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Childhood from the present day to 2001 by Cheri Taylor 

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Childhood from the present day to 2001 by Cheri Taylor 

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iStock Close Up Of School Kids Playing With Tablet Pc Stock Photo - Download Image Now - Child, Digital Tablet, Technology

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education, elementary school, learning, technology and people concept - close up of school kids with tablet pc computers having fun and playing on break in classroom

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education, elementary school, learning, technology and people concept - close up of school kids with tablet pc computers having fun and playing on break in classroom

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Royalty-free licenses let you pay once to use copyrighted images and video clips in personal and commercial projects on an ongoing basis without requiring additional payments each time you use that content. It's a win-win, and it's why everything on iStock is only available royalty-free - including all Child images and footage.

What kinds of royalty-free files are available on iStock?

Royalty-free licenses are the best option for anyone who needs to use stock images commercially, which is why every file on iStock - whether it's a photo, illustration or video clip - is only available royalty-free.

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From social media ads to billboards, PowerPoint presentations to feature films, you're free to modify, resize and customize every asset on iStock - including all Child images and footage - to fit your projects. With the exception of "Editorial use only" photos (which can only be used in editorial projects and can't be modified), the possibilities are limitless.

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education, elementary school, learning, technology and people concept...

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Download this Close Up Of School Kids Playing With Tablet Pc photo now. And search more of iStock's library of royalty-free stock images that features Child photos available for quick and easy download.

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The first two decades of the 21st Century have already brought forth impactful moments. We have witnessed natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, multi-state snowstorms, heatwaves, and devastating wildfires. This extreme weather could be seen as a symptom of the current climate crisis.

There have also been such defining moments as the war-instigating plane crashes of 9-11, political upheaval, swift advances in technology, school shootings, and a global pandemic. (census.gov)

These moments shape generations of children and youth. The youngest generations, those experiencing these events during their formative years, have been identified as Generation Z (born around 1995 through 2010) and Generation Alpha (born around 2013 until about 2025). Future historians and academics will be using these events to determine the history of these generations.

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We have seen how the popular culture of the past decades reflects and shapes generations of American youth. Popular culture of the 21st century is doing the same for the children and teens of today. The tv series “Reservation Dogs” has been praised for its accurate portrayal of reservation life, while Netflix’s “Never Have I Ever” offers a realistic look at the life of an American teenager of Indian immigrant parents.

In addition to television shows, young adult novels and graphic novels such as Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper series and Benjamin Alire Saenz’s Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe offer greater representation for the LGBTQ+ community.

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On October 23, 2001, Apple Computers released the first iPod and in October of 2010, they released the first iPad. Advances in technology allow learning to occur in new ways. Technology has also changed how adults and children entertain themselves through social media applications such as TikTok and channels such as YouTube. New technology has also led to advancements in video games, shaping the way children play.

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Many events of the first two decades of the 21st century have called the youth of the 2010s and 2020s to action. Black Lives Matter, to climate change, to school shootings, to women’s rights, and LGBTQ+ rights, the youth have risen to action.

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iStock A Group Of Young Adult People Are Marching Together On Strike Against Climate Change Stock Photo - Download Image Now

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A group of young adult people are marching together on strike against climate change. They are holding cardboard signs. Multi ethnic group of people. Portrait of a girl holding a sign with the text "save our planet" on it.

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A group of young adult people are marching together on strike against climate change. They are holding cardboard signs. Multi ethnic group of people. Portrait of a girl holding a sign with the text "save our planet" on it.

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What's a royalty-free license?

Royalty-free licenses let you pay once to use copyrighted images and video clips in personal and commercial projects on an ongoing basis without requiring additional payments each time you use that content. It's a win-win, and it's why everything on iStock is only available royalty-free - including all Protest images and footage.

What kinds of royalty-free files are available on iStock?

Royalty-free licenses are the best option for anyone who needs to use stock images commercially, which is why every file on iStock - whether it's a photo, illustration or video clip - is only available royalty-free.

How can you use royalty-free images and video clips?

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Learn more about royalty-free images or view FAQs related to stock photos.

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A group of young adult people are marching together on strike against...

