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In the 19th century, most families had a very different relationship to death than we do today. Children encountered death on a regular basis; it was impractical to conceal it from them. Death was a regular part of community life. Most people died at home, and were prepared for burial by family members. While exploring
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After several months of searching, I have finally identified this school as the Colored Orphan Asylum in New York City! This may seem boring to you, but I am over the moon. Let us begin at the beginning.1 I stumbled across this fascinating image of black children completely by chance. Last year, I purchased a
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I have some exciting news: every issue of The Freedman’s Journal is now available online courtesy of Harvard University Library! The Freedman’s Journal was created by abolitionists to help educate formerly enslaved adults and their families.
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Earlier this year, I learned that the famous Black Spiritual “Nobody Knows” was printed in The Freedman and The Child at Home in April 1866. Both were monthly children’s periodicals published by the American Tract Society in Boston. They had a combined circulation of 224,000 copies per month, so a lot of kids could have
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These chapbooks might be my most thrilling find ever! First Lessons is one of the first materials created specifically to educate Black Americans. It was published by the American Tract Society in New York in 1862, and it stayed in print for several years. The content of First Lessons appears to be pretty standard stuff.
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I’m currently working on converting my old social media content into blog posts. So if things look familiar, it’s not de ja vu.
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Welcome to Lost History Books: a blog about old books. I’m currently researching children’s literature published during the American Civil War and Reconstruction. Check back regularly if you want to learn more!
Lost History Books 