Curated by Students of History 260: United States to 1865 | Fall 2018
Throughout the nineteenth century, Americans from all across the country used scrapbooks as a tool to tell the stories of their lives. They clipped ticket stubs for shows they enjoyed, portraits and photos of loved ones or pressed flowers from the garden. Often created in groups at scrapping 'crops' (similar to quilting bees), scrapbooking was also a social event that allowed people to come together. Interestingly, scrapbooking is again becoming a popular pastime. In History 260 students have been studying American History and they have compiled this scrapbook that begins to describe the lived experiences of Americans living in a century highlighted by two tumultuous wars—The American Revolution and the Civil War. Much like the scrapbooks created in the nineteenth century, these items have been created and curated in groups. And, like those older examples, this scrapbook is also meant to be shared and enjoyed widely.
Dr. Jason Young, Department of History
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