 

When I was very young my grandmother taught me how to play Button on a String. I remember her warm safe arms around me as she taught me the rhythm of pulling the string out and letting it go back in as it spun one way and then the other with a buzzing or humming sound.

Button on a String

While creating a simple noise maker, students talk about shapes, colors, and motion.

You will need: A variety of large, flat buttons, with two or four holes. Round, oval, or square buttons would work best.
For each student, a piece of cotton or another strong, smooth string, about 30" long.

18th Century Buttons

18th Century Buttons were made from pewter, brass, copper and bone.

Buttons

18th Century Buttons
Thread Buttons
Thread buttons were used on men's shirts and other undergarments from the late 17th into the early 19th century. Not only were thread buttons less expensive than bone, wood or metal but they would not break during the strenuous beating and scrubbing used by the l

Games and Activities from the 1700's 

Children have always played running and chasing games. It's a great way to get exercise and lots of fun. Garner Rix and his siblings must have also enjoyed these games.

Online Games and Activities from Colonial Williamsburg

The Kids Zone offers games, activities, and resources about life in colonial America.

Noah Webster: Colonial Games & Toys

When children had time to play, they enjoyed the same games that their parents and grandparents had played when they were young. We still play many of these games today, like tag, hide-and-seek, and hopscotch.

Garner Rix's Schooling 

Schools and Textbooks in Royalton and New England

This image is in the public domain

Lesson Page in the New England Primer, Edition of About 1811
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Though there was no school for Garner Rix and his siblings when they first moved to Royalton, schooling was important to the people of New England.

We can learn more about what was taught from the textbooks that were available at the time. In rural communities such as those in Vermont, they often relied on older textbooks.

One of the most famous verses found in the New England Primer:

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray thee, Lord, my soul to keep;
If I should die before I wake,
I pray thee, Lord, my soul to take.

-1784 ed.

Lesson 12 - Schools and Schoolbooks, 1780-1820

In the period 1780-1820, Deerfield,Ma. residents had increased access to education and books. By the end of the period, people believed that good citizens and moral individuals could be created through education.

At the previous "turn," people had learned to read in order to read the Bible. In this "turn," stories in schoolbooks began to evolve from religious tales that were Bible-centered, to moral tales aimed at creating an educated and moral citizenry.

The devil, once portrayed as the evil tempter, is transformed into a symbol of ignorance with its negative outcomes. The angel, formerly a representative of religious goodness, also becomes a symbol of knowledge. Books began to teach about the wider world as well.

Write a Letter to Garner Rix 

Trains replaced stagecoaches for mail delivery in Vermont by the mid 1800s. Rail service made delivering the mail quicker and cheaper. Through mail or telegrams, Vermonters kept in touch with their relatives who had left to serve in the Civil War or make their way out west. We know of at least 10 post offices in Vermont that operated in the train depot. In these instances, the postmaster often did triple duty, serving also as the station agent and telegraph agent.

Write a Letter to Your Ancestors

Click on the link to explore some examples of Vermont letters. Then write a letter to your ancestors in the guestbook. How would you describe yourself? What news would you share with them? Where do you think they lived?

Learn how Letters can Make a Difference in Finding Your Ancestors | Family History Quick Start

Letters written by your ancestors are such a great way to find information about those who have paved the way for you. Learn how to make the most out of letters.

How to Read 18th Century British-American Writing

Historians soon learn not to assume that people in the past thought about and experienced life in the same ways that we do today.

Something as basic to us as writing was quite different in 18th Century British-America.

British-Americans in that century spoke English, yet they used words that we do not, and we use words that did not even exist then.

18th Century pronunciation differed from ours, and many of the rules of spoken and written usage differed as well.

The Postal System in 1780 

As late as 1780 the U.S. postal staff consisted only of a Postmaster General, a Secretary/Comptroller, three surveyors, one Inspector of Dead Letters, and 26 post riders for the 13 colonies.

Vermont provided it's own postal service until 1791 when it was admitted to the union. There were post-roads and post-riders including the road that crossed Garner Rix's land.

History of the United States Postal Service

History of the United States Postal Service in colonial times.

Vermont State History

On January 17, 1777, Vermont was declared an independent republic in a meeting held at Westminster minting its own coin and providing postal service, until 1791 when Vermont was admitted to the union.

History of Royalton, Vermont: With ... - Google Book Search

Post Offices and Post Roads p. 386

Hugh Finlay (1731-1801)

As Surveyor of the Post Offices and Post Roads on the Continent of North America, Hugh Finlay set out in September, 1773 on a journey through Canada and the 13 colonies in order to assess the overall state of the mail system in order to ...

