Sticks and Stones · Chapter
I: The Medieval Tradition explained
This chapter explores the medieval tradition in early American communities, particularly New England villages, emphasizing their social, economic, and architectural foundations.
What happens
This chapter explores the medieval tradition in early American communities, particularly New England villages, emphasizing their social, economic, and architectural foundations. It contrasts the communal, cooperative village life with the individualistic, commercial trading posts, and argues that the medieval order persisted longer in America than in Europe. The chapter highlights the importance of the meetinghouse, land distribution, and community planning in shaping architecture and society.
Themes in this chapter
Community vs. Individualism
The chapter contrasts the communal, cooperative New England village with the individualistic, commercial trading post, highlighting the social and economic foundations of each.
Economic and Social Foundations of Art
The chapter argues that the architecture and craftsmanship of New England villages were directly shaped by the equitable distribution of land and communal labor practices.
Human Scale and Organic Urban Planning
The chapter emphasizes the organic, functional layout of New England villages, contrasting it with the speculative gridiron plan of Manhattan and advocating for community-scaled growth.
The Myth of Progress and the Pioneer
The chapter challenges the myth of the pioneer as a break from Europe, arguing instead that early settlers prolonged medieval traditions, and critiques the exploitative westward expansion.
Characters to notice
- Thomas Jefferson
Referenced indirectly through the contrast with the classic republic style of the eighteenth century.
- John Ruskin
Not directly mentioned, but the chapter's emphasis on craftsmanship and community echoes Ruskin's ideas.
- Frank Lloyd Wright
Not directly mentioned, but the chapter's critique of gridiron planning and advocacy for organic community design aligns with Wright's philosophy.
- Patrick Geddes
Not directly mentioned, but the chapter's focus on organic growth and community planning resonates with Geddes' regional planning concepts.
Key passages
“So far from giving birth to a new life, the settlement of the northern American seaboard prolonged for a little while the social habits and economic institutions which were fast crumbling away in Europe, particularly in England.”
The early American settlements did not create a new society; instead, they temporarily preserved European social and economic traditions that were disappearing in England.
This challenges the myth of the pioneer as a radical break from the past.
“The meetinghouse determined the character and limits of the community.”
The meetinghouse was the central element that defined the community's identity and boundaries.
Highlights the religious and social centrality of the meetinghouse in New England villages.
“A friend of mine has called this system 'Yankee communism,' and I cheerfully bring the institution to the attention of those who do not realize upon what subversive principles Americanism, historically, rests.”
A friend described the communal land system as 'Yankee communism,' and I am happy to point out that Americanism historically relies on such cooperative principles.
Emphasizes the communal, non-capitalist aspects of early American community organization.