What can be learned from a 17th century American town

In Plymouth, Massachusetts- site of the colony built by the Mayflower passengers - Matteo Brault spends his days living a 17th-century life, along with dozens of other re-enactors on the modern-day Plimoth Plantation.
Brault works full-time as a 17th-century style blacksmith, using traditional tools like a grindstone, hand-made nails, and large bellows for making the fire hot enough for forging iron and steel. He also helps build traditional shelters.
The simplest homes in town were built using crotchets- natural forks in trees- as support for the ridgepole of the roof. The walls are built up with “wattle”- small sticks for the lattice structure- and “daub”- a mortar of clay, earth, and grasses. Instead of using the traditional English lime wash to protect the walls, the colonists took advantage of the plentiful wood in America and created clapboard siding by cleaving wood into thin boards.
For the thatch roofs, large bundles of water reed or wheat straw are woven with a giant needle by two people working in tandem (one outside and one inside). “It’s like a giant quilt made of grass,” explains Brault, “which makes a water-tight roof that essentially acts as a giant sponge. It absorbs water and laps it off.”
The Plimoth Plantation is open to visitors from March through November. The site also has a native Wampanoag homesite (we will tour in a separate video).
www.plimoth.org/what-see-do/17...
On *faircompanies: faircompanies.com/videos/simp...

[@douglascampbell3308]

"Learnt" is not a word

[@nicolasboullosa]

Hi Douglas, we changed that title some time back, do you still see the word somewhere? Thanks for the feedback.

[@douglascampbell3308]

@@nicolasboullosa ​ It is in the header at the start of the video. First few seconds. And for that matter, you can capitalize the "W" in What.

[@nicolasboullosa]

@@douglascampbell3308 LOL, that one is more difficult to change, I forgot we used to insert those titles. We'll see what we can do, but I guess only a repost would do it.

[@nicolasboullosa]

Pinning this thread to provide some context.

[@nonyadamnbusiness9887]

"Learnt" is the preferred past participle and past tense of "learn" in all the English speaking world except North America. It is perfectly acceptable in a video about a town built by the English.

[@JohnDoe-fu6zt]

I once worked with an English carpenter who had a very low opinion of thatch roofs. He said they had constant problems with birds burrowing into the thatch to build nests, and thus had to cover the thatch with netting to keep the birds out. Of course, if you were a poor peasant, I suppose you could eat the birds, have a nice meal now and then....

[@bdmenne]

no doubt they had sling shot and stone pebbles to throw to keep it safe. Imagine birds would learn to go else where with the constant molestation from mindful kids eager to learn how to dominate the surroundings.

[@sparkeyjones6261]

I have family members who live in a traditional thatched roof house in Japan. I don't recall them ever mentioning this problem. It does appear that the method they use in Japan results in a much denser roof. So, maybe that's the reason they don't experience this.

[@saarbrooklynrider2277]

@@sparkeyjones6261 there are also a lot of thatched roofs in Frisia and I've never heard of bird problems.

[@iluv2worship]

@@sparkeyjones6261 Hello! I’m so intrigued by your comment! You have modern day family who live in houses with thatched roofs in Japan! Thank you for sharing!

[@jaymorgan7728]

I've heard of mice, rats and other critters getting into it. I live on the south coast of England and there's a few thatch roofs nearby. They look very nice.

[@boxofmoles4057]

Thanks for sharing. My 10th great-grandfather arrived in the year 1630. Plymouth Colony is on my short-term bucket list of places to visit.

[@DbdjdjdjShsusudu]

To think how life was back then and the great journey they partook on to settle a dangerous and unknown land. God bless those men.

[@vwood2]

Neat! I have a few who were there to greet him - they must have known each other. Such a difficult life they lived. But it would be wonderful to visit.

[@timsway]

All that time reenacting the past has made Mr. Brault wise beyond his years!

[@akdo89]

I love how he explains things, and of course the houses (its like the old Korean houes with the straw roofs as well!)!! I also love his realistic views about the life in the past, not romanticized version. Also the appriciation for both times!!

[@sharonoconnell7914]

I've been to Plymouth plantation many times, and it never ceases to amaze me how resourceful these people were. We could learn a lot from them. My ancestors were actually on the Mayflower. The Hopkins.

[@eldermillennial2000]

Crazy that there's about 35 million living descendants of the Mayflower

[@Dartkitten]

Im a descendent to many passangers like william bradford, john and priscilla alden and richard warren. They had to resourceful and use whatever they had to in order to live as good a life as they could make it.