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Childhood from 2000 to 1965 by Kendall Schoen

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Childhood from 2000 to 1965 by Kendall Schoen

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"The '90s was also an era of significant social and political changes. Young people rallied around causes like environmental conservation and social justice. The Rodney King case and the subsequent LA riots, the O.J. Simpson trial, and the Columbine High School shooting were just a few of the events that sparked nationwide debates and shaped the political consciousness of young people in this era. "

Blast from the past: The youth culture of the 1990s. Crosslr. (n.d.). https://www.crosslr.com/magazine/blast-from-the-past-the-youth-culture-of-the-1990s

Photo Citation:
Gutiérrez, R. (2023, August 29). Documenting 1990s Chicano youth culture. PBS SoCal. https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/artbound/veteranas-and-rucas-documenting-1990s-chicano-youth-culture

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"Teen movies were very popular in the ’80s, and high schoolers filled the local cinema Octoplex to watch Risky Business, Footloose, Back to the Future and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. You can almost define the ’80s teen by watching John Hughes movies like The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Sixteen Candles. And thanks to the introduction of VCR players in 1977, what you didn’t catch at the theater you could eventually watch at home."

Content, S. (2021, April 2). The ’80s teen. centraljersey.com. https://centraljersey.com/2021/04/06/the-80s-teen/#:~:text=Many%20schools%20had%20computer%20classes,told%20to%20Just%20Say%20No.

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"Media played a significant role in not only pinning love children and freaks as hippies with a negative connotation but also in romanticizing the movement. After the Vietnam War ended in the mid-1970s, the counterculture movement died down. However, the media continued to idolize the hippie scene. Even today, the hippie movement is often missed by those who desire to live in a more “free” society. However, not everything was as joyous as it seemed. "

The counterculture hippie movement of the 1960s and 1970s. TheCollector. (2023, May 12). https://www.thecollector.com/hippie-counterculture-movement-1960s-1970s/

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I am very proud of the TV series I made for PBS called Making Sense of the Sixties. I had the chance to spend a year examining my youth and how I became an active member of the 60s generation.

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Middle class teenagers explored their identity through clothing and music. Specifically the generation of rock music. "By 1966, music had diversified so much that it didn't matter what sort of school you went to, but whether or not you were into the latest music. In Southampton, people went to the Top Rank to dance to chart records and meet girl/boyfriends, to the Gaumont to watch the Beatles, R oy Orbison, etc., but to the Guildhall to see strange new bands that played "psychedelic" music."

A teenager in the 60s. Teenager in the 60s. (n.d.). https://www.retrowow.co.uk/retro_britain/60s/teenage_life_in_the_60s.html

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Kids These Days: Childhood from 1965 to 1945 by Heidi Echternacht

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Kids These Days: Childhood from 1965 to 1945 by Heidi Echternacht

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References:
Mintz, S. (2004). Huck’s raft: A history of American childhood. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. ISBN: 9780674019980

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With the advent of the "Golden Age of Televison", along came commercials as advertisers increasingly recognized the buying power of children and their parents. Disney made numerous movies during this time period, as well as hosted TV shows such as The Mickey Mouse Club. Comics and magazines were also popular, especially among boys who followed serial segments of various heroic adventures.

Davy Crockett craze of 1955

Comics (New Yorker article September, 2023)

Mad Magazine

Hula Hoops

Disney Movies: Parent Trap, Swiss Family Robinson, Mary Poppins, Moon-Spinners, That Darn Cat, Peter Pan, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Lady and the Tramp

The Red Balloon 1956

TV:
Lassie
Mickey Mouse Club
Howdy Doody
Lone Ranger
Captain Kangaroo
Soupy Sales

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Wham-O Frisbee & Hula Hoop Commercial (1960s)

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Kids These Days: Bobby Soxers Twist into Rock n' Roll

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Kids These Days: Bobby Soxers Twist into Rock n' Roll

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From the 1940's Bobby Soxers, girl culture morphed into sock hops and soda shops as Rock and Roll began to take over the airwaves. Elvis and The Shirelle's emerged as the "new sound", spawning a new culture.

Girls gained more independence of identity as they could do the Twist to Chubby Checker without a male partner. (Mintz, 284) Slumber parties gained popularity and shows such as "Gidget" and "Patty Duke" featured strong female leads who showcased the trials and tribulations of being a teenager.

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This is a topical collection about American life and politics in the 1950s. Resources in this collection might be helpful to students and teachers working on projects about the decade. It is not me...

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The Radioactive Child: Sputnik and the Education Wars 1959-1957

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The Radioactive Child: Sputnik and the Education Wars 1959-1957

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"Asteroid City", a film by Wes Anderson (2023) captures the anxiety surrounding education and childhood in the 1950's and the post WW2 "Atomic Age" of the Cold War.

