History: Portrait Of American Children, United States

The lives of the young provide a valuable window into many of the most important themes in American history, including colonization, slavery, westward expansion, industrialization, urbanization, immigration, the growth of government, and the impact of war on American society.
Their lives also provide insight into other topics that are too often ignored, such as the experience of indentured servitude and apprenticeship, schooling in the past, the growth of age consciousness in American society, and the emergence of distinct youth cultures.