[podcast]http:\/\/web.colby.edu\/scimport\/files\/2011\/05\/LT1130.mp3[\/podcast]<\/p>\n
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As I have frequently pointed out on this program, the American Revolution had little effect on the Kennebec Valley, but “it profoundly affected the seacoast settlements from Kittery to Machias. Because of its prominent coastal trade, hard hit was old Falmouth, now the City of Portland.<\/p>\n
This program, some time ago, recounted the burning of” the town by Captain Mowatt of the British Navy, in the fall of 1775.<\/p>\n
The trade of Portland was so hard hit, as the Revolution continued that in August 1779., selectman Enoch Freeman wrote an urgent plea to the General Court in Boston \u2022. News of the American disaster on the Penobscot, When the Whole Continental fleet, trying unsuccessfully .to escape up the river when the British captured Castine, had reached Portland and caused increased consternation in an already apprehensive town. Freeman’s letter said:<\/p>\n
“The invasion of the Penobscot makes us apprehensive that the enemy has a design to cut this whole area off from the rest of Massachusetts and annex us to Nova Scotia. We’ think our harbor would be especially important to\u00b7the enemy and they will try to possess it. Such is the state of our fortifications unless they are strengthened, we fear all will become easy\u00b7prey.<\/em><\/p>\n ‘~e urge you to take immediate steps for our defense. We urge\u00b7 that at least 200 men be ordered here from York County, also some of the other companies south of here. We must also have a number of cannon and a.suitable quantity of military stores.<\/em><\/p>\n “Since provisions are extremely scarce here, it is absolutely necessary that a supply should be flent us and placed in a proper part: of the town, to be used When we require it, as will surely happen. “We have just learned that our fleet on the Penobscot has been completely destroyed.”<\/em><\/p>\n At the beginning of the year 1780, prospects in Portland were extremely gloomy. Provisions were very low and prices exorbitant, as always happens when demand exceeds supply. General Peleg Wadsworth, grandfather of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, was placed in command of the troops in the District of Maine. He at once recruited and organized a regiment, with companies from Falmouth, Standish, Berwick, Waldoboro and Buxton. Rumors that the British intended to attack Portland, by sending ships and troops from Castine, fortunately proved false. No attack came, but at least Portland was ready.<\/p>\n Many times during the Revolution, alarm was sounded all along the peninsula known as Falmouth Neck, that now comprises the City of Portland, and at every alarm the militia were call\u00b7ed out and put in readiness to repel attack.<\/p>\n From 1776 until the end of the war, there were often as many as 1,000 men subject to call of military duty on Falmouth Meck. For nine months soldiers from the area around old Falmouth were in the . Continental trenches at the siege of Boston, until the British evacuation in March 1776. Maine men were then with Washington on Long Island and in Westchester, at Ticonderoga and Saratoga, at Valley Forge, and eventually at Yorktown.<\/p>\n The ~eople of old Falmouth sent tons of beef and other supplies to the army, though the people.themselves were often nearly destitute of food supplies. The women worked diligently to make blankets and clothing for the troops. Though people on the Kennebec were little affected by the war, except as they saw Arnold’s army pass by on its way to Quebec, Portland and the coastal area took conspicuous part in our nation’s struggle for independence 200 years .ago.<\/p>\n Now let us turn from the Revolution to an entirely different subject.<\/p>\n In this era of almost complete freedom of student life in our colleges, where there are no longer restrictions on the use of liquor, dormitory hours, or even absence from classes, we can at least have the curiosity to note what the regulations were at one college 150 years ago.<\/p>\n In 1825 classes had been held at Waterville College (now Colby) for only seven years. Chartered in 1813, the college was not ready for students until the first president, Jeremiah Cha~lin, arrived in 1818.<\/p>\n In January 1825, the Waterville printer, William Hastings, printed for the ‘college trustees a small pamphlet with the title “Laws and Regulations -for Officers ~nd Students of Waterville College”.<\/p>\n The pamphlet began by stating the names and duties of the president and faculty, who were officially called the officers of the college. The president had to see that there was morning and evening worship every day in the college chapel. Monitors were appointed to list all absences from chapel and absentees were fined ten cents for each absence. A student was employed to ring the bell b.efore all classes and all religious exercises.<\/p>\n ,In a faculty of equals, some were more equal than others. In faculty meetings the president had three votes, each professor two and each tutor one.<\/p>\n One section of the regulations was headed “Study Hours and Academic Exercises. ” I t said:<\/p>\n “In the forenoon, from commencement to Apri 1 1, study hours shall be from 9 AM until noon, and during the rest of-the year from 8 AM until noon. In the afternoon, during the whole year, from 2 PM to the time of evening prayers, and in the evening, during the fall and spring terms from 7 to 9 PM, and in the summer term from 8 to 10 PM.”