[@theresamay9481]

Then we are related - obviously he has thousands of descendants. My ancestor Stephen Hopkins was lucky to survive the trip on the Mayflower. Many died.

[@dahljerald2934]

Thank you for preserving history and providing all of us with a glimpse of what 17th century life was like. I find this fascinating !

[@jan_phd]

Where's the molecular labs, where small pox viruses were cultured to kill all the natives? According to Feminist teachers, that's what white men did.

[@bigriver2000]

Nice to hear a well spoken articulate young man describe things with such grace and knowledge.

[@rossanofabro]

Very interesting. As a child my father was a blacksmith. He also consulted at several museums where they had working blacksmiths shops. I think we can learn much from these experiences. We apply a modern standpoint and values. Most so called "primitive" cultures spend long periods growing, harvesting and making....this after all is how civilization came to be. Many thanks

[@mikearchibald744]

There have been studies of first nations cultures and what they found was that with their nomadic lifestyle, they did VERY little 'work''. Game and growing food was plentiful and easy to both eat and preserve through various methods. That means MOST of their time was free time. Compare that with today, where something is considered wrong with you if you aren't ALWAYS working. Given the number of saints days and celebrations in midieval europe, I think its likely that this idea they were ALWAYS working may be just a modern myth. Certainly setting up a new colony is labour intensive, but with a community thats easily, and enjoyable, accomplished. After that its all gravy IF you don't wipe out all the available game.

[@061356]

This man did a great video but more than that he personalized all aspects of the tour. Wonderful job!!

[@SapioiT]

Ash (especially from plants and trees) can be made into cement/mortar fairly easy. The "Primitive Technology" channel has a video on it. You need to mix the ash with water, turn int into pellets (or other easy-to-dry shapes, like flat bricks), then put it in a pottery oven or forge, to get red-hot or brighter, wait for it to cool down, then that's cement. Adding water makes cement start to cure. Between a week and a month, it's as hard as normal cement. With cement, and especially if you mix some fibers (like from plants or wool) into the cement, you can easily make shingles, or more efficiently cement sheets for roofing and for walls.

[@Sunshine_Daydream222]

Any idea how long something like that holds up?

[@mascarenhas9624]

@@Sunshine_Daydream222 centurys. In south america ,they still making walls with same materials.

[@mikearchibald744]

If you have to heat it, then whats the advantage of ash? This is literally just 'mud' laying around and mixed and it turns hard while ON the structure. It seemed to allude to these being the ORIGINAL buildings, which means it lasts far longer than most modern homes and buildings. I'm interested in that channel, I'd prefer to do it this way because it seems easier, plus thats a LOT of burning for the ash. Again, I wonder what the added benefit is ( I thought at first you meant the tree 'ash':) We live in a high lime area, there's a mine right down the road. So the mud bricks seem easiest, and the whitewash would actually make it look pretty 'rustic' which is in style.

[@spanqueluv9er]

@Sapioit Literally not one person asked.🤡🤡

[@wazza33racer]

in modern times, they mixed staples or little pieces of wire into cement, to make fiber cement, and its almost indestructible, makes ordinary concrete look like wood.

[@sumanayashinsky7174]

I cannot even begin to explain how much I admire this video, it's amazing

[@71husqvarna]

That's Plymouth Plantation. It's 15 miles down the road from me. Great place to visit.

[@jdcamc]

Kudos to Matteo Brault for an excellent tour and his knowledge! Makes me appreciate even more what we have today but only by the sweat of our ancestors!

[@MoonlightSonata88]

....no comment.

[@markrichardsocioprojectgo1800]

Some people don't appreciate anything.

[@sylviabibler3036]

People are still building this way out west in Arizona Very nice buildings. Cool in summer too.

[@juslangley]

My (many greats) grandfather arrived in Virginia in 1635 from Britain. I imagine he would have lived in a town like this!

[@shantisadan8888]

Do guys with european ancestry in america believe themselves to be American or European?

[@DbdjdjdjShsusudu]

@@shantisadan8888 Usually most see themselves as "American" after the 3rd generation. (aka the settlers/ immigrants grandkids). I'm the same way.

[@jaif7327]

@@shantisadan8888 american if ur old stock.

[@33479Leigh]

Mine too, do you know the ships name?