As the Space Race emerged during the Cold War, pressure was put on schools and families to foster children's success and interest in academics. Anxiety increased over children's wellness and mental health and parenting books appear, such as the highly influential Dr. Spock book on child rearing practices.

American educational institutions faced pressure as to why the Russians were first to be in space as teaching methods and curricula were questioned. "Wars" over science instruction, phonics and whole word reading techniques were topics of debate. Readers such as Dick and Jane, which were first published in the 1930's were very popular in the 1950's. Dr Seuss books, such as "The Cat in the Hat" were an effort to promote reading among children.

Read more about Sputnik and how it shaped American education:
Herold, J. (1974). SPUTNIK IN AMERICAN EDUCATION: A HISTORY AND REAPPRAISAL. McGill Journal of Education / Revue Des Sciences De l’éducation De McGill, 9(002). Retrieved from https://mje.mcgill.ca/article/view/6971

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Asteroid City | Official Trailer - In Theatres Everywhere June 23

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Biography: Ruby Bridges Michals, Debra.  "Ruby Bridges."  National Women's History Museum.  National Women's History Museum, 2015.  Accessed 10/2/23

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Kids These Days: The Integrated Child, 1954 Brown vs Board of Education

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Kids These Days: The Integrated Child, 1954 Brown vs Board of Education

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Timeline
Summary

A landmark decision effectively ending school segregation, the Brown family took the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas to court contesting that "separate but equal" schools were unconstitutional and children should receive equal treatment and funding.

Ruby Bridges and the Little Rock Nine are several of the brave children who walked through crowds of angry white Southerners who opposed equal rights for Americans.

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MLA - Michals, Debra. "Ruby Bridges." National Women's History Museum. National Women's History Museum, 2015. Date accessed.

Chicago - Michals, Debra. "Ruby Bridges." National Women's History Museum." 2015. www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/ruby-bridges.

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Trailblazer Ruby Bridges was only six when she advanced the cause of civil rights in November 1960 when she became the first African American student to integrate an elementary school in the South. Learn more about her on womenshistory.org.

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Dorthea Lange Photograph 210-G-A78; San Francisco, California, National Archives

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World War 2 brought patriotism deep into to the hearts of American families. 16 states had laws about saluting the American flag as a daily practice in school.

The Supreme Court case of West Virginia Board of Education vs Barnett (1943) was an instrumental ruling declaring that children could not be punished for refusing to salute the flag, as was practice among many groups such as Jehovah's Witness practitioners, who had their children taken away for their refusal to salute the flag.

Justice Jackson declared that allowing children to choose to salute the flag, or not, was an important distinction for an operational democracy.

Photograph: 210-G-A78; San Francisco, California. Flag of allegiance pledge at Raphael Weill Public School; 4/20/1942; Central Photographic File of the War Relocation Authority, 1942 - 1945; Records of the War Relocation Authority, Record Group 210; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/pledge-of-allegiance-weill-school, October 1, 2023]

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Childhood in the Depression Era 1945-1920 by Lindsay Rae May

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Childhood in the Depression Era 1945-1920 by Lindsay Rae May

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The internment of the Japanese Americans forced young children and their families to relocate to camps on the American interior. As POWs, their stay in these isolated camps continued for an undetermined period of time until their eventual release following the war. Their stay in the barracks was overcrowded, lacked privacy, and was very unsanitary. Border camps for refugee children in the present-day is an example of similar mistreatments to refugees, as discussed here.

Linked source: Japanese Internment Survivor Warns Family Separation Traumatizes Children - YouTube

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Japanese Internment Survivor Warns Family Separation Traumatizes Children

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Fathers contributing to the war effort abroad created employment opportunities for children and youth in America. Children worked on the farm and in the home to help with labour shortages.

Teenage work in the labour force soared, but at the same time school attendance fell. Jobs provided money and with their own money, teenagers flet a growing sense of autonomy.

Disney Studios helped in the promotion of children "doing their part" for the war effort through their distribution of propaganda posters, comics, and short films.

Linked source: Mickey Mouse morale: Disney on the World War II home front | National Museum of American History (si.edu)

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Useful Child (1929-1939) The Depression Years

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Useful Child (1929-1939) The Depression Years

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Children’s labour during the Depression years was needed to help contribute to the survival of the family. Children competed with adults for jobs, mostly farm work or house tasks, with some boys taking casual work in the mines. Especially in the south, where the population of low-income black families was higher, there was an expectation for children to work to support the family.

