Our class was given the task of constructing a website addressing a certain period in American history. Using the resources offered by the special collections section of our Middlebury College Library, combined with the primary documents held in the Sheldon Museum, we were able to formulate a website on our specific topics.

Our group, with a focus on gender differences in the early 1800s, preserved The Boy's Own Book, by digitally scanning each page. This text, written in 1832, instructed boys on how to behave in society, as well as provided fundamental guidelines for games and activities which boys should follow.

Our site uses this book and The Girl's Own Book to compare the treatment and behaviors of boys and girls during this time period. In the Sheldon Museum, we handled and photographed typical dolls of the 1800s. This information should be contrasted with another website, made by other members of our class, who studied common male toys of the time period. A link from our website to theirs is provided.

Our mission was to not only preserve deteriorating books that, unless restored, would be rendered illegible with time, but also to provide an easily accessible historical data bank for others' accessibility and convenience.

Sources Cited

Back to Home