Money in 1780 

Curency at the end of the 18th Century

The Continental Currency and State Coinage

In 1775, the Continental Congress, in rebellion against the British monarchy, introduced paper currency in an attempt to meet military expenditures. However, bullion that had been promised by France never appeared and the paper money was rapidly devalued.

After the revolution, many states introduced their own copper coins. These often borrowed elements from the British half penny of King George III (1760-1820), the most commonly used coins in the United States, but entirely new designs were also used.

Vermont Currency: February 1781

An emission of £25,155 in legal tender bills of credit. The issue was authorized by an act of April 4, 1781 to pay for military expenses and to increase the supply of paper money in circulation.

An earlier act of February 22, 1781 had authorized the printing of L5,590 but was never carried out. Unfortunately when the bills were printed they carried the date of the wrong act!

This is the only emission issued by Vermont. The bills were redeemable by June 1, 1781 at the rate of 6s in bills for a Spanish milled dollar or its equivalent in gold.

After that date their legal tender status was revoked but they could still be used to pay taxes. Redeemed bills were burned.

The engraved seal on the face shows 13 linked circles with one unlinked circle at the top. This, of course, represents Vermont which was not included as one of the original 13 colonies.



The motto around the seal reads "VERMONT CALLS FOR JUSTICE." The front and back have engraved border cuts with typeset text.

The notes were printed in Westminster by Judah P. Spooner and Timothy Green III (Green is the son of Timothy Green II of New London, CT who also printed currency). Denominations printed were: 1s, 1s3d, 2s6d, 5s, 10s, 20s, 40s and £3.

A Common Currency: Early U.S. Monetary Policy and the Transition to the Dollar

Downloadable (with restrictions)! The transition of the U.S. money supply from the mixture of paper bills of credit, certificates, and foreign coins that circulated at various exchange rates with the British pound sterling during the colonial period to the unified dollar standard of the early national period was rapid and had far-reaching consequences

. This paper documents the transition and highlights the importance of this standardization in bringing order to the nation's finances and in facilitating the accumulation and intermediation of capital.

It describes how the struggle of the colonies to maintain viable substitutes for hard money set the stage for the financial leaders of the Federalist period, led by Alexander Hamilton, to settle upon the dollar, attach it to a convertible metallic base, and create a national Bank that issued notes denominated in the new monetary unit.

It also presents recently-constructed estimates of the U.S. money stock for 1790-1820 and relates them to measures of the nation's early modernization.

Inventions: 1780-1870 

New Technology in Garner Rix's lifetime

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As you learn about new inventions, write about it on an index card and clip it to a cord running across a corner of your room. Think about how that invention impacted the life of the Rix family.

Remember that most of these technologies did not come to Vermont immediately. Traditions and lack of money meant that Vermont farm families continued the old ways for many years after new inventions were being used in cities.

Inventions: 1780-1870 (Lesson Plan) - TeacherVision.com

Students learn about the proliferation of inventions from 1780-1870.

Tales of Captivity 

Susanna Johnson's Captivity: New Hampshire Indian Raid During the French and Indian War, Fort-4. | Suite101.com

Indian raids for the rural, northeastern areas of the 13 colonies, circa 1750, were common. Some captives survived them. Susanna Johnson was one such survivor.

Iroquois Lapbook 

Lapbooks from Garner Rix's Time

Photo Credit: Iroquois Lapbook by Jimmie
on Flickr, Creative Commons.

Lapbooks help you to organize the information that you have learned in a unit study. Jimmie makes some of my favorite lapbooks and this Iroquois Lapbook is an excellent accompaniment to our study of Garner Rix and the Royalton Raid.

If You Lived With the Iroquois Lapbook

If You Lived With the Iroquois Lapbook
Author: Ellen Levine
Illustrator: Shelly Hehenberger

Lapbook created by Jimmie

Free Courage of Sarah Noble Unit Study & Lapbook

Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh

Lapbook prepared by Jimmie and Ami

Abenakis of Vermont 

The Abnakis traditionally lived in land that is now in Vermont and Quebec. They were hunters and gatherers who moved from fishing villages to hunting grounds with the seasons. During the Revolutionary War some warriors were hired by the British and others joined Washington and his troops.

To learn more about the Abenakis and their role in the Royalton Raid I highly recommend reading The Western Abenakis of Vermont which is online below. Garner Rix may or may not have encountered Abenakis.

