Boyang Liu

Learning Pod 6 (9/19/2014)

History of Leisure in Western Civilization (Part II) Industrial Revolution WWII

Leisure in the Industrial Revolution (1800s)
The Puritan Ideal became stronger in the Industrial revolution
Hard work would lead to salvation
Work becomes the hallmark of American life, and the basis for social and moral values.
People were made to feel guilty about playing.
The managers of the mills, the mines, and the factories pushed for an industrial morality,
calling for long hours, discipline, and denial of pleasures, respect for authority, and the
turning from sin; the workers pushed for more free time for family prayer, reading the
Bible, and attending church services and activities.
Despite the efforts of the church to suppress leisure activities, there was increased
participation in the early 1800s in minstrel shows, theater, dance halls, amusement parks,
concerts, beer halls, horse racing, regattas, foot races, baseball, and boxing.
Men go to work in the mills, mines, factories, and women were pushed to stay home
Leisure after the Civil War (1865-early 1900s)
Popular culture emerges
Golden Age of the American Circus
Vaudeville, minstrel shows, amusement parks, the American theater, and beer
gardens begin to flourish
Sports: baseball, basketball, football, track and field, gymnastics, gold, tennis,
cricket, etc.
American country clubs begin to flourish (upper class)
The development of parks and public recreation
Central Park, NY in 1853
Fairmount Park, Philadelphia in 1867
1872 - First National Park: Yellowstone.
By 1900, 750 cities had set aside land for local public parks
1906 The Playground Association of America (PAA)
By 1910, 336 cities were offering public recreation programs
1930 National Recreation Association
1945 NC establishes first state recreation commission
1965 NRPA
The rise of voluntary (nonprofit) agencies
The Muscular Christianity Movement
(YMCA, 1851) (YWCA, 1866)
1885 Boston Sand Garden
First playground in the united states
Joseph Lee- The father of the American playground movement, Addams and Ellen
Starr 1889 Established the Hull House in Chicago
1906 Boys Club
1910 Boy Scouts
1910 Camp Fire Girls and 1912 Girl scouts
1918- The Seven Cardinal Principles of Education included the worthy use of leisure
time
1919-18th amendment called for prohibition
1920s The Jazz Age The roaring 20s
1930s The great depression and the New Deal
1940s WWII
1950s Great optimism, suburbanization, and TV
1960s Increased ;leisure, early retirement and time- saving devices
1970s Challenges to the Establishments
1980s The Me Generation
1990s Leisure as an industry