What was entertainment like in the 1860s

These newspapers often contained accounts of battles, poetry and essays, or propagandistic messages for the enemy. Some enterprising soldiers established literary or debating societies. Music was a popular diversion, as well—from informal singing around the fire to staged balls.

Gambling prevailed in every conceivable form—from horse races to louse races. Games like cards, chess, checkers, and dominoes could be played for money or simply for fun, were quiet, and easily carried in a knapsack. Card games such as poker, twenty-one, keno, and euchre were played on both sides of the line, but by the last years of battle decks of cards were hard to come by in the Southern ranks.

Confederate soldiers obtained more from Union prisoners, fallen soldiers, or by trade with their Federal counterparts. The manager often made significant changes to a playwright's work, and the playwrights had no recourse to prevent this until the passing of the Dramatic copyright Act of Even then, the Copyright Act only covered printed plays.

Theatrical productions were rotated regularly, often daily. However, long runs of or more continuous performances were not unusual and became common in the latter decades of the 19th century. In the last half of the 19th century, the star system gradually gave way to the "combination system. Companies would spend the summer in their home city, usually New York, Boston, or Philadelphia, and then would be on tour again beginning in October. A "season" usually consisted of 39 weeks.

The American theater was only moderately affected by the outbreak of the Civil War. Some theaters closed down in the first year of the war but then reopened, even in the South.

However, touring was severely limited in the northern states and stopped all together in southern states. A few leading actors volunteered for service but the majority continued to pursue their profession. At one point, four shows were thriving in New York City at the same time. After the war, many southern theaters never regained their stature, even as the theater industry in the north and west grew rapidly.

In the 18th century and early 19th century, the acting profession was considered sinful and actors were subject to social ostracism. However, by the midth century actors could be considered quite socially respectable. The memoirs of theatrical people like Wood, Ludlow, Smith, or William Warren gave no suggestion of social ostracism. On the contrary, once established in their profession, they became solid and respected citizens.

Of course, to some extend their background, to a greater degree their modest salaries, limited actors' social success. But if actors succeeded, lived decently, and, perhaps most important, made money, they were socially accepted. The life of actors and actresses in the midth century was very hard, requiring great physical stamina. In addition to a grueling performance schedule, actors must withstand stagecoach and early riverboat travel in addition to makeshift lodgings. Actors would often rehearse as many as three plays during a day and then would have to prepare for the night's performance.

Yet the devices and techniques for making movies are barely over a century old. What did Americans do for entertainment before filmmaking technology existed? The Piano Craze Before recorded music existed, playing music and singing were marks of accomplishment for young women, especially after the s, as more Americans prospered and could aspire to luxuries like parlor pianos. The nation's first great songwriter, Stephen Foster, wrote popular "high culture" songs for proper young ladies — his "Beautiful Dreamer" is an example.

He also wrote minstrel songs, to appeal to a different audience. Touring Minstrels Minstrel shows were a popular working class entertainment in the decades before the Civil War. White performers with blackened faces sang and danced in skits that presented caricatures of slaves.

The audiences participated actively and the atmosphere could get rowdy. Performing companies of minstrels toured around the country. Shows for Families The popular theatrical shows of the s and s were often lewd, and designed for a male audience. The shows presented a variety of entertainment: dancing girls, comics, singers and musicians. In an effort to attract bigger audiences, performers and managers adapted their material for families.

More activities included playing board games, watching movies, listening to the radio, and reading. They played a lot of board games as families, like using the Ouija board and playing Hokum and Tiddledy Winks.

They watched movies now because they started playing movies with sound that was made in Shooting and fishing contests were part of the colonial experince, as were running, boxing, and horse racing. Golf and tennis emerged in the s. The major professional sports of the day were baseball, boxing and horseracing.

The first professional baseball teams were formed in the s and the first professional league, the National Association of Professional Baseball Players, formed in Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search.

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