Photo derived from: https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=ystSd2im&id=565173C125CD64D7F4C1CBAC1640D8EF89A3AF02&thid=OIP.ystSd2im9m0ELvgkR5l

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Individual identity and peer group influences become defining features of 1920s adolescent.

Due to an increase in educational enrolment of older adolescents, this period was the first time when high school became a “universal experience.” With this shared experience, peer groups become more important than adult influences. With disposable incomes from part time jobs, commercial markets become targeted to teenagers. As a result, the image of the teenager is born.

Linked source: The Emergence of the Teenager | Museum of Youth Culture

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'At the line between childhood and adolescence, growing up consists precisely in the ability to participate in youth culture patterns' (Parsons)
For youth this was a time to define self. What was your style? Who were you? This was a tricky and complex process. The new American style was exotic, it offered teens a sense of individuality and worth, helping to underpin subcultures for the decades coming.
'To the teenager nothing is more important to find out where he fits in relation to life around him. It's a serious quest' (Jon Savage)
Documentaries were produced on how to act, how to fit in and they acknowledge this was a time of uncertainty: follow the steps laid out and you would be fine. As an example, The Teddy boys' style and antics may have been a want to cause trouble as delinquents, but it could simply have been a cry to fit in. It gave them confidence, looking tough and having a group to feel at home within. Mike, interviewed by the BBC, did not really want to be a Teddy Boy, he dressed that way to feel a sense of belonging.
'Never quite sure whether you are just a child, or all grown up'... 'life seems awfully complicated' (BBC archives)
For most teenagers this was a time of limbo, turning twenty suddenly felt like such a jump. Being a teenager was new and no one knew how to navigate it, this was a totally different phenomenon. A generation trapped in the middle, not knowing where they fit, not only in the cliques of teenage but in a changing society.

The era of teenage was upon us and yet they themselves were still trying to figure it out.

The fifties saw the true explosion of the teenager! This is the pinnacle of the journey we have been on. A large-scale consumer group emerged, in comparison to the group of people above them: the unemployed college students. Adolescence had an economic importance that was being recognised. The earning power of not only the British youth but youth across the world became immense, playing a big role in enhancing their social visibility. A move of capital into lighter forms of production made it easier for younger, less skilled workers to get jobs.

Anita Jeffery said she left school at fifteen and went straight into the clothing factory; a lot of girls she knew from school also joined the factory or knew about available work. She wanted to work just like other girls; they wanted to work to earn and spend.

The adult world tapped into this spending power, creating a new market. Youth had become a key consumer group, an opportunity that could not be missed. The rise of media and culture industries became economic mainstays and youth styles developed as a fundamental business sector; by the late fifties the number of products geared to youth seemed boundless. There was a mass culture of production that facilitated a very specific sense of collective identity for teenagers.
'The distinctive fact about teenagers' behaviour is economic: they spent a lot of money on clothes, records, concerts, makeup, magazines: all things that give immediate pleasure' (Peter Laurie, 1965)
Spending made them feel important. Owen Jones said that the 'dream of so many to work to save their money to buy a mini' and Anita Jeffery said 'I used to have to pay my way with my lodgings and the rest was mine. It went a long way' . The ability to make money and then spend it on the consumer goods such as cars and fashion that was aimed at them was important; it made them feel like a part of society. Brian Dowling spoke of the 'pride and joy' at his friend getting the car of their dreams; there was something to aim for. This generation needed a term that expressed their new place in society: the Teenager.
'Teena and her teen mates come in bunches like bananas...Sell one, and the chances are you'll sell them all' (Tena pamphlet)
There was a culture of cliques that formed, influencing what was fashionable and what was to be sold to this new group of youth with such a significant and unique spending power. Social status and fashion were important; distinct trends emerged from their strong spending power and collective identity. In documentaries about teens, they talked about them imitating each other and it was a time of confusion; they were to fit into a group defined by their new identity. It was a way to rebel against the adults. School would make them change their hair and wear the same clothes; these fashions were a way to break out.