<\/em><\/p>\n “The time of rec’itations shall be i1llllediately after morning prayers, also at 11 AM and one hour’ before evening prayers.”<\/em><\/p>\n “During study hours every student is required to apply himself with <\/em>diligence to the studies prescribed by the faculty, and he shall not, without <\/em>permission, absent himself from any recitation or other appointed exerci.se. ‘.<\/em><\/p>\n “The three lower classes shall recite three time a day except Friday, <\/em>the afternoon of which shall be devoted to declamation and salutatory, on which <\/em>the’freshman shall r~cite twice and the sophomores once. Seniors shall recite <\/em>twice ~ day except Saturday, which is to be spent in general reading ~nd English <\/em>composition’. “<\/em><\/p>\n Now note how .fairly students were treated.<\/p>\n “Should any student appear to the faculty to be greatly deficient, he <\/em>may be degraded to the next lower class. If this deficiency can be remedied by <\/em>diligence, he may be allowed to make it up by study during the\u00b7ensuing vacation, <\/em>followed by examination at the beginning of the succeeding term.”<\/em><\/p>\n The \u00b7facultY was careful to guard. their status as teachers.<\/p>\n “No student shall attend instruction outside the appointed officers of the college, for any language, science oz: art, in Waterville, during term time.”<\/em><\/p>\n The rules for religious observance were tboroughly expli.cit.<\/p>\n “Every stud~nt shall attend worship in thefcollege chapel, morning and evening, and shall. behave’there with gravity and reverence. All students are required to attend public. worship’ on the Lord’s Day as on public fasts and Thanksgiving, at the ‘usual appointed place. Provided, however, that when any student proposes to attend the services of any other regular Christian society, he may, if 21 or more years old, signify hi-s desire to the faculty.\u00b7 If he is a minor, he may produce such written request from parent or guardian. Such application shall entitle the student to attend services of the particularly named society, but no other.”<\/em><\/p>\n Another rule specified how students must conduct themselves on Sunday, in addition to attending c1;1urch.<\/p>\n “It is enjoined upon all students to rememberthe Sabbath Day to keep it holy; to avoid on that day everything inconsistent with religious observance, and particularly to avoid unnecessary business, ,visiting, walking abroad, receiving unnecessary company, or playing any musical instrument.”<\/em><\/p>\n Rules for staying on the campus were equally strict.<\/p>\n “No student shall, without permission, be absent from his room after 9 PM, from October 1 to March 1, nor after 10 PM during the remainder of the year. <\/em><\/p>\n “In case of vexatious deportment toward his roommate, a student shall be subject to forfeiture of the room he then occupies and removal to such other as the faculty shall assign.<\/em><\/p>\n “No student shall keep firearms or any deadly weapons whatever. He shall bring no gunpowder upon the college premises. Nor shall cats or dogs be kept by students for their private use or pleasure.<\/em><\/p>\n “No student shall at any time smoke a pipe or cigar in any of the entries<\/em><\/p>\n or public rooms of the college, or in any of the out-buildings. Nor shall any student have any ardent spirits or intoxicating liquors of any kind except when prescribed by his’attending physician for medicine.<\/em><\/p>\n “If a student shall associate with vicious company, or shall play at cards, dice, billiards, backgammon, or any such game; or be guilty of falsehood, intemperance, injustice, profanity, or any other species of immorality, he shall be punished according to the aggravation of the offen~e.<\/em><\/p>\n “No student shall enter the room of another student at any time without the latter’s permission.<\/em><\/p>\n “No student, without permiSSion of the President v’\\ one of the professors, shall eat or drink in any tavern in Waterville, unless accompanied by parent or guardian; nor shall any student attend any theatrical performance or idle show, nor frequent any house or shop after being forbidden by President or professor to do so, nor be guilty of any disorderly behavior or disturbing any ‘citizen.”<\/em><\/p>\n The social order of classes from freshman to senior was carefully preser’ved.<\/p>\n “Every member of an inferior class shall pay due deference to all members of any class superior to his, and shall give them precedence whenever the rules of civility have established a distinction.”<\/em><\/p>\n In the early days every graduat ing senior took part in the Commencement program. He was subject to. the following rule:<\/p>\n “No student shall receive his degree if he negl~cts to rehearse as appointed, or neglects to perform on graduation day, his part in the program. If he so fails, his. degree shall be deferred \u00b7until another year.<\/em><\/p>\n Yes indeed, when the present college in Waterville was in its early years of operation, the students were subject to very explicit rules.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Read the script for “Little Talks” program #1130, Broadcast on June 12, 1977<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":405,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35314],"tags":[],"builder_content":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9715"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/405"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9715"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9715\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9715"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}