Collections, Topographical, Historical, & Biographical, Relating Principally to New Hampshire Volume 1 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1831 Excerpt: ... the force of fashion among the vain and weaker part of the community. Publick sentiment in all communities, and also manners and customs, are swayed by the ideal tyrant, Fashion. We, as colonies, were nurtured under this imaginary phantom, emanating from the parent country and continually changing. Since the non-intercourse with England our customary habits had remained nearly the same, except a few changes recommended by the government as to tea, to mourning, and to domestic manufactured cloth. But after the British troops entered Philadelphia, the ladies attendant on their army, taught the American ladies there the use of high head-dresses, crape cushions, and other extravagancies of London fashions. When the British evacuated the city, the ladies of the tory families always appeared with their fashionable apparatus, while the gentlemen had dismissed their small round hats and substituted the large three cornered cocked hats. These customs began to gain upon the other citizens. To check their progress, and ridicule the custom, some of the citizens dressed a negro wench in the full costume of loyal ladies, sent her to the place of resort where the fashionables met, and seated her in the most conspicuous lace; afterward they carried her through the city in all er costume, to the great chagrin of the devotees of the visionary divinity. Notwithstanding this, the fashion, prevailed and became general throughout America for a time. Soon after Congress returned to Philadelphia, the French ambassador made his entree and was acknowledged and received as such by the American Congress. He was polite, affable and quite amicable, paying his visits of friendship to the delegation of each state successively, and requesting a diplomatick visit from all the delegates tog...