Teenagers embodied a new life; teen culture was inclusive. They were presented by the media and social commentators as the vanguard of contemporary social trends, the sharp end of a new consumer culture. Cinema admission rose in the fifties; music and fashion became a way to break class barriers. Teens were one class unified.
'Seamless web of culture, centred on high schools, souped-up cars, teen magazines and a social order of gangs, new dating customs, drive-in theatres, haircuts and clothes' (James Gilbert)
Teenager was not simply a new generation, but the notion of youth was a precursor to a leisure driven consumer society. They were embodying the new way of life, their ability to spend had enhanced their social status on a day-to-day basis. This was a time of freedom, youth clubs and parties. Going out with friends, having money; they went to work younger and could spend their own money on what they wanted.
'Adolescence in general were much more visible on a day-to-day basis' (Jon Savage)
By the fifties youth found their own voice; the teen culture that emerged was an embodiment of a new world. It was one that was inclusive; a balance had finally been struck between youth and society. There was a lusting for fun, an encouragement for adolescent to be independent.
'The increasing importance of youth demanded a new name' (Jon Savage)
They had a different want in life. The youth could not be ignored anymore, they needed to be acknowledged and labelled; the teenager had arrived.

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The Emergence of the Teenager | Museum of Youth Culture

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The creation of youth has been a journey that evolved into the labelled term teenager in the early to mid-twentieth century. Described as a youthquake, the fifties were the epicentre of the emergence of the teenager; this group flourished post war with new spending power and independence.

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Immigrant children did not have the freedoms of their middle-class counterparts. Immigrant children were required to work to support the family. Children served as translators and guides for parents in a new culture. Due to poverty, immigrant children did not attend school following the primary years and were instead wage earners for the family. Immigrant children had to navigate through the often-clashing cultures. At the onset of the Great Depression child immigrants and their families from Central America are deported due to the labour shortage, crushing dreams.

Linked source: American Experience | Immigrant Workers & the American Dream | PBS
Linked source: Latino Americans | Episode 2: Empire of Dreams Trailer | PBS

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American Experience
In the early 20th Century, many female immigrants worked in garment factories. Some were girls as young as ten, whose families had chosen America for its promise of a better future.

Aired: 02/28/11

Rating: NR

Problems Playing Video? Report a Problem |

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American Experience | Immigrant Workers & the American Dream

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American Experience In the early 20th Century, many female immigrants worked in garment factories. Some were girls as young as ten, whose families had chosen America for its promise of a better future. Aired: 02/28/11 Rating: NR Problems Playing Video? Report a Problem |

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Koo & Sze Children playing with toys 1918 - 1920

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Koo & Sze Children playing with toys 1918 - 1920

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"Factory-made toys were uncommon in the nineteenth century—most toys were either homemade or fairly simple. Early in the twentieth century, though, as the nation became more industrialized, toys began to be manufactured on a large scale. The first two decades of the century saw the introduction of many classic toys, including the Lionel Train (1901), Crayola Crayons (1903), and Lincoln Logs (1916). New design improvements in the 1880s and 1890s made bicycles safer, and bikes and tricycles came into children’s hands in much greater numbers, providing countless children with the tools to explore the changing world around them."

Children’s lives at the turn of the twentieth century  :  classroom materials at the library of congress  :  library of Congress. The Library of Congress. (n.d.). https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/childrens-lives-at-the-turn-of-the-twentieth-century/

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Children Working as Paper Boys, New York City, NY, 1917

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Children Working as Paper Boys, New York City, NY, 1917

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"Similar, less tawdry courier services were provided within department stores. Children known as “cash” boys and girls carried money, sales slips, and items purchased to store inspectors. The inspectors wrapped the goods and verified the amounts paid. The children then returned the change and the items. While courier boys were common, newspaper boys, popularly known as “newsies,” worked in the most visible of the street trades and were the face of child labor for most urban Americans."

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (n.d.). History of child labor in the United States-Part 1: Little Children Working : Monthly labor review. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2017/article/history-of-child-labor-in-the-united-states-part-1.htm

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The Useful Child of the Progressive Era (1912)

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The Useful Child of the Progressive Era (1912)

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In 1912, The Children's Bureau was established. It confronted the harsh life conditions of working-class children in the labour force and began campaigning for the right for all children to have a protected childhood. Lewis Hines, among others, advocated for reforms that would remove children from dangerous working conditions. Hines, a photographer for the Bureau, captured shocking images of the realities of child labour across America bringing the desperate situation of children front and center. As a result, several states adopted laws to restrit or regulate child labour. Although not wholly successful, their efforts represent a major shift in adults' consideration of child welfare and childrens' right to a protected childhood.