[@danvondrasek]

​@shantisadan8888 we consider ourselves Americans, but since the USA is a melting pot, we also usually bring up our families nationalities. On my father's side, I'm German, Irish, and Cherokee. On my mom's side pure Polish. So I'm American with Polish, German, Irish, and Cherokee ancestry

[@gerhardrohne2261]

this blacksmith Matteo is on of the best speakers on the net: no emty sentences, no wrong words, no redundancies. instead many distinct terms, fluent delivery and a sense of purpose...

[@XTCgy911]

This fella is amazing .. I could listen to his voice all day , and easy on the eyes .

[@alittlepinkfish]

I have visited Plimoth Plantation a handful of times, as it's our annual History field trip. I teach History, among other subject, to 6th graders who have language based learning disabilities, such as dyslexia. I intend to show this video to my students prior to the field trip, as the visuals and simple explanations would be extremely beneficial to their understanding of life during that time. I'm so very happy to see this video on a channel I regularly watch! Such a lovely coincidence!

[@missjennemeg1]

12:40 I really appreciate his perspective on the reality of those times. Hard labour. We have life incredibly good. I appreciate the amazing day to day comfort we enjoy without much issue.

[@crand20033]

It depends on your situation in America. Homeless, broke or manual labor workers don't agree with you.

[@davesmith5656]

jennemeg ---- Not so sure about how easy we have it, you know? My Amazon order for Colombian coffee is due "soon". I wish they'd figure out a way to do same-day delivery for free. When I have to wait a couple of days, it disturbs my movie-watching time and I have to order pineapple pizza to not break down in tears. But my electric blanket is beautiful, so I guess it's not all bad.

[@Captain-Sum.Ting-Wong]

@@crand20033 They still have it easier than early settlers did.

[@dialatedmcd]

There’s trade-offs. More freedom, but more wilding it. Entertainment is purely your friends and family, so everyone who can excels in conversational/imaginational entertainment. Everyone has preferences. Some people are more comfort, others want to be bound together through adventure. The biggest drawback to me about nowadays is bureaucracy, technicality, redtape. I can’t just go outside and dig a hole, i cant just perform an experiment set up outside in the park - i wish we could find more balance. We’ve way overdone it with control and regulation - we’re basically domesticated animals at this point.

[@lmy2366]

@@crand20033 There is of course social mobility nowadays, however. A peasant would in all likelihood die in the same county he was born, probably never traveling further than his local church. He would remain a peasant his whole life.

[@karenchakey]

As a bushcrafter I love learning about the old ways, great video thanks for sharing Kisrsten. Looking forward to the next video at Plimoth Plantation too!

[@barnabyaprobert5159]

It's interesting how peoples across the world figured out similar solutions.

[@interestingfamilyorigin3574]

I agree. A lot of the time the simpiler solutions are the better solutions nowday's people tend to complicate solutions more and more it wouldn't be to bad to just go back to the day's of old in many aspects I know i wouldn't mind

[@deegee2920]

It's almost like they belong to the same species or something. 😏

[@JosedeJezeus]

because we are the same creature learning the same truth.

[@randybobandy9828]

@@interestingfamilyorigin3574 yes you would mind.

[@interestingfamilyorigin3574]

@@randybobandy9828 well no actually i most definitely wouldn't mind unlike you im from a very rural background farming , woodwork working , hunting building making and maintaining many things , learnt proper survival skills all from an early age and unlike you I've had other careers that have danger attached Don't presume that just because you are/were wrapped up in cotton wall all your life that everyone else has because the case is that unlike you I as many other people haven't been wrapped up in cotton wall Just because you clearly wouldn't be able to cope with the great outdoors doesn't mean that no one else can Go and troll someone else you city mongrel

[@melissasserenity2635]

Thanks for visiting MA! I went to Plymouth Plantaion in elementary school and it was definitely an unforgettable experience. I hope to go back there and learn more about simple living. In this life hardly anyone teaches people to be self sufficient. Thank you for your video!

[@brucejr.5833]

That young man has some knowledge and a way of delivering it. Very interesting and thoroughly enjoyed.

[@donnamahoney3356]

Matteo Brault does an excellent job of explaining everything. Learned a lot today.

[@couerl]

My ancestors came here in 1627 and soon went to Lancaster and survived king phillips war, most of them anyway. Something as simple sounding as making nails really wasn’t. Most houses back then had no roofs because nails were always in short supply and very expensive. They would make stone walls and thatch roofs precisely because there were no nails for clapboards. Great video, blacksmithing is always something I wanted to teach myself but life gets in the way. I do old style woodworking though and thats a blast.

