Moravian Mornings

Maizie and Casey discuss Wachovia during the French and Indian War and Anglo-Cherokee War, including the Moravians' perspectives on the events and how these events affected the development of the Moravian towns. 

The French and Indian War started in North America in 1754 and affected the development of Wachovian plans until its end. By an act of the English Parliament, the Moravians were released from required military service. Their ideology on warfare meant that they only participated in defensive warfare, and they took the steps necessary to ensure that their beliefs and distinction in warfare were not compromised during this time. During the time of the French and Indian War, Bethabara acted as a site of protection, taking in local refugees who feared attacks. They provided passing soldiers with supplies while also experiencing unnecessary treatment from them. Bethabara would come to be called “the Dutch Fort, where there are good people and much bread” by the local Cherokee. The war affected the development of the area by prompting a palisade to be constructed around the town and mill and by delaying the construction of the central town of Salem. Through a famine, a Typhus outbreak, fear of attacks, and the death of Count Zinzendorf, the Moravians stayed strong in their faith while continuing to develop the area of Wachovia.

Bibliography & Further Reading:

Boehme, Gerry. The French and Indian War. Primary Sources of Colonial America. New York, NY: Cavendish Square Publishing, 2017.

Cave, Alfred. The French and Indian War. Greenwood Guides to Historic Events, 1500-1900. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2004.

Fries, Adelaide, ed. Records of the Moravians in North Carolina. Volume I: 1752-1771. Vol. I. Raleigh, NC: Edwards & Broughton Print Company, 1922.

Fries, Adelaide. Records of the Moravians in North Carolina. Volume V: 1784-1792. Vol. V. Raleigh, NC: Edwards & Broughton Print Company, 1941.

Thorpe, Daniel. The Moravian Community in Colonial North Carolina: Pluralism on the Southern Frontier. Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 1989.

Music (Freemusicarchive.org):

Allegretto (green pastures) by Dee Yan-Key (Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)

Grand Piano Theme - Echo - Loopable by Lobo Loco (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

On my Way to Work by Lobo Loco (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

In the last part of this two-part episode, Stuart Marshall continues his discussion on the importance of Moravian pottery as well as providing information on the materials used to make the pottery, the difference in pottery techniques used today compared to 18th and 19th century, and his experience trying to retrace the steps of these Moravian potters. 

Bibliography & Further Reading:

Chipstone---Ceramics in America: 

Luke Beckerdite and Johanna Brown: Eighteenth-Century Earthenware from North Carolina: The Moravian Tradition Reconsidered

Mary Farrell: Making North Carolina Earthenware

Alain C. Outlaw: The Mount Shepherd Pottery Site, Randolph County, North Carolina

Stephen C. Compton,  “Research Note: The Eighteenth-Century Potters of Salisburyand Rowan County, North Carolina,” MESDA Journal Vol 39 (2018)

Stephen C. Compton, North Carolina's Moravian Potters: The Art and Mystery of Pottery-Making in Wachovia (Fonthill Media LLC: America Through Time, 2019)

John Bivins, The Moravian Potters in North Carolina (Chapel Hill: UNC Press for Old Salem, Inc., 1972)

Adelaide Fries, ed.,: Records of the Moravians in North Carolina Vol. 1   

Adelaide Fries, ed.,: Records of the Moravians in NC, Vol. 3, p. 1231

Daniel B. Thorpe, The Moravian Community in Colonial North Carolina: Pluralism on the Southern Frontier (Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1989)

Charles G. Zug III, Turners and Burners: The Folk Potters of North Carolina (Chapel Hill: UNC Press, 1986).

Other links:

 David Drake

MESDA piece: https://mesda.org/exhibit/storage-jar/ 

Music (Freemusicarchive.org):

On my Way to Work by Lobo Loco (Attribution-NonCommericial-NoDerivatives: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) 

In this first part of a two-part episode, Historic Bethabara Park's current potter, Stuart Marshall, provides a brief history of the pottery trade and potters of Bethabara from the 1700s to the 1800s, their differing pottery styles, and the importance of their work.

Gottfried Aust: Born in Europe, Aust broke away from the family trade of waving to train to become a potter in Herrnhut, Germany, where he also joined the Moravian Church. By the 1750s, he was working in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Arriving in 1755, Aust was the first potter to set up shop in the newly established town of Bethabara. He stayed in Bethabara until 1771 when the Moravian Church begins moving operations to Salem. Aust had a few apprentices working under him.

Rudolph Christ: By 1766, a teenage Christ was working for Aust in the Bethabara pottery shop. Christ and Aust held a tense relationship often resulting in Christ requesting to be sent away to work in other settlements or to work in other shops.

Peter Oliver: Born enslaved, he became bound to the Salem Single Brothers for labor and learned the pottery trade. He would come to work under Christ at the Bethabara pottery shop. Oliver eventually purchased his own freedom at least partly through his work as a potter.

John Butner: Butner lived in Wachovia during the 19th Century and operated the 1782 brick pottery shop that is still standing at Historic Bethabara Park as well as holding different jobs in the town. He and his son, Joseph, carry the pottery tradition well into the 19th Century.

