The Vacation History in America History Essay Paper (Essay Sample)

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The Vacation History in America
Vacations are conversation starters. They are those rare occasions when we can get away from our daily routine to freely focus on ourselves and new experiences (Aron 2). But, have you ever asked yourself where the idea of going on vacations came from and how it finally landed in the United States of America? How has it developed over the years? Until the mid-19th century, the American description of vacation was an event when teachers and students left the school premises and went off on their own. At this time, vacations were marks of privileges (Aron 5). Over time, getaways became middle-class institutions and special moments for entertainment, as well as, physical, mental, and spiritual empowerment. Indeed, vacations in America have gone through several transformations.
In the 19th century, our Puritan roots played a major role in keeping people from going on vacations. Congregants in protestant churches were working six days a week and resting only on the seventh day to attend church (Aron 6). The Puritans heard preachers who told them about the good side of hard work and the vices of idleness. To this group of Christians, working hard was extremely important. In fact, they suspected idlers as wrongdoers. The Puritans did not understand that breaking from work for recreation and leisure was important until later in that century. That’s when things started changing.