CROQUET IN NINETEENTH CENTURY AMERICAN: A Craze or Just Crazy? by Marisa Masterson

 Besides the obvious that they are both works of literature, what do Alice in Wonderland and Little Women share in common? Croquet and cheating.

By the time the American Civil War was over, the croquet craze had spread from England to the United States. At the same time baseball was gaining popularity, a game many men brought back to hometowns after serving in the war. That sport was for men, though. People at the time considered croquet a placid sport appropriate for ladies. 

Placid? In both of the books mentioned above, the women are caught cheating at croquet. True to life? Definitely.

Using her long skirts, a woman might hide the ball. Without anyone seeing the ball, she moves it (known as scuffling) to where she needs it. Or maybe she would peek around to see if anyone was watching. Unobserved, she taps ball to the spot she wants. 

No wonder people were publishing croquet handbooks at the time. Besides rule books to stop cheating, women began to wear croquet dresses with slightly raised hems. This hints at another reason the game was popular--flirting.

A peek at a woman's ankles tantalized men. The game itself gave men and women time together, often after dinner in the evening. Before this, members of higher society isolated men and women after that meal. Croquet brought them back together and even gave an excuse for touching. A man could "help" a woman by standing behind her to line up a shot or teach her how to swing the mallet.

In recent years, a previously unknown photo of Billy the Kid appeared. In it, he and friends play croquet on the rough ground of New Mexico. The photo shows the group celebrating a wedding and clearly demonstrates men and women interacting. By the 1870s, the game had grown so popular in the United States that it is being played in the barely settled West. Interesting! I wonder if Billy the Kid cheated?

I mention Billy the Kid because of his connection to New Mexico and the Lincoln County War. This month, I released a new book set in New Mexico and loosely based on the violence and division that took place there. 

Renie Hunter gladly accepts Harland McGregor's proposal before he leaves to join the Army of the West. Two years pass before he finally sends for her. Her uncle, the man who raised her, insists the young couple marry by proxy before she leaves. After all, he argues, New Mexico is far from the world they know.

The proxy marriage might prove to be a bad idea. When Renie arrives in the small western town of Harmony, the husband who meets her train seems different from the sweetheart who slipped the small ring on her finger years earlier. Will she still be able to reach the tenderness buried deep inside Harland?
The novel is loosely based on the Lincoln County War.
184 pages

St. Patrick's Day and the Irish Contribution to America

Since today is St. Patrick's Day, it seems only fitting to relate back to the Irish, so today I bring you fun facts of the Irish and their contributions to America.

Let's start near the beginning.  Did you know that almost half of Washington's troops in the American Revolution were Irish?  This is due to the fact that during the 1700s, the Irish were the largest immigrant groups coming to America. Another fun note- the first St. Patrick's Day in America was celebrated in 1737.

What do Thomas McClean, Charles Carroll, James Smith, Matthew Thornton, Edward Rutledge, Thomas Lynch, Jr, George Read and John Dunlap have in common?  They all signed the Declaration of Independence and were Irish-Americans.

Henry Ford's father, William Ford, was an Irish immigrant who fled to America during "the great hunger".

Twelve Irish-born men died at the Alamo, the large number of casualties within an ethnic group defending the popular mission which became a symbol of independence. In present day, the Irish flag stands within its wall to honor those lives.

The famous outlaw, Billy the Kid, was of Irish descent.  Legendary lawman, Pat Garrett, the man who shot and killed Billy the Kid, was the grandson of Irish immigrants.

Many US presidents have been of Irish heritage (this number varies anywhere from 10-22 depending on source and metrics), with John F. Kennedy, perhaps being the most famous of them.

Our country was founded on many beliefs and cultures, which adds a certain richness to our heritage. Though much of our history shows a bias against the Irish in the late 1700s-1800s, one only has to look through their accomplishment to see the incredible value they have added to America. Happy St. Patrick's Day!