Bibliography & Further Reading:

Chipstone---Ceramics in America: 

Luke Beckerdite and Johanna Brown: Eighteenth-Century Earthenware from North Carolina: The Moravian Tradition Reconsidered

Mary Farrell: Making North Carolina Earthenware

Alain C. Outlaw: The Mount Shepherd Pottery Site, Randolph County, North Carolina

Stephen C. Compton,  “Research Note: The Eighteenth-Century Potters of Salisburyand Rowan County, North Carolina,” MESDA Journal Vol 39 (2018)

Stephen C. Compton, North Carolina's Moravian Potters: The Art and Mystery of Pottery-Making in Wachovia (Fonthill Media LLC: America Through Time, 2019)

John Bivins, The Moravian Potters in North Carolina (Chapel Hill: UNC Press for Old Salem, Inc., 1972)

Adelaide Fries, ed.,: Records of the Moravians in North Carolina Vol. 1   

Adelaide Fries, ed.,: Records of the Moravians in NC, Vol. 3, p. 1231

Daniel B. Thorpe, The Moravian Community in Colonial North Carolina: Pluralism on the Southern Frontier (Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1989)

Charles G. Zug III, Turners and Burners: The Folk Potters of North Carolina (Chapel Hill: UNC Press, 1986).

Other links:

David Drake

MESDA piece: https://mesda.org/exhibit/storage-jar/ 

Music (Freemusicarcive.o

In the second part of the Moravian clothing episode, Crews continues his talk on the history of Moravian clothing, discussing how certain dressing practices changed throughout the years, some Moravians’ reactions to newer fashion trends and what these trends were, and his current research on the garment called a “contusch.”  

Music (Freemusicarchive.org):

On my Way to Work by Lobo Loco (Attribution-NonCommericial-NoDerivatives: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Jacob Crews is a living historian who has been researching Moravian clothing for four years, and he participates in living history events at historic sites such as Historic Bethabara Park and Fort Dobbs. Crews joins Maizie and Casey to discuss some of the history behind the Moravians’ clothing choices between the 1700s to early 1800s. How was their clothing unique? What was the typical Moravian wear like for men and women? Was their clothing practical? Jacob answers these questions and more.

*Jacob later got in contact to say that greatcoats are actually fitted.* 

Music (Freemusicarchive.org):

On my Way to Work by Lobo Loco (Attribution-NonCommericial-NoDerivatives: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

From why the location of the town was chosen to what the town is like today, Dr. Michele Williams of Historic Bethania presents information about Bethania not discussed in episode three. How was the community planned? Why were the specific families chosen to live in Bethania? How did this mix of Moravians and non-Moravians living together in a community affect the development of Wachovia?

Music (Freemusicarchive.org):

On my Way to Work by Lobo Loco (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

The first three settlements in Wachovia were Bethabara, Bethania, and Salem. Why were these towns established, and how were they established? What made them unique?

Bethabara: In 1753, the Moravians purchased a 100,000-acre tract that would be named Wachovia. 15 Moravian Brethren traveled from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and founded the settlement in November of 1753. This establishment was different from the Moravian settlements in Pennsylvania, being founded as an economic venture for the church rather than for missionary work. The town of Bethabara was meant only to be a temporary settlement until the Moravians were able to construct the central town of Salem, but the creation of this town would be delayed due to the French and Indian War. Bethabara operated under the Oeconomy system, a semi-communal institution controlled by the Moravian Church. Before the creation of Salem, Bethabara grew into a well-known and prosperous town, and after the creation of the central town, it became a farming community after most operations were moved to Salem. Bethabara is now a National Historic Landmark and a public park in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Bethania: Bethania is the first designed town in Wachovia. During the French and Indian War, Bethabara hosted many refugees, causing Bethabara to become overcrowded. This and a few other factors led to the decision to create a new town that would help ease the population of Bethabara and also to help make sure that Bethabara would not become large enough to compete against the still unstarted central town of Salem. Established in 1759, the community consisted of Moravian and non-Moravian refugee families, something not common in Moravian towns. At first, no structures that could divert visitors from Bethabara and compete against Bethabara were allowed to be built in the newly created town (ex: stores, taverns). The town would develop into a small and thriving industrial town. Bethania is the oldest municipality in Forsyth County, North Carolina. The Wolff-Moser House at Bethania is one of the earliest known rural Moravian farmstead houses in North America and is open to tour.

Salem: Having always been planned as the central town, the proposed settlement did not receive much attention until the mid-1760s after the French and Indian War ended. After the war, there was hesitation to proceed with the creation of Salem as Bethabara was now well-known in the area. This resulted in church authorities in Herrnhut, Germany, asking the Lot whether the Moravians should even start a new town. After receiving a “yes,” the Moravians began building the town in 1766, and by 1774, Salem was considered to be the leading commercial center of the Piedmont. Salem, now known as Old Salem, is a historic district of Winston-Salem and operates as a living history museum.