[@rudy103069]

You'd figure they would of had some stone masons with them, everthing is made of stone from antiquity till now.

[@mellibee100]

I LOVED this video!! Thank you :) I have visited Plimoth Plantation many times when I lived in Boston and just love that place! (I am from England originally). I learned so much from this video - love all your videos, Kirsten.

[@teresaalbrecht2283]

I just watched and I really enjoyed the entire thing. You did a very good job of explaining everything in a way that made it all so interesting. Thank you for making this video!

[@dankohler1810]

Kristen ! You create EXCELLENT programing ! Thank You so much......

[@clockguy2]

Daub often has cow dung as a binding component. Clapboards are put on with the largest boards at the bottom and the smallest near the roof. It creates an optical illusion that the building is taller than it really is.

[@jupitersailing]

'Plimoth' colony is probably the most fascinating place I have ever visited. I came from England - in Hampshire, a couple of miles from Stephen Hopkins' village - and was enthralled by the attention to detail of both the buildings AND the actors who play the parts of actual colonists from the Mayflower group of ships. Stephen Hopkins corrected me when I said that Hursley - his home village was about three miles from mine. He said it was more like one and a half. He was correct too! I would definitely have been a colonist, and would have relished their new found freedom, unlimited land and resources, and the excitement of a huge uncharted colony. The only thing that would have distressed me is the north-eastern American weather, either way too hot or way too cold, and rarely anything in between. Still, it grew some great crops, and the tobacco crops made the new world speculators an absolute fortune. I would recommend at least a day here if you possibly can. It should have been on my bucket list from birth.

[@Robert-rr7kw]

I would take the Northeast as opposed to the sweltering South!

[@karens8633]

My Ancestors built the original Plymouth Colony! Tilley, Howland, Hopkins, Alden, Mullins and Cooke

[@dropUrPeaches]

Absolutely fantastic. It's a wonderful look into how some of our earliest settlements were constructed.

[@headlessspaceman5681]

Sticks and mud! No wonder so many of the early European settlements ("our" settlements???) were total failures and everyone still alive abandoned them for Native American villages

[@danpatch4751]

This man has lots of knowledge.

[@thetooginator153]

That was excellent! The fellow has a great way of explaining things, which is a very rare skill. He also has a wonderful intuition as to what is interesting.

[@michaelhudetz]

Really excellent description. Explains why houses in the US look the way they do.

[@VikingPreparedness]

THANK YOU. We will try some of this on Shofar Mountain. Appreciate the effort on this channel. Blessings PJF

[@hedkace]

Randomly came across my feed. VERY happy it did! This was so fascinating. Love it!

[@marydonohoe8200]

Fascinating perspective, and wisely articulated! Thank you, sir!

[@thegoatman62]

I visited here many times as a child, 100 years ago my family still owned a lot of land in this area, eventually it was sold off as my family left agriculture and moved to the cities. I still have a few relatives in this area. Thanks for sharing and bringing back many good memories!

[@saundrajohnson1571]

Very well explained and described. Thank you.

[@thomastannler3875]

I appreciate his analogies. It makes it easier for me to understand.

[@TheRamblinCamperVan]

Another GREAT video Kirsten! A lot to be learned here. Thanks!

[@thenaturalmakeupreview9302]

Really interesting! I will now look at those houses and the methods used to build them in a whole new way.

[@therealtoni]

Well done! I visited here and enjoyed it very much!! Great spot to come learn of our colonial and pioneer heritage!

[@xochitl9161]

Fascinating !! We take SO much for granted these days.

[@mattjackson]

This is fantastic, thank you for filming this! Very informative.

[@Jean-qn4fy]

I think what the nostalgic don't understand is that people lived like that because the had to, not because they wanted to. They were paying their dues on the way to a better life that would include wooden floors with carpets and nice furnishings and glass windows and stoves and warm fireplaces.

[@6610stix]

Nostalgia can usually be wrapped-up as someone wanting to return to a place and time that never really existed. Even today older people seem to forget that some aspects of their youth wasn't quite as pleasant as they choose remember.Except for the walking uphill 5 miles in 3ft of snow both ways to school. (They always seem to remember that one)

[@kilo393]

I don't want to be a grammer nazi, but there's a edit button for a reason.

