From: Kristy Ortenzi
Date: 2/7/00
Time: 1:41:55 PM
Remote Name: 152.163.201.207
Kristy Ortenzi February 7, 2000 History 67 William Cutler
Week 4
Primary Source Assignment: George Washington, The Exercise of a Schoolboy
After reading George Washington’s, The Exercise of a Schoolboy, it is evident that social order and class in colonial Virginia are important. The people that are not rich or born into an important family are not looked at as equal to those with good fortune. Class in colonial Virginia defines how you are looked upon and how you view others. In The Exercise of a Schoolboy, the rules are describing how a person of lower class level would interact with someone with more money or a higher rank. Basically, they would show no emotion and act extremely polite. Rule twenty-nine reads, “When you meet with one of Greater Quality than yourself, Stop, and retire especially if it be at a Door and any Straight place to give way for him to Pass.” This shows that the people of colonial Virginia were not considered equal. The people of “lesser value” would have to bow down to those with more than them. These rules show that George Washington is a person that believes in good manners and personal hygiene. Washington most likely believes that if you take care of yourself, behave politely, and give others respect then you will succeed. Rule five reads, “If You Cough, Sneeze, Sigh, or Yawn, do it not Loud but Privately; and Speak not in your Yawning, but put Your handkerchief or Hand before your face and turn aside.” This is an example on how Washington behaved in the presence of others. He showed proper etiquette. His good manners and personal hygiene were important to him and he thought if he had these two things he would get respect and be able to move upward and hope to one day be aprt of the elite class.