Log Cabins example essay topic

The colonists that came to America many years ago had to build their own homes. Some of the earliest settlers' had built several types of homes for survival. The most common home came to be the log cabin. Most Americans today live in houses or apartments with running water and indoor bathrooms. The pioneers in the 1700's certainly had a much harder life and lived differently from the way we live today in the Twentieth Century. However, they also had the need for shelter, transportation and communication.

In the early 1700's, shelter was the settlers first concern upon arriving to a piece of land. Pioneers of the colonial times lived in log cabins they built on their own in which took several days and even weeks to accomplish. This consisted of clearing the land by cutting down trees and producing logs with minimal tools. The cabins would be one room, which included their sleeping quarters and cooking area. They built a fireplace, which is where they did all their cooking as well as for warmth to heat their home. However, for the floors they used wood planks, dirt or grass.

Most cabins built back then were without windows and only one hole in the rooftop to allow the smoke to escape. The roofs were often made of cedar logs or cedar shingles. Often there was a pit dug in the middle of the floor and covered with wood planks this was considered a root cellar and for storing food. Homes we live in today are still similar to the homes as the Pioneers built. Wood is still widely used for the framework of the houses and some flooring.

A rooftop with shingles is still very popular. We have homes with fireplaces and basements. However, we have houses with multiple rooms and windows, heaters to keep us warm and air conditioners when it is hot. Although the log cabin is still very much the desire in today's world, we do not have the hard labor or skills involved as when the pioneers built their homes. Log cabins found today come to us in kit form and pre-fabricated.

People who have log cabins today try to recreate the image of the pioneer by traveling an hour or two out of town to the mountain areas. Where they would have their cabins lodged in the trees longing for the quiet and the serenity of nature to surround them in order to escape the fast paced world we live in. The automobile / telephone as we know it today was not in existence of the early pioneer days. For the pioneers to travel any great distance they went by wagon pulled by either oxen or horses. If they traveled by water given, they were near water they would have to build a raft.

The rivers to them are like the highways for us. Ships, airplanes, trains, buses, and automobiles stand ready to take us anywhere we want to go. A simple trip from Boston to New York could take two weeks or more. Today we can fly between cities in less than an hour. We have advanced so as to putting men and women on the moon. Technologies today in the Twentieth Century have come along way since the colonial day.

Without telephones, newspapers or mail service pioneers relied upon each other to find out what was happening in the rest of the world. In colonial times, the definition of high-speed information was a courier on horseback. The most famous of which is Paul Revere. Instead of him, saddling up and galloping down the old post road alerting the colonists of an ensuring British Force. Try to imagine Ole' Paul Revere sitting in front of his Dell or H.P. and instant messaging Samuel Adams or Mr. Hancock that the British were coming. We know that Samuel Adams was a famous brew master.

In regards a lot of the current news of the day traveled from town to town in which would be the contents of most conversations in local Pub's and Roadhouse's. In comparison to the colonists and the times today in the Twentieth Century not much has changed in this respect. Anyone can go into his or her local watering hole and order up a Samuel Adams. Debate with the next guy about any number of topics such as George Washington or Bush, religion's of Pagans, Jihad or who was last raided by the Indians or even losing at the Casino. In conclusion the times have changed between the Eighteenth Century and now. However, the visions and dreams of the colonists and us today in the Twentieth Century are not all that far apart.

I believe our Forefathers got it right the first time with Home, Life, and Liberty. It is just a little more diversified these days. After a hard day at the office I am going to cruise in my SUV through the gridlock open the door to my condominium kiss my significant other check my e-mail and open a Sam Adams. God Bless America, Our Dream is alive and well..