As many European cultural traits were transmitted to the new world via
England, so was the introduction of water activities. Nevertheless it
required a number of years for such cultural refinements as bathing to
take root in the new environment. The early colonists brought with them
a limited knowledge of swimming, but they did not have the leisure to
cultivate this skill. In New England the Puritan religious and social
beliefs were as restrictive as the lack of leisure time. In this harsh
climate, self-indulgence in swimming and bathing did not fulfill the
requirements of being righteous and useful. Thus the growing popularity
of bathing among the wealthy in Europe during the 17th and early 18th
centuries had little initial impact in the new world.
Although swimming as a skill predated the introduction of bathing to the
new world, I will first discuss bathing since the customs and facilities
established for it reveal the development of swimming in America, first
for men and then for women.