Gallery 104E Side Exhibition

Portrayals of Childhood in Children’s Books

Childhood in America has changed over time. Historical circumstances, such as war, the Industrial Revolution, economic opportunities or challenges, educational opportunities, etc., influenced what childhood looked like in different eras. In Huck’s Raft, Mintz states that “…childhood is inevitably shaped and constrained by society, time, and circumstances.” (Mintz,5) For example, in Colonial times some of the circumstances that determined what childhood was like would include indentured servitude, slavery, gentry families, and families that worked together or banded together as a clan to further economic advantage. Today, a children’s book about different eras might address only part of the childhood experience of that time. Often the difficult aspects of Colonial childhood and other childhoods are not represented in a children’s book.

The picturebook, Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall (a Caldecott Medal winner), portrays one aspect of childhood during the 19th Century. The children worked right alongside their parents in making the things their father took into the city to sell. The children helped make maple sugar, carve brooms, and knit mittens from wool the children also helped sheer from the sheep. The children helped the family thrive economically. This is a rural portrayal of childhood, which would differ from other childhoods of that era.

Hall, D., & Cooney, B. (1983). The Ox-Cart Man. The Penguin Group.

Eliminating Elements of History

The way that children and their sensibilities are treated in the US specifically has undergone a lot of change. Last week, for example, we read about Maurice Sendak and his argument that children are more knowledgeable and capable than we give them credit for. This week, Steven Mintz is walking us through the various stages of thinking about childhood from premodern to modern to our current position, postmodern. He writes, “postmodern childhood resembles premodern childhood…children are no longer regarded as the binary opposite of adults. Nor are they considered naïve and innocent creatures” (4). There is ample evidence to support this claim throughout American children’s literature in particular. There, we see more mature and challenging themes than we have in the past such as gender identity questions, for example. However, there is still a clear move being made to protect children when one reads these books. 

The above example includes a timeline of events that is immediately followed by its first chapter, which introduces children to the idea of traveling to North America and our encounters with Native Americans here. Both are very watered down. For example, the author says nothing about the fact that many children came here as indentured servants rather than with any parents as Mintz argues. Carlson also doesn’t mention that any death was involved with travel, life in North America generally, or encounters with unfriendly Native American tribes. She does, though, mention on her timeline that African slaves were transported here. This suggests that, while we have come a long way from avoiding difficult parts of history with our children, there are still things that don’t get talked about very easily. It seems that Carlson mentions African slaves as a general, nonspecific group of people while talking about indentured servitude in a children’s book would be too specific and too “close to home” since so many were children sent without a choice. 

Carlson also talks about coming to the new world as “an adventure.” And while it was that, it wasn’t always a fun one the way she implies. So many children were sent here as orphans as well. They didn’t have the parents she talks about. 

Colonial Kids by Laurie Carlson: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Colonial_Kids/_z0a-vfcG8oC?hl=en&gbpv=0

If You Were a Kid in the Thirteen Colonies

“Premodern childhood, which roughly coincides with the colonial era, was a period in which the young were viewed as adults in training.” (Mintz, p. 3). In the book If You Were a Kid in the Thirteen Colonies, two children face adult issues and assume adult responsibilities.

“Get a first-hand look into the early days in the North American Colonies. It is winter of 1724 in the North American colonies. With her mother sick in bed and her father away on business, Charlotte Sheppard is left to watch over her younger siblings and the family farm as a dangerous storm blows in overnight. Meanwhile, Charlotte’s friend Elijah Coth is concerned that his immigrant family will return home to Holland after so many setbacks on their own farm. Readers will join Charlotte and Elijah as they work together to make repairs and feed their families in the aftermath of the storm.“

• Mara, Wil. (2016). If You Were a Kid in the Thirteen Colonies. C. Press/F. Watts Trade.

A Visual Dictionary of a Colonial Community

“Colonial childhood varied starkly by class, ethnicity, gender, geographic region, religion, and race.” (Mintz, p. 33). Pages 22-23 of the book A Visual Dictionary of a Colonial Community illustrate Mintz’s point, In both the illustrations and the text, one can see that wealthy children went to school, girls were taught domestic skills, boys worked outdoors or became skilled apprentices, and slaves worked for white families.

• Kalman, Bobbie. (2007). A Visual Dictionary of a Colonial Community. Crabtree Classics.

Studying History in Today’s Classrooms

The pictures below are from the children’s book, John, Paul, George, and Ben by Lane Smith. It is a witty tale about John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin. While the picture book helps today’s students understanding the main character qualities of these four influential leaders of the Revolutionary War, the author depicts them as having similar childhoods to today’s postmodern child. The picture books show them going to schools in which the walls are covered with colorful maps and charts, as well as chalkboards, they make crafts out of macaroni noodles, and play with toys (Thomas Jefferson appears to be building with legos in one picture).

While the picture books were most likely written in a manner to make them relatable to today’s children, they convey to children that life in Colonial times was fun and leisurely. However, life during colonial times was anything but leisurely. Many children during colonial times were apprentices and indentured servants. In Huck’s Raft, Mintz points out that while Benjamin Franklin did attend a grammar school at the age of eight, his father withdrew him from school because he could not afford to continue to pay for his education. As a result, young Franklin, like many children of his day, was forced to become an apprentice to his father, and then eventually to his brother. Although they were brothers, Franklin also suffered beatings at the hand of his brother, and he eventually ran away. An act that, at the time, was illegal and could have had severe consequences (US History.)

Smith, author of John, Paul, George, and Ben may have wanted to write a children’s book informing today’s children about the founding fathers of the United States and their unique contributions to the birth of democracy. However, he leaves out the harsh realities of life during colonial times for children.

Some books written for today’s children only depict what life was like for the wealthier people during colonial times. In Huck’s Raft, Mintz states that “colonial childhood varied starkly by class, ethnicity, gender, geographic region, religion, and race.” The pictures below are from Explore Colonial America by Verna Fisher. This informational book provides information to young learners about life during colonial times, however it briefly mentions indentured servants and apprenticeship. Both are discussed in positive terms, calling them “helpers.” Slaves are also mentioned in the same category as “helpers.” However, Mintz points out that life for an indentured servant was often very difficult. Many parents often sold their children to become indentured servants to pay for their travel to the Americas. Some children were taken from the streets in England and placed on ships heading to America to become indentured servants. In some colonies, such as Maryland and Virginia, “more than half of all indentured servants died” before the end of their service to their master.

Other parts of Explore Colonial America show pictures of families playing together and having fun. While this may have been true for some, this was not true for many in the lower class. Colonial children often suffered poor diets, lack of clothing, and abuse. These children were also unable to attend schools, as mentioned in this book due to their obligation to work for their masters.

Fisher, V. & Stone, B. (2009). Explore Colonial America. Nomad Press.

Mintz, Steven. (2006). Huck’s raft: A history of American childhood. Belknap Press.

Smith, L., & Leach, M. (2009). John, Paul, George & Ben. Scholastic.

Conclusion

In the early years of America, childhood was defined by social status and cultural circumstances, and “the ways in which childhood and adolescence are conceptualized and experienced are social and cultural constructions that have changed dramatically over time.” (Mintz, 4) Modern children’s books portray different versions of childhood but often pick and choose leaving out difficult aspects of childhood that existed in the time they present. No one type of childhood represents all of the types of childhood found in a particular era.