Inside the Farmhouse

Inside the Farmhouse. . , By the 1830s, many Cherokee families had conformed to European cultural expectations. This farmhouse contains items and furnishings that were commonly found in middle-class households during this time period., The item that reflects the 1830s is the rope bed (below, left). Instead of wooden slats, ropes support the sleeper and their bedtick, a large bag of stiff fabric stuffed with straw, down feathers, or similar material to be used as a mattress. The ropes need to be tightened regularly, which some believe is the origin of the phrase "sleep tight.", The spinning wheel (below, right) also indicates the time. Spinning wheels are used to spin thread or yarn from fibers, which would be used to make clothing. Traditional Cherokee clothing included pieces made from buckskin, which could be decorated with shells and beads, and pucker-toe moccasins for shoes. As trade became more common between the Cherokee and Europeans, the Cherokees' clothing changed to reflect that, leading to the adoption of the spinning wheel into the everyday lives of middle-class Cherokee families., [Captions:] , Above is a photograph of the inside of the farmhouse. A table is set with pewter plates and cups, spoons carved from deer antlers, and utensils with bone handles. The fireplace is surrounded by steel implements used for cooking and stoking the fire and numerous gourds, jugs, and lanterns sit on or hang near the mantle. Two rocking chairs sit near the fireplace, one with a butter chum beside it., The floors were built with wooden pegs instead of nails due to the hefty cost of items forged by blacksmiths during the 1830s. The windows' hinges are also made entirely from wood for the same reason.