Sarah A.

The Diary of Ester Robinson

March 9, 1776

Dear Diary,

Good day to thee. My name is Ester Robinson. I live in the Rhode Island colony with my family. I am writing this diary so people can learn about the way we live now. I hope in the middle of war I will be able to remember to write in my diary though!

My family lives on our farm. We have chickens, sheep, horses, and crops on our farm. We also have three English Shepherd dogs, Faith, Destiny, and Rufus, to help herd the sheep. The chickens provide meat and eggs to sell and eat. We have sheep for wool. Scout and Sundance, our horses, help us travel faster. We also attach them to a pod to travel across snow. Our crops are corn, rye, corn, peas, corn, squash, and more corn! (1. The Scoop on Clothes, Homes, and Daily Life in Colonial America)

I have three siblings. They are my 15-year-old brother Amos, my tiny baby brother Linus, and my 10- year-old sister Hepzibah. My Grandma Primrose lives with us, too. She helps with some chores, like carding wool. (2. Colonial Living) My father’s name is Bartholomew, and my mom’s name is Cornelia. If I ever wrote a letter to father though, I’d write Dear Sir. (3. If You Lived In Colonial Times)

Before I write more about my life, I need to write about myself. I am 12 years old. My mom says my hair is beautiful, light brown, and neat, but my brother Amos says it is always tangled! I have blue eyes and I am very tall. Hepzibah always says I look like a tree! I would feel like one if I had to wear very fancy, tight clothes like rich people do! There is a law, though, that people with less money, like my family, can’t have fancier clothes than rich people. (4. If You Lived In Colonial Times) We wear loose-fitting, cotton clothing. (5. The Scoop on Clothes, Homes, and Daily Life in Colonial America)

I wonder what your house looks like. My house has one main room and two bedrooms. We also have a small shed not connected to the house. It has a pit in it. (6.The Scoop on Clothes, Homes, and Daily Life in Colonial America) Father told me that long ago when people first came here they lived in cold, un-weatherproof wigwams they built !(7. The Scoop on Clothes, Homes, and Daily Life in Colonial America) It sounded awful!

Oh, marry! I need to hurry and do my tasks before mother finds out I was writing until midday! I shall get the rod if she finds out!

Fare well thee,

Ester