The Western Abenakis of Vermont

Indian raids in Vermont during the Revolution climaxed at the valley town of Royalton in October 1780.

Stories Of Forced Migrations To Vermont

Discusses both Abenaki and African American Slaves in Vermont.

Indians and African Americans 1780-1820

A lesson in how to read the 1790 census.

Native Americans are not obvious in Deerfield, Ma. town records, and their absence signifies their dispersion to Canada, to Schaghticoke (near Albany, NY), or to other parts of New England. Those Native Americans who remained integrated themselves into the general population and, in effect, became invisible in records.

Traditional Indian Games And Toys

Ne-Do-Ba is a nonprofit, established to explore and share the history and culture of the Abenaki Indian in Western Maine

The Montreal that Garner Rix Encountered in 1780 

Family Life in New France

Family Life in New France

Family Life

Childbirth: Women giving birth were attended by the parish midwife, and often times her mother and close friends.Under the French regime, the midwife was often elected by the assembly of the women of the parish.

Agriculture

Drought ruined the crops of 1779, and the harvests of the 1780's were also poor, they were spoiled by the late springs and early autumn frosts. In the mid 1780's the situation improved, but not for long.

Foods

The main foods were bread,pork,vegetables and fish--game and fruit when in season. Buckwheat, a hardy cereal was used to make bread,pancakes and porridges. Maple syrup was the chief source of sweeteners. Women baked at least once a week. Cabbages if grown were kept under snow covered fields until needed. Turnips,apples and spruce sprouts were harvested and stored in the cellars. Some apples were used to make cider. Just about every farmer planted tobacco near his house, this was universally smoked by the common people and boys as young as 10 or 12 years old could be seen smoking a pipe. In the northern part of Canada they smoked it pure, but further south near Montreal they usually mixed it with the crushed inner bark of the red Cornelian cherry to make it weaker.
A long agricultural crisis preceded the rebellion of 1837, which forced the peasants to change their eating habits. There was not enough wheat to prepare their foods and tea and molasses were imported from the British and introduced to the Canadians.

Chores & Trades

Daily chores for women and children included looking after the livestock, the barn and the vegetable garden. Every autumn they preserved vegetables in ice pits or root cellars. Women also worked in the fields with their husbands especially at haying time.
In the springtime men fixed fences,plowed and planted. They harvested in August, September and October. In November and December they threshed the grains with flails.

18th-century Public Market - Montreal, Quebec

You have another opportunity to experience what life was like when Garner Rix lived in Montreal at the 18th-century Public Market in Montreal, Quebec. This annual event, held in May, is a chance to experience the lives of the everyday people of Montreal in 1780.



Take a trip back in time among stalls, an inn, a military camp, a Native camp, musicians, craftspeople, and historic figures.

Map of Garner Rix's Land 

You can see that Garner Rix's land was on the White River, two lots to the left of the one shaded blue.

This is the land given to Garner by the town after he returned from Montreal. It was land that was being redistributed after the Tories lost the war.

Map of Royalton Settlers

Calvin Skinner was one of Garner Rix's neighbors.

News before 1780 

News leading up to the Royalton Raid before 1780

Battle of Wyoming - July 3, 1778

The Battle of Wyoming was an encounter during the American Revolutionary War between American Patriots and Loyalists accompanied by Iroquois raiders that took place in Wyoming Valley, Pennsylvania, on July 3, 1778.

More than three hundred Patriots were killed in a battle followed by a massacre, in which the Iroquois raiders hunted and killed fleeing Patriots before torturing to death thirty to forty who had surrendered.

The Iroquois were primarily Seneca and Onondaga, and only a few Mohawk.

-Wikipedia

At the outbreak of the American Revolution

At the outbreak of the American Revolution, John Butler was a successful farmer on the Mohawk River opposite Fort Hunter (now Fonda, NY). He held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the colonial militia of New York and the appointment of Deputy Superintendent in the British Indian Department.

Butler moved into the Indian country in the spring of 1778.

The Rangers conducted a number of expeditions against the rebel frontier throughout the spring and summer of 1780.

METIS CULTURE 1779-1780

Ethan Allen (1739-1789), one of the Green Mountain Boys in the American Revolution, informed the Continental Congress that he was not fighting for the independence of the United States but of Vermont, that he wised to become a separate nation.

Vermont declared its independence but it was not accepted. Allen negotiated with the British in an effort to have Vermont made part of Canada.

Vermont was still in this turmoil at the time of the Royalton Raid.

News from 1780 

What was happening at the time of the Royalton Raid?