Photo derived from: Young Girl Working In South Carolina Cotton Mill - Lewis Hine 1908 Photograph by War Is Hell Store - Pixels

Linked source: Cotton Mill Girl: Behind Lewis Hine's Photograph & Child Labor Series | 100 Photos | TIME - YouTube

Linked source: The History Place - Child Labor in America: Investigative Photos of Lewis Hine

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The period from 1865 to 1910 was known as the golden age of American children’s fiction… At a time when middle-class children’s lives were becoming more regimented, children’s books expressed a nostalgia for a simpler past and fantasies of youthful freedom… the golden age proved fleeting, (Mintz, 185-186)

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Information |Description={{en|1=Cover of Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery, published 1908.}} |Source=Англовики |Author=Л. М. Монтгомнри |Date=1908 |Permission= |other_versions= }}

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Four Perspectives of Childhood During the Years of Westward Expansion 1880-1780

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Four Perspectives of Childhood During the Years of Westward Expansion 1880-1780

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Frontier Child by Kendall Schoen: Childhood from 1830 - 1912

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Frontier Child by Kendall Schoen: Childhood from 1830 - 1912

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"[Women of the frontier] kept up the courage of their men and quieted their crying children. Necessity laid upon then what one historian has called 'the double burden of feminitiy'" (Schlissel, 1978).

Schlissel, Lillian. “Mothers and Daughters on the Western Frontier.” Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, vol. 3, no. 2, 1978, pp. 29–33. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3346396. Accessed 25 Sept. 2023.

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Mother and Child | The Art Institute of Chicago

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Detail of the Harvey M. Pickens family, Ortello Valley, Custer County, Nebraska, 1889

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Detail of the Harvey M. Pickens family, Ortello Valley, Custer County, Nebraska, 1889

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"In 1889, 70 percent of the Nebraskans lived on farms. Children were expected to help the adults with the farm work. Milking cows and gathering cow or buffalo chips for fuel in the cook stove was a duty for both girls and boys. Girls helped with the cooking, cleaning, mending, gathering eggs, and taking care of the younger children. Boys helped with the planting and harvesting of crops and also helped hunt for food to feed the family" (Nebraska Studies, 2023).

“Pioneer Children: School, Games, Toys, Recreation.” Pioneer Children: School, Games, Toys, Recreation, 2023, www.nebraskastudies.org/en/1850-1874/who-were-the-settlers-who-was-daniel-freeman/pioneer-children-school-games-toys-recreation/.

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"By the 1840s, Oregon fever gripped the nation and people left on the Oregon Trail to become homesteaders. Although pioneer kids couldn’t bring all their old toys with them, they found new ways to play when they arrived in their new homes." (Heather on History, 2013).

Voight, Posted by Heather. “How Did Children Play on the American Frontier?” Heather on History, 18 Sept. 2014, heathervoight.com/2013/04/23/how-did-children-play-on-the-american-frontier/.

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“Rare Photo of Slave Children Found.” NBCNews.Com, NBCUniversal News Group, 10 June 2010, www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna37623310. 

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"Between 1820 and 1860 approximately 30% of all slave children born in the upper South were taken from their families and sold to the Deep South to work in the harsher climate on plantations. After years of forced migration many of these African Americans took the opportunity provided by the upheaval of war to escape their masters and travel long distances to be reconnected with their families. By 1864 approximately 400,000 slaves within the South had fled their masters" (US National Park Service, 2017).

“African American Children (U.S. National Park Service).” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 11 Aug. 2017, www.nps.gov/articles/african-american-children.htm.

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American Masters | Zitkála-Šá: Trailblazing American Indian Composer and Writer (11 minute video about her life) 

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Forgotten Children of Westward Expansion by Heidi Echternacht

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Forgotten Children of Westward Expansion by Heidi Echternacht

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Zitkala-Sa, 1876- 1936 Author, teacher, leader and musician was taken from her home by Quakers to a boarding school for re-education.

"Like a slender tree, I had been uprooted from my mother, nature and God. I was shorn of my branches, now a cold, bare pole, I seem to be planted in a strange earth"

-American Masters, PBS

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American Masters
Zitkála-Šá co-composed and wrote the libretto for the first American Indian opera and co-founded the National Council of American Indians to lobby for increased political power for American Indians.

