Title page
(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
Contact us for information about using this image.

label levels:

As ways of printing improved in the 19th century, schoolbooks, such as this geography book, were able to have more pictures to interest readers. Although these pictures were often wrong or showed stereotypes, they gave students pictures of unfamiliar peoples such as African slaves in Southern States and Native Americans "out west". (See examples on pages 2, 3 & 4 by clicking on the "Select a page" menu above). These books were a real "window to the world" for children who were without TV, radio or movies and with few magazines or newspapers. Ideas and pictures from these books would affect the thoughts and beliefs of the children who studied them.

top of page