May 19, 1780: Darkness at Noon Enshrouds New England

1780: In the midst of the Revolutionary War, darkness descends on New England at midday. Many people think Judgment Day is at hand. It will be remembered as New England's Dark Day.

Historical Events for 1780

Browse our Historical Events archives for 1780. Archives are also fully searhable by date, day and keyword.

America's Best History - United States History Timeline 1780 to 1789

America's Best History, ... from sea to shining sea. United States History Timeline, the 1780's, the Nascent Democracy, includes the top events of each year of the decade of the war of independence and start of a new nation.

Historical Events for 1780

Oct 10th - Great Hurricane of 1780 kills 20,000 to 30,000 in Caribbean

Timeline for 1780

Horton's Historical Articles by Gerald Horton TIMELINE FOR 1780

Timeline 1780 to 1789

May 26, 1781 - The Bank of North America is incorporated in Philadelphia by an act of Congress to help stabilize the issuance of paper currency. It was capitalized in 1781 with $400,000.

Ed Howe's Genealogy - Timeline 1780 - 1799

The Rosetta Stone was discovered in Egypt in Aug 1799

Altoids - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1780 - Altoids a brand of breath mints were invented in England during the reign of King George III.

1780's Post Revolution Depression

During the mid-1780's, economic conditions grew worse. The scarcity of money, caused high interest rates. It became exceedingly difficult to pay taxes and private debts. By the end of 1784, the economic depression was severely felt.

Debtors were forced to sell their property at a fraction of its true value. Debts were a factor which motivated farmers to take an interest in politics. As a debtor, the farmer hoped that the judicial process might be made more favorable to him. He demanded the more convenient location of courts, lower court costs and lawyer fees, laws obliging creditors to accept property at a "fair" value, the abolition of imprisonment for debt, and laws delaying the recovery of debts.

George Washington: Following the Warrior's Trail

A Photographic Essay by W. Cary Eberley

Sample Chapter of the Battle of Brandywine; one of ten chapters covering the battles Washington fought during the 1775-1783 American Revolution.

Garner Rix's Time Line 

Time line Tool

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Death of Daniel and Rebecca Rix, 1823 

Garner Rix's parents died in the same year.

Spooner's Vermont Journal

Garner was 56 years old when his parents died.

Deacon Daniel Rix of Royalton, Vt. died in Royalton on the 20th day of January 1823 aged 84 years. Mrs. Rebecca Rix, consort of Deacon Daniel Rix, died on the 31st of March, 1823.

They were among the earliest settlers in Royalton.

They lived in Royalton at the time of its invasion by the Indians and had one son carried into captivity.

They lived together in a married state more than 60 years, raised a numerous family in which there has never been a death before.

In a good old age they have gone together, we trust, to enjoy in Haven that Saviour they so long and ardently worshiped here. (noticed 12 May, 1823).

History and genealogy of the Rix Family

The compiler paid a visit to the old homestead of Daniel Rix, in Preston, Conn.

Spooner's Vermont Journal 1819-1825

Dix, Daniel, Deacon (Royalton). Died at Royalton on the 20th day of Jan. last [20 Jan., 1823], Mrs. Rebecca Rix, consort of Deacon Daniel Rix, and on the 31st of March, last , Deacon Daniel Rix of Royalton, abed 84 years.

They were among the earliest settlers in Royalton. They lived in Royalton at the time of its invasion by the Indians and had one son carried into captivity.

They lived together in a married state more than 60 years, raised a numerous family in which there has never been a death before.

In a good old age they have gone together, we trust, to enjoy in Haven that Saviour they so long and ardently worshipped here. (noticed 12 May, 1823).

Elisha Wild married Lucinda Rix

Elisha Wild, born January 10, 1794 in West Fairlee, VT; died March 10, 1885 in Royalton, VT; married Lucinda Rix March 23, 1823

Lucinda was the daughter or Garner Rix. She was married on the same day that her grandfather, Daniel Rix died.

Vermont Historical Society Events 

Vermont Historical Society Calendar

Photo Credit: Map of White River Jct., Vt.
on Flickr, Creative Commons.

Vermont Historical Society

The Vermont Historical Society is the only institution in Vermont that collects artifacts, books, and documents that reflect the entire history of the state, every geographical area, and every chronological period. We preserve the history that makes Vermont a special place to live, work, and visit.

Vt History Expo - 2009

Vt History Expo cancelled for 2009

The Vermont Historical Society is canceling the 2009 Vermont History Expo because of financial woes caused by the current economic slowdown and other considerations.