[@larkatmic]

The main reason was religion. They were obsessed. Why do you think they left England? It played a most important role in life then. God will provide, and he did for most. Today we are soft, and have little purpose, besides materialism. This is why our lot would fail at attempting such sacrifice. We live like today obsessed with self. As we can see. It isn’t ending very well.

[@imolaunger]

For us, but not for them. I've always felt that to be very unfair. They really had to work towards it but never had it, and compared to them we get it handed to us.

[@ElNegringoKreyolito]

They weren't any more miserable or content than we are. The human thing is to adapt, no matter the circumstance

[@emmilypalmer9269]

You explain things really well☺️🙏

[@WeAreBullets]

:D plymouth! i been there, i live in NH, i love visiting the old restoration villages in new england, the simplicity of their lives back then is so inspiring and refreshing

[@usernamehere1]

I really appreciate what you do. Thanks for sharing.

[@fukemnukem1525]

I wonder if Jamestown would have been built along a similar line? My direct male ancestor landed there from Dorcet in 1619..... It is awesome to see how he may have lived and what his life was like..... Thank you for this video.

[@XxpauldadudexX]

So fricken cool you had an ancestor at Jamestown, 1619, so long ago too.

[@fukemnukem1525]

@@XxpauldadudexX thanks. I've spent an abnormal amount of time thinking about it. LoL. It makes me proud to be a 13th generation North American. Direct male ancestor. I've got 9 ancestors who were in the Revolution too.... One of them, part of the same line of male ancestors was at Yorktown as well..... I was amazed when I started studying, just how many of my ancestors played a part in the US....both before and after the Revolution. Campbell's, Harpers, Guys, Craigs, Jones, Reynolds, Dennis's, Wilcox's, McRoy's, Wood's, Woodson's...... My Martin ancestors were neighbours with Thomas Jefferson and Meriwether Lewis's family.....there's govt paperwork where they were witnesses to a transaction. I get lost sometimes just thinking about it and how they were just living life, but their actions helped create our society.

[@XxpauldadudexX]

@@fukemnukem1525 Your family seems to have been involved in a lot of really interesting and historical times in the building of the nation. It's so amazing to discover that direct ancestors where at such momentous places and were involved in creating the most powerful nation, ever, from such small beginnings. Imagine if there had been no revolution, America never became mighty, the world would be so different and less secure...lol, those original colonists wouldn't have imagined in a million years what the nation they founded would become. Yes, awesome, the story of the people who there at those times.

[@tommytrinder.1226]

Dorset.

[@allatgoddess8961]

Thatch is still used in country homes in the UK. It seems there are legal companies with Master Thatchers and apprentices. It is a special skill that takes around 4 yrs to learn.

[@Rosesyoutube]

Great host, very modest & concise.

[@Organnabis]

Fascinating. Thanks for the upload.

[@suzied.8301]

Thank you for the video.. This message is for Matteo......I live next to Jamestowne settlement in VA the 1st permanent English settlement in North America there are carpenters, Blacksmiths, & glass blowers practicing 17th century trades here...... I work in an 18th century re-creation....Colonial Williamsburg.... I LOVE historic trades..... we practice twenty 18th century trades in Williamsburg....I am a brass founder and pewterer. I work in the Gun shop. We make 18th century flintlock riffles & cast other brass stuff. A lot changes by the 18th century & a lot stays the same haha...You did a great interpretation it was very interesting and informative Thank You. I am a primary source kind of girl so I am looking a few cool things you schooled me on....... come see us in Williamsburg some time if you haven't already. Be sure & message me 1st so we can let you buy 1/2 price tickets. My husband & I try to let visiting tradesmen use our perks at CW.. discounts ect. SHH

[@lindafriesen3559]

I loved working there, was a balladeer in the early '90's.

[@kevinbaker6168]

While there have been adventurers in our early history the rugged individuals who set out into the frontier as hunters/trappers/explorers, the ones who settled in an area where they formed communities where people brought skills they hard that could would help the community. These included the blacksmith, the miller, the carpenter, the potter/brick maker, the baker, the farmer, the sawyer, and on and on. These skills, like many people today, are what advances a community and a society.

[@DerekScottOHara]

Valuable information. Thanks for sharing this with us. I like his honest perspective.

[@jonnaborosky8836]

Very interesting. Thank you for sharing your perspective. You really brought the past to life. One of my ancestors was on the Mayflower. I had never considered how grueling his life must have been.