Aired: 08/19/20

Rating: NR

Problems Playing Video? Report a Problem |

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American Masters | Zitkála-Šá: Trailblazing American Indian Composer and Writer

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American Masters Zitkála-Šá co-composed and wrote the libretto for the first American Indian opera and co-founded the National Council of American Indians to lobby for increased political power for American Indians. Aired: 08/19/20 Rating: NR Problems Playing Video? Report a Problem |

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Westward Expansion and the Useful Child by Lindsay May

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Westward Expansion and the Useful Child by Lindsay May

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With the commercialization of agriculture, a demand for child labour in the west was created. In the dangerous move westward, childhood responsibilities increased for both genders, and resulted in greater autonomy. Due to the labour shortage, gender divisions of work decreased. Girls and boys both assisted with day-to-day living activities (collecting wood, cooking, helping the sick, etc…). Their labour was relied upon for the survival of the family as they journeyed across the plains.

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Study for Cartoon "Editor's Easy Chair", Thomas Nast, CooperHewitt, chndm_1953-10-47

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Freedom in the Protected Childhood

For the middle class, growing affluence allowed parents to provide a sheltered childhood, free from work responsibilities and devoted to education and play…Two divergent concepts of childhood emerged… the useful childhood and a protected childhood sheltered from the stresses and demands of the adult world. (Mintz, 152)

Reference:

Mintz, S. (2004). Huck’s raft: A history of American childhood. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

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Three Perspectives of Childhood During the Civil War Years (1865-1860)

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Three Perspectives of Childhood During the Civil War Years (1865-1860)

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Portrait of Boy with a Whip, miniature painting, unknown, Smithsonian American Art Museum, saam_1963.8.2

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Freedom for the white child of the civil war…

Freedom may have looked different for the middle- and upper-class children during the Civil War, but none escaped the influences of the war. Children learned lessons that they carried into the postwar years. (Mintz, 130).

Middle class parents responded to the war’s traumas through an intensified commitment to a protected, prolonged childhood… and emphasized the idea of insulating children from harsher realities of adult life… (Mintz, 132)

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Civil War Era and the Useful Child by Lindsay May

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Civil War Era and the Useful Child by Lindsay May

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In the interwar period, increased immigration from Europe resulted in rapid urban growth. Family structures changed with many led by single mothers, widowed after the revolution. Children increasingly filled the income gap - boys worked in the dangerous environment of coal mines and girls supplemented with domestic labour. Children's work supported families with extra incomes and encouraged greater responsibilities and a sense of independence at an early age.

Linked source: The Life of a Coal Miner | eHISTORY (osu.edu)

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The Civil War and the Useful Child by Lindsay May

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The Civil War and the Useful Child by Lindsay May

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As civil war broke out, children joined the effort in the roles of drummers, messengers and soldiers. Driven by a sense of patriotism, personal desire and escape from humdrum farm life, childhood became shorter as the north and south battled. Children were assuming the roles typically held by grown men and with these roles, a growing independence. Children, such as the one pictured above, reflected on this new experience with regret:
Writing after the 1862 battle of Shiloh, 15-year-old Elisha Stockwell Jr said:

“As we lay there and the shells were flying over us, my thoughts went back to my home, and I thought what a foolish boy I was to run away and get into such a mess as I was in. I would have been glad to have seen my father coming after me.”

Quote derived from website: Child soldiers of the US Civil War | All About History (historyanswers.co.uk)

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Forgotten Children of the Civil War by Heidi Echternacht

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Forgotten Children of the Civil War by Heidi Echternacht

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Willy Hall, an African American boy, National Museum of African American History and Culture. Died 1864 in Camp Distribution, VA, known as Camp Misery. His mother was likely Maria, father was Major William Charles James Hall of the 23d U.S. Colored Troops.

Read Aloud of a fictional children's story, "Pink and Say" by Patricia Polacco. This story was passed down verbally through generations and was written down by Patricia Polacco to honor the not-to-be-forgotten life of a Black child soldier named Pinkus Aylee.

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Three Perspectives of Childhood During the Age of Revolution 1830 to 1750

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Three Perspectives of Childhood During the Age of Revolution 1830 to 1750

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revolutionary boys from Voices of Labor in the Atlantic World (utdallas.edu)

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Useful Child during the Revolution Era by Lindsay May

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Useful Child during the Revolution Era by Lindsay May

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The growing colonial rejection of patriarchal rule which led to the Revolutionary War in America was echoed in childhood during this time period. As America prepared for its fight for independence from Britain, young boys began joining the war effort as soldiers. A decrease in indentured servitude resulted, as joining the rebellion resulted in a purchase of freedom from servitude. Poor boys were viewed as expendable and were used to fill the soldier quota gap. These 'children as adults' quickly gained their autonomy but also suffered homesickness and loneliness as the drudgeries of war set in. (Mintz, 54-64)

