Children of the Western Plains: The Nineteenth-century Experience (American Childhoods)

New
Hardcover
2003
$21.82

What life was like for youngsters who lived on the Great Plains in nineteenth-century frontier life. Chapters address a breadth of experiences and perceptions: why families came to the Great Plains and where they decided to settle; how families and communities were organized for education, work, and play; how health care, accidents, and mortality affected childhoods; and what children experienced outside the home. As much as possible, Ms. Holt lets the children speak for themselves. American Childhoods Series.

Synopsis

What life was like for youngsters who lived on the Great Plains in nineteenth-century frontier life. Chapters address a breadth of experiences and perceptions: why families came to the Great Plains and where they decided to settle; how families and communities were organized for education, work, and play; how health care, accidents, and mortality affected childhoods; and what children experienced outside the home. As much as possible, Ms. Holt lets the children speak for themselves. American Childhoods Series.

$21.82

Quantity

9 in stock

More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 256
Edition: illustrated edition
Publisher: Ivan R Dee, Inc
Published: 18 Aug 2003
ISBN 10: 1566635403
ISBN 13: 9781566635400

Media Reviews

This work is a welcome addition to the small but growing collection of scholarly books about children of the Western Frontier. * Library Journal *
She continues to skillfully give readers valuable information on the roles played by children in the American West. -- Robert W. Richmond
Thick with vivid details and personal accounts. -- Laurie Winn Carlson
Well-researched...vivid. -- Gerald W. McFarland
...Meticulous, yet accessible...a terrific resource for research and curriculum support... * Booklist *
A deeply researched book. The book provides an abundance of information about 19th century children's experiences on the Great Plains that is a valuable addition to historical knowledge. Recommended. * CHOICE *
She provides plenty of historical background information while zeroing in on the subject at hand-how children were affected. -- Robin Farrell Edmunds * Manhattan Mercury *
You will be amazed at the depth of frontier hardship, freedom and joy. * Utica Source *
Holt's account of child life on the Plains is well written and beautifully illustrated. * Nebraska History *
This type of cultural history provides a useful balance to the statistics and plans of academics and policy officials... * The Region *
...Provides plenty of historical background while zeroing in on the subject at hand-how children were affected. * Foreword Reviews *
Every reader will find issues that resonate with his or her own experiences and interests.... A clear success. * Journal of Social History *
Holt...creates a vivid picture of what life was like for the children of the first European and African-American immigrants. * The Dallas Morning News *
...A worthwhile addition to the growing collection of literature about youngsters in the nineteenth-century American West. * Great Plains Quarterly *
By restoring children to the saga of the plains, Holt does indeed broaden the perspective of place. -- Gail Didonato * South Dakota History *
Holt's work is a well-written and compact study of an important topic in Western history. * Journal of the West *
Holt carves out her own territory and brings her own insights...There is much to be commended in this book. * North Dakota History: Journal Of The Northern Plains *

Author Bio

Marilyn Irvin Holt was born in southern Illinois, where her parents still maintain a farm. She studied at Eastern Illinois University and the University of Illinois at Springfield, and is a former editor for the Illinois State Historical Library and a former director of publications for the Kansas State Historical Society. She has also written Indian Orphanages; Linoleum, Better Babies and the Modern Farm Woman; and The Orphan Trains. She lives in Abilene, Kansas.