[@kathyl6677]

Might be a great way to build my "first" house after I buy land and let goats clear it. Some good ideas. Hey, if a child can build it, I'm sure I can. ;)

[@bman6502]

I love how he gives honest opinion on what life was actually like in those days… as he said, those were difficult times…

[@bdmenne]

I think he is also very biased. If you know no different, the human mind, body and spirit adapts to whatever is the circumstance. I imagine they faired much nicer than he can imagine. They were made of sterner stuff, so when things were pleasant, I'm sure it felt like Nirvana compared to a dopamine drenched modern human.

[@OkieTLB]

One of the highlights of our 23 day road trip this summer. Really interesting and the “residents” were dressed in period clothing and not once did they break character. It was a joy! The Native American village onsite was just as amazing. All the artifacts were so interesting to see. Wonderful place for visitors of all ages. I bought a small piece of pottery from their gift shop and was able to meet the potter who crafted my little inkwell - I use it as a bud vase when my roses bloom. I look forward to the day that we can return and spend a bit more time there. Thanks for this wonderful and educational video!

[@lancedaniels]

Thanks for posting and sharing.

[@glenlongstreet7]

Plimouth is one of my favorite places. I admire the dedication of the 'reenactors'. Sturbridge Village is also one of my favorite places. In both parks the staff may wait for years to qualify for an assignment. If you visit, don't hesitate to ask questions. They will be appreciated and answered. I grew up in Rehoboth, also a rather old town in MA.

[@Jackwagon]

Great Tour Guide!

[@gpvaneron1584]

really fascinating . i can remember going to Plymouth colony as a kid but this gives nice new perspective

[@bordercontrol4742]

When I was young I used to go across Massachusetts just to go here in Plymouth the people are really nice and helpful so much to learn there I miss it.

[@mgevirtz]

This is yet again another excellent video. The man in the video is phenomenal. Your work is phenomenal!

[@union6885]

The English moved to those colonies in 16th century and 17th century. They lived in those houses,not because they wanted to but because they had to start a new life in America and Massachusetts didn't have enough labor that time so,they had to build these settlements and work for a living there and earn.

[@NatSatFat]

Fascinating! really good info, thanks for that, keep up your good work that you obviously enjoy.

[@liola58]

Wow, this is so fascinating. Thank you for this video

[@KeeperofTheMountain]

Excellent film as usual. This young man is right about life in 1700's America. I encourage everyone to read "Of Plimoth Plantation" It is very hard to read as the English of that day is very different but, it will give a different understanding of the founders than most people have.

[@markrichardsocioprojectgo1800]

I found another book in Google books store called "an historicall discoverie and relation of the English plantations in new England"

[@georgewashington3077]

This is 1600s

[@deck614]

Experimental archeology is so much full of learnings! We also have some re-creations in France, with which you could exchange. Maybe on the composition of this European "Adobe" (named under "colombage" in France, in Champagne or Normandy (resistaing to freeze). I suggest to have a look to "Guedelon", a -well - huge and long project recreating a castle of the 12th century, with foresters houses around, a water "moulin", etc. ;)

[@erikpeterson25]

Great job!! Thx ....lived in Plymouth for many years 🙂

[@JoshuaSmithHomesteader]

Great film Kirsten! Thanks.

[@andynixon2820]

I live in the east of England and this house building technology is very familiar - a lot of houses like this still survive but got haphazardly updated over the centuries . But thatch only lasts about 50 years , and that's if it hasn't already caught fire and wattle + daub houses are absolutely freezing in winter .

[@NordeggSonya]

Good to know this stuff!!! thank you

[@amysbees6686]

Fascinating! Interesting information on early building techniques! As for straw, while a "waste" product it WAS useful! For livestock/animal bedding, in addition to a roofing material. One of my ancestors arrived from England in the 1650s. He was originally be a ship's carpenter who became a farmer. Sadly, still, those in the trades have a shorter life expectancy due to the nature of their work. Even butchers can find themselves disabled by 30!

[@jame1seire]

Plimoth Plantation is incredible. It's definitely worth a visit in the Boston-area in Plymouth, MA, I've been there a number of times, one learns something new on every visit.

[@donprather742]

Well done and very informative. Thanks for this

[@nikobitan7294]

This was a very interesting video and also the first time I've seen someone talk about the fact that just because you're enthusiastic about a period in history, that doesn't mean you want to live there. I appreciate it. A lot of people have very romanticised ideas on what traditional or historical life entailed and will reject certain advances of modern civilisation like medicine, safety measures and education because they have no idea what a world without them is truly like.

