Sarah Tarpine holds a display case showing various fibers used for weaving and spinning for clothing and blankets. Examples of fibers, from sheep, goats, bison and flax/linen were discussed during the Greenwich Tea Burning Chapter meeting held at the Millville Public Library earlier this month.
The April meeting of Greenwich Tea Burning Chapter, New Jersey Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) included a presentation entitled “Fiber Arts in the American Colonies.” Chapter Vice Regent Sarah Tarpine has her own flock of sheep and is proficient in the art and craft of spinning wool into yarn. She began with a brief history and explained the various steps of making yarn.
In 1620, when the ship Mayflower brought the first Europeans to what would become America, they came on a very small vessel. Only 102 passengers with approximately 30 in crew came with food for the voyage plus tools needed to fell trees and make shelters.
There was no storage for clothing and furniture. Only one chest and two cradles have been recorded. Probably there were chickens, pigs, and goats, and although space was very constricted, it is likely that sheep were on board, too. Weaving looms and spinning wheels were to be brought later on subsequent ships, the first arriving one year later.
Tarpine described transforming sheep’s wool into yarn. It is a multi-step process the colonials used to prepare wool for spinning into yarn to replace clothing and make blankets. After shearing the sheep, the fleece was cleaned, scoured, sorted, carded, graded, and spun. The shorn wool is referred to as “fleece” and “carding” is the method of combing and straightening the wool fibers.
Since looms and spinning wheels were not immediately available, colonial women probably used a “drop spindle,” a simple stick with a weight at one end to manipulate and twist the locks of wool or strands of flax into continuing yards of yarn.
Sheep played a vital role in the American colonies and were crucial for work production, clothing, food, self sufficiency and survival. History shows that sheep arrived in Massachusetts, circa 1624, in the English colonies. In spite of many hardships, colonists became proficient at exporting wool goods to England. In an effort to prevent a negative economic impact of the British purveyors of similar woolen goods, England tried to discourage the colonists. A ban was placed on the export of sheep and wool to the colonies. In 1698 England outlawed wool trade and made it punishable by cutting off a persons right hand!
Colonists were very resourceful and began to smuggle sheep to develop a wool industry. To ensure the success of this industry, Massachusetts passed a law requiring youth to learn to spin and weave. Sheep were even kept on coastal islands to protect them from predators. However, they were still prey for the British Navy.
England’s restrictive laws to control the colonies and make them dependent caused a revolt. As a protest, colonists began wearing only homespun woolen garments as a silent protest, which became a symbol of patriotism.
Eventually, England’s harsh and unfair treatment of the colonists would lead to a war for independence, the American Revolution.