Bibliography & Further Reading:

Crews, C. D. (Ed.). (1993). Bethania: A Fresh Look at Its Birth. Winston-Salem, NC: Moravian Church in America, Southern Province.

Crews, C. Daniel, and Richard Starbuck. With Courage for the Future: The Story of the Moravian Church, Southern Province. Winston-Salem, NC: Moravian Church in America, Southern Province, 2002.

Eller, Ernest. Bethania in Wachovia, Bicentennial of Bethania Moravian Church, 1759-1959. Winston-Salem, NC: Bradford Printing Service, 1959.

Faull, Katherine, trans. Moravian Women's Memoirs. Women and Gender in North America Religions. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 1997.

Fries, Adelaide, ed. Records of the Moravians in North Carolina. Volume I: 1752-1771. Vol. I. Raleigh, NC: Edwards & Broughton Print Company, 1922.

Fries, Adelaide. Records of the Moravians in North Carolina. Volume II: 1752-1775. Vol. II. Raleigh, NC: Edwards & Broughton Print Company, 1925.

James, Hunter. The Quiet People of the Land: A Story of the North Carolina Moravians in Revolutionary Times. Chapel Hill

The Director of Historic Bethabara Park, Samantha Smith, and the Education Director, Diana Overbey, join Casey and Maizie to discuss more on the customs and traditions of the Moravians. Samantha and Diana tell us why it’s important to discuss the Moravian history of the Winston-Salem area, tell stories from the settlements in Wachovia where some customs and traditions were and were not followed, and the connections to the Winston-Salem Moravian Congregation that Historic Bethabara Park holds today.

Music (Freemusicarchive.org):

On my Way to Work by Lobo Loco (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

The Moravians are the first group of protestants, predating Lutherans by about 100 years. What makes this religious group unique?

Choir System: Moravian Church members lived in groups called choirs and were separated based on sex, age, and marital status. This system included choirs for boys, girls, single men, single women, married men, married women, widows, and widowers. Choirs were led by a Choir Helper who acted as a leader for the group. The Moravians saw these groups as their spiritual families since those in a group would be going through similar life experiences at the same time. Different colored ribbons were worn by Moravian women to indicate which choirs they were a part of. Little girls wore bright red, older girls wore burgundy, single sisters wore pink, married sisters wore blue, and widows wore white. Each choir ate their meals together and worshipped together. When financially possible, each choir lived together in their own house. Eventually, Married couples would live in their own houses.

The Lot: Used by Church members to make decisions about a variety of different matters, the Lot played a crucial role in the development of Moravian society in Wachovia. A lot box contained scrolls that each indicated a different answer, with one always indicating “yes” and one always indicating “no.” There would be a blank answer that would be interpreted as “wait.” The Lot would stop being consulted in the 19th Century.

Education: Both Moravian men and women, including enslaved Moravians, were educated, and education started as young as six years old. They were taught how to read and write in German and later to read and write in English, bible studies, math, and music lessons. This education was not free. Schooling would typically end around the age of 15, and the children would move to the Single Sister and Single Brother Choirs. White Moravian boys around this time would often become apprenticed to a tradesman.

Marriage: Moravians had to go through a process and reach milestones to be seen as ready to marry within the Moravian Church. Among other factors considered when a Single Brother was interested in marriage, they also had to be able to prove they could support a family. If a Single Brother was found ready to marry, the Choir Helper of the Single Brother’s Choir would approach the Choir Helper of the Single Sister’s Choir. Names of a potential single sister would be discussed if a name had not been brought up by the Single Brother. The Single Brother’s preference would be considered first. If all agreed that the couple would make a good fit, the Lot was addressed. If the blank answer was drawn, the Single Brother could make another suggestion, or the Choir Helpers would choose a second potential bride. Single Sisters always had the right to refuse marriage proposals.

Lovefeasts: Lovefeasts are a religious service consisting of song, and Moravians share a simple meal together, usually bread and coffee. Lovefeasts were held for different celebratory occasions, such as weddings, birthdays, and welcoming friends. They were held when the Moravians wished to have the Lord’s blessing during a semi-social gathering or church service. Lovefeasts continue today in the Moravian Church.

Bibliography & Further Reading:

Crews, C. Daniel, and Richard Starbuck. With Courage for the Future: The Story of the Moravian Church, Southern Province. Winston-Salem, NC: Moravian Church in America, Southern Province, 2002.

Faull, Katherine, trans. Moravian Women's Memoirs. Women and Gender in North America Religions. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 1997.

Faull, Katherine. Speaking to Body and Soul: Instructions for the Moravian Choir Helpers, 1785-1786. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2017.

Fries, Adelaide, ed. Records of the Moravians in North Carolina. Volume I: 1752-1771.

Moravian Mornings' hosts, Maizie Plumley and Casey Landolf, shortly discuss Historic Bethabara Park's new podcast series.

Music (Freemusicarchive.org):

Grand Piano Theme - Echo - Loopable by Lobo Loco (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)