[@IronClad292]

Great video!! He is very introspective and realistic about how hard it would be for him to survive back in this time period. I'm also a blacksmith and have worked for the National Park Service at Ft. Vancouver. It is a very hard profession indeed. His descriptions of the building methods are very informative. Oh, and the anvil in the blacksmith shop is absolutely correct for the time period. Thanks for this learning experience :)

[@PapaRocks]

Absolutely excellent presentation!

[@jameshoward3795]

I appreciate the thorough disruption. It's very nice looking. Thanks. J

[@Cyberlucy]

Interestingly enough I was just at Plimouth Village about a week and a half ago. It was a very interesting trip. We got to watch the blacksmiths at work. It was amazing. What I found really interesting was the Native American village and how they lived. It seemed even more basic than how the villagers were living. I think there is something to be learned from both locations there

[@Cyberlucy]

@@shaggybreeks basic in the sense that they didn't need all the things the villagers felt they needed to survive. They had a knowledge about how to effectively survive that the villagers didn't

[@jonkore2024]

My immediate family after surviving World War II and our father doing American service arrived in 1952 a previous group related family came in 1913

[@fixt100]

Good steelworkers still use colour to tell the temperature (and properties) of steel its generally faster and accurate enough to be all they need.

[@autosalvage]

Great video. Very informative! We would love to see this!

[@stppearson825]

The speaker was brilliant at communicating the complexity of the time, its technology and culture in a direct and simple way that is easy to understand. He should start his own youtube channel with demonstrations and lessons about his craft and the culture of that time.

[@ShanLiuGBM]

Please make more of these videos. This is so cool, like half of the words you say kinda confuse me, and although a whole bunch of Dr. Sues picture pop to mind as I hear them... Half the things I never assigned true things to... So cool. I want to become a blacksmith too...

[@blipblip88]

Not to discount the information being provided here, but thatching is not a simple and easy task as he eluded to. Thatchers in the UK spend several years as apprentices to learn the process correctly so that a roof, thatched properly, can last hundreds of years.

[@ethanpace2225]

I don't know much about thatching, but the roofs at this site look far less refined (and structurally sound) than the ones I've seen in the UK. I'm sure the Plymouth colony thatch wasn't that hard to manage since they just needed something passable.

[@33479Leigh]

As an American, I’m mesmerized by the thatched roof.

[@ek7675]

I think he was just pointing out, in the case of Plimoth Colony, they were not experts, their thatching technique was likely pretty crude. You have to check out the context man.

[@gj1234567899999]

I think it may be one of those cases where you can learn enough quickly to do an adequate job to get you through a winter or two, but mastery to do a really high level job would take years.

[@gronnip]

My parents took me here every year when I was a kid and hated it so much. I went back not too long ago, was really cool now.

[@btetschner]

Awesome! Very interesting history, and very fascinating explanation of blacksmithing. An excellent video for education in history. Thank you for making it.

[@mr.robert2507]

Everytime I watch an unromantic portrayal of the condition of my forefathers, or visit a site akin to this, the more in awe I am of my very existence given the precarious odds in opposition to my blood kin's ability to simply survive, not to mention, flourish. Learned a lot.

[@JohnnyBo-v]

why do you talk like you're constantly being read words from a thesaurus and held at gunpoint to use as many of them as you can.

[@mr.robert2507]

@@JohnnyBo-v I can see how a 4th grade vocabulary can be a challenge for you. Go to your safe-space and wait to post a comment in the Real Wives of Atlanta thread. Good luck Zippy

[@firaxolegirein9816]

@@JohnnyBo-v , do some studying if such basic words trigger you

[@bc2578]

@@JohnnyBo-v Yeah, I heard that grammar and punctuation is all part of the racist patriarchy, nome sane, my nizzle?

[@lspthrattan]

British people traditionally used hazel or willow withes to weave for the wattle part of the walls. They're both strong but flexible, and easy to grow as coppices. They're also pretty abundant in North America. I think they'd only use random sticks if there were no hazels or willows nearby.

[@christinemeleg4535]

Sorry to burst your bubble, neither are available where we live and we live rurally in the Western USA. Willow being a riparian does exist but only near rivers, streams, not too common.

[@IronheadOfScroteus]

Yep, that blacksmith shop would be fun to play around in, and I appreciate the old ways, but I love my modern shop.