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Portrait of Samuel Warren Holland, Aged 2 Years by MW Hopkins, Smithsonian American Art Museum, saam_1986.65.119

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Protected Children during the Revolution by Cheryl Pugh Taylor

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Protected Children during the Revolution by Cheryl Pugh Taylor

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Freedom in the Age of the Revolution

Questions of freedom and liberty in the age of the American Revolution were pervasive in public and private attitudes. Young people played an active role in the ferment leading up to the Revolution (Mintz, 61) and female independence became a key component of the revolutionary ideology. (Mintz, 73)

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Servants at a Pump, Nicolino Calyo, National African American Museum nmaahc_2010.5ab

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Forgotten Children of the Revolution by Heidi Echternacht

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Forgotten Children of the Revolution by Heidi Echternacht

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James Forten was born free and Black in Philadelphia on September 2, 1766. When he was 14, he served on a private ship in the Revolutionary War and was captured by the British. He went on to become one of the richest men in Philadelphia and a powerful voice for Black Americans.

Not to be forgotten, a new exhibit has just opened in the Museum of the American Revolution highlighting this important, yet little known Early American Black family and child of the Revolution.

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Three Perspectives of Childhood During the Colonial Era 1750 to 1600

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Three Perspectives of Childhood During the Colonial Era 1750 to 1600

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Useful Child of the Colonial Era by Lindsay May

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Useful Child of the Colonial Era by Lindsay May

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Indentures - In early Colonial America, children were brought from Europe to America to be used as a form of cheap labour. Indentures, agreements for indentured servitude, such as this one illustrates the general language that was such binding contracts. Unspecific language created doubt about what responsibilities must be carried out by both parties to fulfil it. Children bound as indentured servants often did not have their basic needs met and were made victims of abuse.  Servants could be bought, sold and leased. These 2/3 of all immigrant children were in positions of un-freedom: indentured servants, apprentices, convicts, or slaves. The were often treated cruelly, resulting in high death rates in Colonial America.

Linked source: Children at Work – Women & the American Story (nyhistory.org)

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The Forgotten Child of the Colonial Era by Heidi Echternacht

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The Forgotten Child of the Colonial Era by Heidi Echternacht

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While Puritan parents were busy beating the devil out of their ten children, weaning, breaching and instructing them at young ages, Native child and motherhood was very different, with mothers often breastfeeding their few children for four years or more. Among Native Nations, children were treated gently and allowed time to play, explore and grow with little punishment.

The end of Native childhood was often marked by ceremony, which varied specifically from Tribe to Tribe, where children went through rituals that symbolized leaving their child selves behind to emerge as adults.

Reference:

Mintz, S. (2004). Huck’s raft: A history of American childhood. Chapters 1 & 2, Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

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The Protected Children of the Colonial Era by Cheryl Pugh Taylor

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The Protected Children of the Colonial Era by Cheryl Pugh Taylor

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Image: Jeremiah Belknap

Freedom for two types of colonial children.

While Puritans came to America in pursuit of religious freedom, their young people were made to carry an awesome psychological burden. Morality, religion, indeed the future, depended on them. (Mintz, 31)

In another part of the colonies, Chesapeake’s white inhabitants were much more relaxed about their children’s upbringing. Planter’s children had more freedoms and fewer responsibilities. Since much of the day-to-day care of planter’s children was left in the hands of slaves, parents were free to coddle and spoil their children. (Mintz, 39)

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Native American children in a boarding school, 1880's - 1890's. 

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Native American children in a boarding school, 1880's - 1890's. 

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"Native students were not allowed to speak in their Native languages. They were only allowed to speak English regardless of their fluency and would face punishment if they didn’t. The discipline enforced at these boarding schools was severe. Punishments varied and included privilege restrictions, diet restrictions, threats of corporal punishment, and even confinement. Additionally, Native students were neglected and faced many forms of abuse including physical, sexual, cultural, and spiritual. They were beaten, coerced into performing heavy labor. Their daily regimen consisted of several hours of marching and recreational time consisted of watching disturbing movies such as Cowboys and Indians" (Mejia, 2022).

Mejia, Melissa. “The U.S. History of Native American Boarding Schools.” The Indigenous Foundation, 26 July 2022, www.theindigenousfoundation.org/articles/us-residential-schools.