Chapter Summary Of Huck's Theft By Steven Mintz

Huck's Raft, written by Steven Mintz, provides a very detailed recollection of various periods in the history of American childhood. Beginning with the 17th century, Mintz describes how more than 14,000 English villagers traveled to the New England area in the hopes of establishing a "stable and moral society", free from the problems that were plaguing England then. The majority of the people who settled in New England at that time were Puritans and they had a fairly unique perspective on childrearing in that they looked at it largely from a religious angle. Puritans, whose family patterns were characterized by a strong patriarchal system, believed that their survival was dependent upon their children’s moral values. Because of this, they put a large emphasis on training them on the ways to salvation from a very early age on. Mintz writes that they "did not sentimentalize childhood; they regarded even newborn infants as potential sinners who contained aggressive and willful impulses that needed to be suppressed".

In comparison, Native American children lived a childhood that was relatively free and happy. They were also loved much more affectionately than were their Puritan counterparts. In fact, Mintz starts off chapter one by telling the …show more content…
In this region, family life was characterized by instability and indentured servitude. They had a very high mortality rate in comparison with their New England neighbors, as well as a short life expectancy. Despite the harsh conditions they faced, Mintz writes that African American families during this time worked hard to instill “a strong sense of family identity in their children”. Between 1680 and 1720, indentured servitude in the Chesapeake area began to decline for white children as the sex ratio equalized and more stable family patterns