[@sparky5860]

I visited plimoth plantation in 2020.... It was a wonderful experience to stand where some of the earliest Americans stood... even though I visited during the height of the Covid pandemic, it was memorable..... Thanks to all who keep this important piece of history alive...... Monroe, Mi.

[@venus_envy]

Earliest European-descended Americans, the actual Earliest Americans came tens of thousands of years earlier.

[@madelainepetrin1430]

Housing was very different in New France. Most of the newcomers had building skills. They cut trees on the length, there were masons, for stone houses, carpenters, woodworkers, etc. The first Canadian cabins were built fast and the next year it became the barn and a new grander house was built. In 1675, a man housed hundred of soldiers in his home. No straw roofs either, cedar shingles were used. Maybe these religious exiles weren't quite ready for such a life! They learned eventually.

[@mikearchibald744]

Were those Hugeunots? Or why did they leave France if they had a trade? I'm in New brunswick which was the first 'permanent' settlement on St. Croix Island. They were only there one winter but in that time built buildings for the winter, unfortunately they hadn't bargained for the weather and if it weren't for the first nations they would have starved. I think there's a kind of evergreen tea that can be used to stave off scurvy, but in year two they said the hell with this and moved across the bay to Annapolis valley in Nova Scotia. I'm not sure where they got the skill but they built elaborate dikes and irrigation systems which are still used and really haven't been improved upon, or even maintained. It said with climate change we're just one hurricane away from Nova Scotia being an island. So come see it while you can:) Apparantly in the late 19th century they had such a storm that washed the sea over the small strip of land that connects Nova Scotia to the mainland but it receded (with somebody's cow on the roof of a barn, a boat rescued the cow sometime later out of sight of land). Sorry to steal the focus from the US, but while this is rudimentary, I don't really see much structural difference between that and modern homes. Modern wood homes seem HORRIBLY designed for almost everything except being constant work to maintain. The plumbing and electrical seem designed by madmen, and really the house should be designed around those features, not have them added later as an afterthought. We have TONS of lime where we are, which means this would make a perfect building method right now, with the clay encasing the wood then there is no real danger of fire. Lime whitewash means no wood on the outside, so its just a question of that roof to get rid of the risk of fire. A potential other issue would maybe be whether there's radon in the soil, which means not a good building material, depending on the amount. I'd be interested in the 'method' for making that mud, I've seen lots of recipes but they never really have a system for 'the dirt we have'. We have pretty clay soil, actually our land was stripped so its clay and shale. I'd like to experiment with it but like to have at least some general idea first. Anyway, the early french did seem to be better builders, I wonder why that is, probably an economic reason. But as he says, even a child could have figured htis out. This is a home built in months. We built our home in the seventies, it took us DECADES with all the regulations, etc. And now we have both huge forests AND a homeless problem.

[@madelainepetrin1430]

@@mikearchibald744 even soldiers had to have a trade in the 1600s in order to come to New France. A lot of wood workers, masons, tool makers etc. They were extremely handy and they still are today. It's hard to find a Quebecois who can't do mechanics, tiling, walls plumbing, electric work, gardening, etc.

[@rubenskiii]

@@mikearchibald744 these people where middle class, they didn't build, they bought. They had some rudimentairy skills but probably never build their own home, they could hire someone back home. That's why their houses look the way they look, they weren't professionals.

[@yearofthegarden]

i appreciate his gloomy honesty at the end, i've been waiting for a civil war reinactor to say something along those lines, in their expensive drycleaned uniform. havn't witnessed that yet.

[@alane.azevedo4625]

I'm a civil war reenactor. I'd be pretty screwed if I really lived then. There you go. Lol

[@nlbhaduri]

Nicely presented Matteo!

[@tedmiles2110]

I have visited the village a few times and was lucky enough to see Irish thatchers teaching the local craftsmen how to thaatch the roofs. TM retired but still interested

[@JaniceMetcalf]

always love your vids

[@SlimTravels]

Janice Metcalf Yep, me too. ;)

[@hgdon-homeiswheretreesare-9239]

As I watched this, I was thinking about the native Americans (who were actually heroes to the new colonists). So it’s too bad the video didn’t even mention them. I visited the Plymouth Plantation some years ago, it’s nice to see that it hasn’t changed much.

[@theresamay9481]

My ancestor Stephen Hopkins survived the trip on the Mayflower. Fascinating to see what life was like back then. We are lucky to benefit from the development of so much.